Hunted (24 page)

“What made you want to do that?”

“My father was a doctor. He used to talk about the miracle of birth, how every one of them was a gift from God. Delivering babies interested me, but I didn't think God had anything to do with it.

“One night I was helping a couple who had gone through a difficult pregnancy. The mother had been on bed rest for weeks, and the labor was going way into the night. The doctor finally decided they had to do a Csection.”

“That's where they operate on the mom?”

“Right. I was there when they took her to surgery. The doctor did a perfect procedure. All the monitors said both the mother and baby were fine. The doctor made the last cut, put both hands around the baby, and lifted her out. I saw the little one's face. The doctor looked at the mother and said, ‘You have a beautiful baby girl.' Then the doctor's hands flew into the air, and the baby's umbilical cord dropped to the floor. That child had simply disappeared before our eyes.”

“It must have been awful.”

Wanda nodded. “The mother started screaming, asking what they had done with the baby. One of the nurses fainted.

“That's when I started thinking more about God and what my father had said. I read my Bible, but it didn't make much sense. I found some answers on the Internet and prayed a prayer they listed. I kept working at the hospital until the wrath of the Lamb earthquake, and then I moved up here to get away from the GC. God brought several pregnant moms to me, and I got sort of a reputation. I'm glad to still be part of bringing little ones into the world, but I have to tell you I don't know what kind of world it's going to be.”

“It would be a lot worse for us if you weren't in it.”

Wanda cradled the baby and hummed an old hymn. “I used to think my parents were crazy for believing all that stuff about Jesus coming back. I just wish it hadn't taken all that's happened to convince me.”

Lionel raised his head as far has he could, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. He pushed the bottles of water and food under the rock to keep them cool.

The engine revved again. Could it be Judd? Maybe he's forgotten the way.

Lionel listened as the rumbling stopped, and then he heard voices. Perhaps Judd had made it to the safe house and had gotten help before the GC raid.

Someone whistled and a dog barked. Then another. Lionel's heart sank. He was trapped and the GC was closing in.

Judd rested in the backseat of the Humvee. When it got too hot, he cracked the windows a few inches to let in some fresh air. Throughout the morning, Judd listened to conversations of people passing. Some talked about the expensive vehicles, upset that doctors made so much money. Most discussed their work or things at home.

“… and it was all over the news about the Judah-ites they caught last night,” one woman said.

“I didn't hear about it until this morning,” another answered, “but I'm not surprised. There were a lot of them around before the GC started the mark of loyalty, and then they just disappeared… .”

Every few minutes, Judd glanced at the hospital to make sure the GC weren't coming for him. He had scouted his escape route if someone came. Judd could jump out and run through a residential section or barrel away in the doctor's Humvee, but that would mean maneuvering out of the parking lot, which Judd didn't think he could do quickly.

He looked at his watch and tapped his foot. Dr. Rose was taking too long.

Lionel lay perfectly still, listening for any movement. He guessed the vehicle rumbling in the distance had stopped because of the trees a few hundred yards away. He hoped the rain had washed away their tracks, but the dogs worried him. Whoever was out there was looking for him or some other rebel.

Rebel
. Lionel liked the word. He was a rebel, trying to free the captives. He was a child of the king, on a mission not just to save his own life but also to save others. But how long would he be a rebel?

“God, keep me safe right here,” he prayed silently.

Judd was startled at the knock on the window. He had dozed off on the plush seats, and the car felt like it was one hundred degrees.

Dr. Rose opened the front door and hopped in, handing Judd a Styrofoam box. “Here's some lunch from the cafeteria. No guarantees.”

Judd glanced at his watch. It was ten minutes after noon! “What took so long?”

“The GC had an accident. From what I can tell, it wasn't caused by rebels, but that's who they're blaming.”

“How much longer you gonna be?”

Dr. Rose shook his head. “One of the guys still has internal bleeding. They want me to stay until everybody's stabilized.”

Judd slammed the box of food on the seat. “And how long will that take?”

“I told you I don't know. Now you can get mad or work with me. I found out from one of the guys that there's a detail of GC with dogs looking for rebels north of town.”

“That's where Lionel is.”

“That's what I thought.” Dr. Rose scratched his head. “You know, it might be best if they find him. They could bring him back here and let me—”

“You know the first thing they'll do to him,” Judd said. “They'll take him to the guillotine. They won't waste a hospital bed for someone they're going to kill.”

Dr. Rose got out of the car. “Eat something. I'll be back as soon as I can.”

23

LIONEL
couldn't see movement above him, but he could hear the searchers getting closer. Radios squawked. A female laughed.

Small rocks skittered down the embankment, and Lionel closed his eyes. The men were right above him on top of the hill. His only chance now was to lay still and keep out of sight. The rock on his arm had trapped him, but it was also hiding him.

“Tell me again what we're supposed to be looking for,” a man said with a drawl.

“You know they caught a bunch of Judah-ites under the old feed store,” another man said.

“Yep.”

“Well, before they took them to the guillotine one of the younger ones told the GC about a couple of guys heading north last night.”

“So we're looking for two?”

“Yeah. One black, one white.”

So the GC hasn't caught Judd
, Lionel thought.
But where could he be?

Several others joined the two at the top of the hill. A man with a nasally voice took control. From what he heard, Lionel guessed there were a few Peacekeepers and Morale Monitors along with volunteers.

“The dogs haven't picked up anything, but I'm not willing to give up,” Nasal Voice said. “From the information we have, the two on the loose were Judah-ites, maybe high up in the so-called Tribulation Force. As you know, there's an extra bounty for those.”

Lionel wondered who in the Salem group had talked. He felt sorry for the people who had faced the blade and couldn't blame them for giving information.

“My guess is, we're a little off their trail,” Nasal Voice continued.

“Which way, sir?”

Lionel's heart pounded. If the group came down the hill, they would spot him. If they came to the stream they would see him too.

“Our best bet is to get back to the vehicles and push a little farther east where there aren't as many trees. We'll have helicopter support later in the afternoon.”

“Maybe a few of us should follow that stream,” a man said. “We could spread out—”

“I'll give the orders,” Nasal Voice barked, “and we'll stick together and head east. I don't think the Judah-ites would have the guts to try to go through land like this. It's too hard.”

Someone threw a rock that landed in the stream behind Lionel. It splashed with a loud
ka-thunk
. The group moved away, and Lionel sighed. They had missed him this time, but a helicopter would surely spot him. He picked up the phone and dialed Vicki's number.

Judd watched the doctor go into the hospital, then opened the Styrofoam box. He found some cold French fries and an even colder grilled cheese sandwich. He shoved a few fries into his mouth, took a bite of the sandwich, and thought of Lionel. If he had remained conscious and hadn't lost too much blood, there was still a chance he was alive. But if the doctor was forced to stay at the hospital, Judd was out of ideas.

He pushed the food away, put his head on the seat in front of him, and prayed.