Frantic (29 page)

“And you got a lot of people killed,” Pete said.

“A lot of guilty people who were trying to overthrow the Global Community,” Traickin said. “It was our one chance at a peaceful world.”

“So the war ends and you're looking for different work?” Conrad said.

“The war ends and I volunteer,” Traickin said. “I want to expose anyone who's against Nicolae.”

“You're a traitor to your wife,” Pete said. “She tried to tell you the truth.”

Traickin smiled. “My wife is dead. I honor her memory by following a man of peace.”

“How did you learn about the mark of the believer?” Vicki said.

“I stumbled onto one of those—what do you call them?—house churches. One of the kids drew a picture of the mark. A friend helped me put it on.”

“You got those people in Maryland arrested,” Shelly said.

Traickin smiled again. “And any minute, the GC will catch up to you.”

Pete started the truck and gunned the engine. “Not if I can help it.”

Kasim and Judd quietly crawled into the apartment above. Somehow the bedroom door had closed when the GC led Nada from the room. Judd put his ear to the door and listened. Kasim moved to the window.

“How did you get into the apartment?” a Peacekeeper said.

“I told you,” Nada said, “I came in by mistake.”

“What were you doing with the bag?” the officer said.

“We have to do something,” Judd whispered.

“I'm working on the windows,” Kasim said. “They won't open.”

“We can't climb down from here,” Judd said.

“That's not the plan,” Kasim said. “It's going to take some time to break it. Lock the door and put your body in front of it.”

Judd locked the door quickly. Kasim picked up a wooden nightstand and smashed it against the window. The glass didn't break.

“What's that?” the GC officer said from the next room.

“Hurry!” Judd said.

Kasim retreated a few steps and ran at the window with the nightstand above his head. The window shattered but didn't break.

Someone jiggled the doorknob. “Open this door!”

Judd stood his ground as someone ran against the door. The hinges cracked, but the door stayed in place.

Kasim threw the nightstand against the window again, but the glass wouldn't break. There was a fluttering outside the window, and Judd finally figured out Kasim's plan.

Kasim picked up the nightstand once more and raised it over his head.

From the other side of the door Judd heard a Peacekeeper say, “Stand back. I'll shoot the lock!”

26

JUDD
jumped out of the way as a gun fired. Seconds later a burly GC officer crashed through the door.

Judd threw his hands above his head. “Don't shoot!”

The officer looked past Judd and raised his gun. “Stop!”

Kasim threw the nightstand. It crashed into the window, and glass scattered on the floor.

Another officer ran in just in time to see the first locusts fly inside. The two men screamed and tried to pull the door closed, but it was off its hinges. Frantically they scrambled into the living room as the locusts landed on their backs and stung them.

Judd raced past them and found Nada. She was handcuffed. Judd found a key on a man writhing on the floor and set her free.

In the hallway, Judd, Nada, and Kasim found other Peacekeepers on the ground, gasping and moaning. They stepped over several of them to get to the stairwell.

Locusts surged into the stairwell as Nada opened the door.

“Which way?” Nada yelled.

“Kweesa's apartment,” Judd said.

“No,” Kasim said, “we have to get out of the building!”

Kasim propped the door open. Locusts seemed to follow the three as they raced to the first floor.

Kasim paused at the bottom. “Let's put on a good show.”

Again Kasim propped the door open and the three went screaming into the lobby. An alarm pierced Judd's ears, and the locusts shrieked, “Abaddon! Abaddon!” Two Peacekeepers at the entrance drew their guns, then scrambled under a table.

“Lock it down!” someone yelled on the radio. “Lock down every floor so these things don't get into the tunnel!”

It was too late for the Peacekeepers on the floor. Judd opened an emergency door and another alarm rang. More locusts poured into the building, sensing their opportunity to sting unbelievers.

“Hold it open!” Kasim yelled as he ran to an access panel near the back of the lobby. He flipped a few switches and the alarms stopped. The door Judd was holding began to close.

“Hurry!” Judd yelled.

Nada stuck a foot against the door, but it pushed them back inside. Kasim lunged at the door and opened it enough for them to escape.

“Why'd you do that?” Judd said.

“I locked the stairwell doors and the floor we were on,” Kasim said. “No sense in letting everybody in there get stung.”

“If they get in the air ducts, it won't matter,” Judd said.

Kasim looked at the building. “I hope Kweesa's all right.”

“Let's get out of here,” Nada said.

“Either of you know a safe place?” Kasim said.

“I do,” Judd said.

Vicki watched the countryside roll by as Pete raced west. Shelly was the first to notice a car following.

“They're not closing in,” Conrad said. “I wonder if they're tracking us somehow.”

Pete looked at Chris Traickin. “Did you put something in the truck that tells them where we are?”

Traickin looked away. Pete grabbed him with one hand. “Tell me or I'll open this window right now.”

Traickin trembled. “I stuck the transmitter they gave me under the step on my side.”

“You stopped to tie your shoes before we left,” Vicki said.

Pete shook his head. “We have to get rid of it.”

“What do we do with him?” Conrad said, pointing at Traickin.

“I'd like him to see the truth,” Pete said, “but I don't suppose—”

“I know the truth,” Traickin said. “Nicolae Carpathia is god and I'll serve him.”

“What would it take to convince you we're right?” Vicki said.

Traickin sneered. “Nothing you could ever say would convince me. I've met the man face-to-face. I know Nicolae Carpathia is the leader we need, and he's going to bring peace to the world. Follow him or one day you'll die.”

“That's the mark of a man of peace,” Conrad said. “Follow him or he kills you.”

Pete looked at Traickin. “We don't want to hurt you or see you get stung. But we have to put you out of the truck.”

“They're going to catch you, no matter—”

Pete held up a hand. “I want to give you one more chance. If you get stung by those things, you'll suffer pain for at least five months. God doesn't want that. He's trying to get your attention. The Bible says—”

“Stop,” Traickin interrupted. “If you're going to throw me out of here, do it. Don't preach.”

Pete bit his lip. He pulled to the side of the highway and pointed to a frontage road that paralleled the interstate. “You're wrong about Carpathia and the GC. I've read the end of the story. They don't come close to winning.”

“I'll take my chances,” Chris Traickin said. With that, he opened the door and stepped out. A swarm of locusts surrounded him. He flailed at them, but a locust landed on his neck. Vicki turned her head as the man ran toward a guardrail, lost his balance, and fell into a ravine.

Conrad quickly got out, grabbed the transmitter, and ripped it from the truck. “What should I do?”

“Throw it close to that road,” Pete said. “That'll keep the GC busy awhile and they'll find Traickin.”

Conrad threw the transmitter as far as he could and jumped back inside. Vicki looked for the GC but didn't see their car. As they drove away, Vicki spotted the crumpled body of Chris Traickin at the bottom of the ravine.

Lionel sat with Sam in Pavel's apartment. Since the boy's death, they hadn't heard from Mr. Rudja or Judd. Lionel wanted to help the man in his grief, but he didn't know what to do.

Lionel had sent several e-mails trying to find a flight home. He used Pavel's computer and was excited to find a message from Chloe Williams.

Lionel
,

I don't have good news. I can't help with your request to get back to the States or to Israel right now. Buck's still in Israel himself, and we're hoping he'll make it home for the birth of our baby. I'm slowing down a little with my work here. I feel as big as a barge
.

There are new pilots and drivers signing up with the co-op every day to help move supplies, but air travel is almost impossible with the locusts taking out most of the ground crew. If I find a way for you to get home, I'll let you know. Please keep working every angle you have there. Maybe Mac will have an idea
.

Tsion sends his love. We're praying for you and the others. Dad and I were talking about the Young Trib Force the other day. We're excited about the new Web site you've put together. Tsion raves about it. Whoever is heading that up is doing a great job
.

We wish we could have you all with us, but space is pretty tight here. We've added a doctor to the Force who's helping me with the pregnancy. You may remember the flight attendant, Hattie Durham. She's staying with us too. She was stung and Doc Floyd is trying to help her, but nothing seems to work. She's skin and bones
.

If there's anything you want us to pray about or help with, please let us know. And be careful in New Babylon. I know the locusts have changed things for a while, but Nicolae will be back to his old tricks in no time
.

Love in Christ
,

Chloe

Sam asked about Chloe and the others. Lionel explained how they had met the Tribulation Force.

“Wow,” Sam said, “I can't believe you actually know Tsion Ben-Judah.”

Lionel forwarded Chloe's message to Mark back at the schoolhouse and typed a note to Mac McCullum, Nicolae Carpathia's pilot who had flown the kids to New Babylon.

Moments later the front door opened. Judd, Nada, and a bearded man rushed inside and slammed the door.

“What's going on?” Sam said.

Judd put his hands on his knees and gasped for air. When he caught his breath he said, “I want you to meet Nada's brother, Kasim.”

Lionel couldn't believe it. Kasim told his story of becoming a believer in Christ just before the worldwide earthquake. Judd explained what had happened with the Peacekeepers in Dan Nieters' apartment. “We barely got out of there,” Judd said.

“What about the girl you were staying with?” Lionel said to Nada.

“We're not sure,” Nada said. “She may have been stung.”

Nada reached for a phone, but Judd shook his head. “I don't want to take the chance of them tracing the call here.”

“But I have to tell Kweesa where I am or she'll be suspicious,” Nada said.