Frantic (4 page)

“Thank you for your service to the King of kings and Lord of lords. May God bless you as you tell others about his love
.

“Sincerely in the love of Christ
,

“Tsion Ben-Judah.”

Conrad held up a hand. “Why can't we have a Web site? We could post the most-asked questions and the answers and call it theunderground-online.com.

“We could have a link to Dr. Ben-Judah's Web site,” Darrion said.

Vicki said, “Wouldn't that put us in more danger from the Global Community? Supreme What's-His-Face says anybody who visits the Ben-Judah Web site will be fined and imprisoned.”

Conrad laughed. “If that's true, they're going to have to build a lot more prisons. I think he's just trying to scare people.”

“A lot of kids are asking questions,” Shelly said. “We could reach millions this way.”

Vicki weighed the risks. It seemed like God was giving them more opportunities every day, even from this remote place.

“OK,” Vicki said, “start working on it. But I want to talk about it with Mark when he gets back.”

Lenore approached Vicki after the meeting and said she was excited to start learning more about the Bible. “I want to do anything I can for you kids. Cook. Clean. I can even give some medical help if you need it.”

“Medical?” Vicki said.

“I was studying to be a nurse just before I got married,” Lenore said. “I was a little more than a year away from graduation when Tolan was born.”

Vicki unrolled the bandage from her hand. She winced when Lenore held her hand.

“It doesn't look broken, but you've got a bad bruise there. Better get something cold on it fast.”

Vicki nodded and led Lenore upstairs to see what she could do for Janie and Melinda.

Mark didn't know whether he could trust Carl. Mark knew the boy was sincere about his faith. That was as clear as the mark on his forehead.

“The GC knows about Dr. Ben-Judah, but they can't find him,” Carl said. “There's even a reward for any GC officer that finds information about where he's located.”

“A bounty?” Mark said.

Carl nodded. “And there are other rewards for people who bring in rebels—people like us. It's very secret, but the operation is new.”

“How much would they offer for someone like you?” Mark said.

“I don't even want to think about it,” Carl said. “They found one group in South Carolina just before I left. They were set to move in on them.”

Mark looked at the sky. The locusts had moved north to more populated areas. The two got back on the motorcycle and drove away slowly, but Mark still had questions. Should he take Carl to the hideout?

Judd, Lionel, and Sam walked through the Old City streets. From windows and doors came the screams of people who had been stung by the locusts. The sound of the winged creatures was like a thundering herd of horses.

“Will anybody not get stung?” Sam said.

“Everybody without the mark is fair game,” Judd said. “Why?”

“I'm thinking of my father,” Sam said. “If he avoids these things, perhaps he'll listen.”

Judd convinced them to go to Jamal's house, so they backtracked to the right street. When they turned the corner and saw the apartment building, Judd gasped.

Three Global Community squad cars were in front of the building, lights flashing.

Judd, Lionel, and Sam raced to the front entrance and buzzed. Several uniformed officers were on the floor inside, writhing in pain. A woman who had been stung managed to open the door for them.

“What are they doing here?” Judd asked, pointing toward the officers, but the woman was in too much pain to answer.

Judd ran toward the elevator. He stopped in his tracks when an old man cackled.

“The GC's going to get them!” the man said, talking through a crack in the door. “I told the GC what the people upstairs were teaching.” The man squinted at Lionel.
“You're
one of them too! I saw you down here speaking against the potentate.”

A locust buzzed nearby and the man slammed the door. Judd ran to the elevator. The man behind the door yelled, “They're taking them away! I hope they get the whole group!”

“Jamal and his family!” Lionel said.

“I hope we're not too late,” Sam said as he stepped into the elevator. A locust flew inside, then tried to get out, but the elevator door clanged shut. The locust buzzed around the lights above and finally came to rest on the floor, panting. Judd took off his shirt and trapped the creature.

“What are you doing?” Sam said.

“We may need him,” Judd said.

When the elevator reached the twelfth floor, the three ran down the hall. They took the stairs two at a time and reached Jamal's door. Judd smacked the demon locust and tried to keep it quiet, but the thing kept yelling a muffled, “Abbadon!”

Judd listened closely at the door. Someone was yelling questions at Jamal and his family.

“The fire escape leads to our room,” Lionel said.

Quickly they took the stairs to the roof and climbed down the fire escape. Judd opened the window easily and climbed inside. Lionel and Sam followed, closing the window before any locusts could get inside.

Lionel put the trapped locust under a mattress and sat on it. Judd put a finger to his lips and opened the door slightly. Jamal, his wife, and Nada sat with their backs to Judd, their hands cuffed behind them. The GC officer paced in front of them, barking questions Jamal didn't answer.

“I know this guy,” Judd whispered to Sam and Lionel. “He was with your dad when they questioned me.”

“Deputy Commander Woodruff,” Sam said. “He's pretty tough.”

Judd listened closely. Two other GC officers were in the apartment.

“We know you have illegally housed people who are against the Global Community,” Woodruff said. “We know from inside sources that you have spoken out against Potentate Carpathia and the Supreme Pontiff.”

“We have only spoken the truth,” Jamal muttered.

Deputy Commander Woodruff leaned close. “Then tell us the truth about where Rabbi Ben-Judah is hiding.”

As Judd listened, he noticed something familiar about Woodruff's voice. Judd was sure he had met the man before the questioning.
But where?

Jamal and the others remained silent. The deputy commander sighed and walked across the room. Another officer spoke and called attention to the locusts outside.

“Since you know so much about the future, you must know a way we can avoid these ghastly creatures.”

“I
do,” Nada said.

“Tell me.”

Nada sat straight in her chair. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

Deputy Commander Woodruff slapped her. Jamal struggled to get up, but the man pushed him back, sending his chair to the floor. Jamal's arms were pinned behind him. He screamed in pain and opened his eyes, looking directly at Judd.

Judd put a finger to his lips.

“Shut up!” Woodruff said.

Suddenly, Judd remembered where he had heard Woodruff's voice. A chill went up his spine. Judd knew exactly what he had to do.

4

JUDD
motioned to Lionel for the locust. Lionel slid off the bed and pulled the shirt from beneath the mattress. The locust screeched and tried to click its wings. Judd held it tightly and listened as Deputy Commander Woodruff told the two GC officers to check the first floor and see if the locusts were still there.

“Good thing we didn't stay in the hall,” Lionel whispered.

Judd told Lionel and Sam to stay out of sight from the door. If they needed to run, he'd give the signal.

Woodruff approached Jamal and hovered over him. “Tell us what you know about Ben-Judah and we will free you. Keep playing games and I'll be forced to act. First against your wife, then your daughter.”

Judd fumed. When Woodruff yelled, Judd pieced the clues together about the man. Judd had vowed revenge against him.

“You can't treat us like this,” Jamal protested. “The Global Community would not allow—”

“Do you see any witnesses?” the deputy commander said. “Either you tell me what I want to know or—”

Judd opened the door. “There
are
witnesses. Just like there were witnesses when you killed those two in Tel Aviv.”

Woodruff turned, surprised. “What are you talking about? Who are you?” Woodruff yelled for the other officers.

Judd took a step into the room. “I was on the phone when you killed my friends Taylor and Hasina. You said they resisted arrest and you were forced to kill them. You lied.”

“Judd, get out of here!” Nada yelled.

“Judd?” Woodruff said, reaching for his gun. “That wasn't the name you gave at the station.”

Judd stood his ground. “I was on the other end of the phone when you killed my friends. I said you wouldn't get away with it, and you won't.”

“I should have dealt with you while I had the chance,” Woodruff said. “If it hadn't been for Goldberg and the people at headquarters, you'd still be locked up.”

“I'm going to give you the chance you never gave my friends,” Judd said. “Walk out of here and leave these people alone.”

Woodruff shook his head and moved a step toward Judd. “You're in no position to bargain.”

Judd held up the shirt. “Abbadon,” the locust said.

“This is the next judgment from God,” Judd said. “These locusts will sting those who don't believe and they'll feel incredible pain. You'll want to die, but you won't be able to.”

Woodruff scoffed and held up his gun. “You can't scare me with your little animal.”

“You can't kill it,” Judd said.

The elevator doors opened in the hall. Footsteps approached quickly.

Woodruff leveled the gun at Judd. “Now you'll see what a mistake you made coming here.”

Judd opened the shirt, and the locust skittered into the air, disoriented. It looked at Jamal and his family, then spotted Deputy Commander Woodruff. “Abbadon,” it screamed, its teeth dripping venom.

Woodruff jumped back, terror on his face. The locust darted toward the ceiling. Woodruff shot and missed.

Judd ran for the front door and locked it. The other officers shouted outside.

Judd turned and the locust dived for Woodruff. The man fired wildly and missed again, the bullet lodging in a wall. Then the locust was on him, biting his forehead.

“Deputy Commander!” an officer screamed outside the door. “What's wrong?”

Woodruff swatted at the locust but it was too late. The venom immediately entered the man's bloodstream. He thrashed and yelled in pain. His gun rattled to the floor.

Judd stepped over Jamal and his family and knelt beside Woodruff. The locust flew toward the front door.

“Get it off me!” Woodruff screamed, swatting at the locust that wasn't there.

Judd grabbed keys from the man's belt and quickly unlocked the handcuffs. The officers outside kicked at the door. Lionel opened the window, and a few more locusts flew inside.

“I wouldn't come in here if I were you,” Jamal shouted. “There is a gang of locusts waiting for you.”

The pounding stopped. The men yelled for their leader, but he was still thrashing and moaning on the floor. Lionel and Sam helped Jamal's wife and Nada to their feet. Sam grabbed the gun and stuffed it under the mattress in the next room.

“We have to hurry,” Judd said to Jamal.

One by one they climbed onto the fire escape. Judd was the last one out the window. As he crawled outside, the front door splintered. Then came the frightened cries of men who were now face-to-face with evil.