Frantic (37 page)

Vicki tried to teach in the afternoon but felt distracted. She had the kids break into small groups to pray and come up with questions.

She took a walk in a cornfield to clear her head. The people in Tennessee were on her mind, but it was the news about Judd that had her stomach tied in knots. She had talked with him before her trip with Pete, but he hadn't said anything about Nada.

Vicki argued with herself as she walked. She and Judd fought like cats and dogs. He was a couple of years older and from a different background. Still, Vicki had to admit she cared for Judd. There were times when things went well. Now, with news of Nada, Vicki felt frustrated.
Don't you see what this is doing to you? There are a hundred kids waiting to learn more about God, and you're out here in a cornfield acting like a schoolgirl!

Shelly found Vicki and asked what was wrong. “You didn't seem yourself this afternoon.”

Vicki told her about Mark's call. “Believe me, I don't want to waste energy on something stupid like this.”

“But it feels bad, doesn't it?” Shelly said.

“It feels like somebody punched me in the stomach. I know I don't need Judd. Since he's been gone I've grown a lot; I've been able to do more things. But there's still part of me that misses him.”

“Maybe God separated you for that reason,” Shelly said. “He wanted both of you to grow so that when you get back together—”

“How's that going to happen if Judd's married? I told you what Lionel said.”

“If Judd gets married, which is pretty unlikely, then you can move on.” Shelly put out a hand and stopped Vicki. “It's not like you're the only one who has these kinds of feelings.”

“You like Judd too?” Vicki said.

Shelly laughed. “Judd's not my type. But when you're thrown together with so many people, you naturally have feelings for them.”

“Who?” Vicki said.

Shelly rolled her eyes. “No way. I'm not getting into this. But I want you to know you're not alone with your feelings.”

“Thanks,” Vicki said. “Do you like Mark?”

Shelly shook her head. “Come on, let's get back to the group.”

When Sam didn't return or call, Judd went to Mr. Stein and asked his opinion.

The man scratched his beard. “I've been thinking a lot about him,” Mr. Stein said. “Before we left for Africa I told Sam I would talk with his father if I ever had the chance. Perhaps that time is now.”

Mr. Stein decided it would be best to go to Sam's house late at night. Even those who had already been stung by locusts avoided going out at night because of the eerie sounds. Mr. Stein agreed that Judd and Lionel could come along if they stayed out of sight.

As they walked, Mr. Stein told them more details about his travels. There seemed to be no end to the miracles God had performed.

“The temptation is to think that I can do great things for God in my own strength, but that is not true. I can only do what Christ strengthens me to do. I found that the long hours of travel prepared me for what was ahead. I would pray as we walked or rode and asked God for his intervention.” Mr. Stein stopped. “This is a perfect example. As we walk, let's bring this situation before God.”

Mr. Stein went first and prayed for Mr. Goldberg. Judd asked protection for Sam, and Lionel prayed that Mr. Stein would be kept safe. They continued praying as they walked.

“Our Father, Mr. Goldberg is a servant of Nicolae Carpathia,” Mr. Stein prayed. “He has been blinded to the truth, and we ask that you might open his eyes tonight and accept the message we bring.”

When they came in sight of Sam's house, Lionel said, “What are you going to say to him?”

Mr. Stein smiled. “I imagine Sam has used every argument he can think of with his father. At this point, I believe the only thing that can change Mr. Goldberg's mind about God is God himself.”

Judd pointed to the house. A light was on in the living room, but the blinds were closed. Judd and Lionel slipped into the shadows beside the house as Mr. Stein stepped to the front door.

Mr. Stein paused before knocking. Judd saw the man's lips move in one final prayer. He knocked twice and stood back.

Judd glanced at the street, thinking they might have walked into a trap, but there were no Global Community squad cars in sight. A shaft of light hit Mr. Stein in the face as someone opened the door.

“Yes?” Mr. Goldberg said.

Mr. Stein stood like a stone and stared at the man.

“What do you want? Don't just stand there; tell me!”

Mr. Stein stepped forward. “Is your son here?”

Mr. Goldberg's voice trembled. “You're one of them, aren't you?”

“I am a servant of the most high God. I have come to find out about your son.”

“He . . . he isn't here,” Mr. Goldberg said. “They took him away.”

“Who?”

“I called them when he came back.”

Mr. Stein said nothing.

“I have had second thoughts. He is a good son. He's mixed-up.”

“He is trying to tell you the truth.”

Mr. Goldberg stepped outside. Judd could tell the locust sting had weakened him. He looked thin and his hair was much grayer. Judd guessed he was at the end of the cycle of pain the locust had inflicted.

“I have bad dreams,” Mr. Goldberg whispered. “Can you help me?”

Mr. Stein nodded and glanced at Judd. “Pray.”

34

JUDD
told Lionel to keep watch at the back of Mr. Goldberg's house; then he found an open window at the side.

Mr. Goldberg asked Mr. Stein if he wanted anything to drink, and Mr. Stein refused.

“Why haven't you been stung? Everyone I know has been.”

“Not your son,” Mr. Stein said. “God does not punish his children in these judgments.”

“How could those things possibly distinguish between one person and another?” Mr. Goldberg said.

“You will see greater miracles than that. Now tell me about your dreams.”

Mr. Goldberg sat back and put a hand to his forehead. “How could you possibly help me?”

“Throughout the centuries God has used dreams to draw people to himself. Tell me.”

“It's the same one each time. There is a hideous beast attacking people. I don't see its face, but I see the terror in the eyes of the people being attacked. For some reason, I can't help them. This monster continues until it devours everyone I love.

“Then I see my son. He is running toward me, calling out my name. He runs straight toward the beast and tries to fight him with a sword, but he is so small. I try to move but I can't. I'm stuck. That's the end of the dream. I wake up in a cold sweat.”

“Did you tell your son this dream?” Mr. Stein said.

“Of course not! Besides, he was taken away so quickly, I didn't have time.”

Mr. Stein bowed his head in prayer.

Mr. Goldberg leaned forward. “Do you think this dream means something?”

Mr. Stein nodded. “I'm not sure you're ready to hear it.”

“I am. Please.”

“Sometime ago I told your son I would speak with you about these things if the time was right. If you will open your heart to the truth, you will understand.”

“I'm ready to hear,” Mr. Goldberg said.

“Then hear the interpretation. The beast in your dream is the Global Community. You are powerless to move because you have been deceived by this monster. Your son carries the sword of truth, which is the Word of God. Though he is small and outnumbered, he battles the beast because he knows one day God will be victorious.”

“Why is he fighting? If he would simply join us . . .”

“He battles for your soul,” Mr. Stein said. “He knows if you do not believe in the only Son of God, your soul will be lost forever.”

Sam's dad stood and walked a few steps. Judd couldn't see the man's face, but he could hear the anger in his voice.

“It's because of you that my son turned on me! You and those boys took him away.”

“His friends shared the truth with him and he accepted it. As I said, it appears God is drawing you to himself. Do not wait.”

Judd prayed for Mr. Goldberg as he listened. Suddenly someone moved behind him. Judd turned and saw Lionel waving wildly. “Get back here! I think the GC are coming!”

Judd ran to the front of the house and saw two GC squad cars pull in. The men inside were wearing bulky, protective suits.

Judd banged on the side window and joined Lionel at the back. Mr. Stein threw open the back door and rushed down the steps two at a time. “Into the alley!”

Sirens from the squad cars blared as Judd, Lionel, and Mr. Stein reached a cross street. A few minutes later they found a row of trash cans and scurried behind them to rest.

“Goldberg must have alerted the GC,” Lionel said.

“So it seems,” Mr. Stein said, “but I thought I was getting through.”

Mr. Stein told them about the conversation. “As the GC came near, Mr. Goldberg put his head in his hands and said, ‘Maybe I have made a mistake.' It was then that you alerted me.”

“Did he say where Sam is?” Judd said.

“It must be GC headquarters because he said Deputy Commander Woodruff is still questioning him.”

The three caught their breath and hurried back to Yitzhak's house. Judd wondered if they would ever see Sam again.

The talk with Shelly made Vicki feel better, and she was able to concentrate on her message. When they got on the road later that night, Mark called and gave them information about the next stop.

“It's Mankato, Minnesota,” Mark said.

Vicki wrote down the directions. Mark gave her the next three groups and their locations as well. “We're getting more requests. I'm having to tell them no unless there are at least a hundred people.”

“That doesn't sound fair,” Vicki said.

“If we said yes to every small group, you'd be on the road for a couple of years,” Mark said. “We don't have that much time.”

Mark gave her an update on the schoolhouse and how everyone was doing. Melinda was still upstairs, but Janie was causing problems. “We caught her the other day trying to open the door to the tunnel that leads away from the house.”

“I wanted to keep that a secret from the unbelievers,” Vicki said. “Does she know what's down there?”

“I think she was just trying to cause more trouble.”

Vicki relayed the information to Conrad and Shelly. Shelly said, “We're going to Mankato!?”

“What's so big about it?” Vicki said.

“I used to read the Little House on the Prairie books when I was small. Mankato was one of the towns nearby.”

Conrad rolled his eyes. Vicki admitted she hadn't read the books.

As they drove through the night, they tried to keep the driver awake with conversation about books and movies. Their lists had changed when the kids had become believers, but as expected, Conrad liked action and adventure films while Vicki and Shelly liked dramas.

“I like it when guys risk their lives to save people,” Conrad said, “but if it's supposed to make you cry, leave me out.”

Vicki shook her head. “What if the guy trying to save people gets killed? Aren't you supposed to cry then?”

“I guess you could feel a little sad,” Conrad said, smiling.

The kids arrived in Mankato in time to eat something and hurry to the meeting place. There were almost two hundred gathered in an abandoned video store. The kids had moved shelves against the wall until there was enough room for everyone.

Vicki took a megaphone from the organizer and looked at the audience. She no longer thought of how high her voice was or what she was wearing. She thought about what she was teaching. This wasn't just a seminar about Bible knowledge. Anybody could give people facts and figures. Vicki was trying to do the same thing Tsion Ben-Judah was doing with his writing. He was preparing his readers for the future and trying to set their hearts on fire for God.