Into the Storm (11 page)

Judd made it to the opening first and opened the picture.

Ryan stumbled around the corner and fell headlong into the antique vase. It shattered on the floor with an incredible crash.

“Hurry up!” Judd said.

The men converged on the two boys. Ryan tried to stand, but he kept slipping on the waxy floor. In the darkness, he looked likePhoenixon Judd’s kitchen floor when Ryan brought out a treat.

Ryan finally made it through the hole and started down the ladder. Judd closed the picture just as the red lights converged on their end of the hallway.

“Where’d he go?” a man said.

Judd trembled as he descended the ladder. He slid the last ten feet to the ground. Ryan jumped on the square, and the two were led back into their hideout.

Judd was shaking as he pulled the combination to the safe from his pocket. He fumbled for the key card but couldn’t find it.

“Wait,” Ryan said.

“I had it last.” Ryan opened the desk drawer and rummaged through it.

“Hurry up!

“Judd yelled.

From the other side of the wall, Judd heard a man yell, “The/re down here somewhere, I can hear them!”

Ryan found the card and shoved it in the slot. The saferose, and Judd began punching in numbers. When he hit the last one, the door to the safe popped open with a whoosh.

Inside were a stash of bills, some gold coins, and a folder.

Judd grabbed the folder and flipped it open.

“Evidence against the Global Community and Nicolae Carpathia,” was written at the top of the page.

What followed was a point-by-point listing of facts uncovered by Mr.

Stahley after the death of his brother.

“Bring it right here,” the man on the other side of the wall yelled.

“We have to go,” Ryan said.

“Hang on,” Judd said as he glanced at the document.

Judd heard some kind of saw grinding through the wall.

“How thick is that wall?” Ryan said.

“Not thick enough,” Judd said, folding the document and stuffing it into his pocket. Ryan followed Judd into the hangar. Judd locked the door behind them.

“That’ll hold them for a few more minutes.”

Judd showed Ryan the motorcycles. They threw the helmets away, grabbed the keys, and pumped the starters. Ryan’s bike fired up immediately. Judd’s sputtered and coughed but started on the third try.

“If we get separated,” Judd said, “we meet at the church.”

“Got it,” Ryan said.

Judd punched the button to the outside door. As it slowly opened, Judd saw a rotating blade cut its way through the door behind them.

Judd took the lead down the hill. There was no headlight on the bike, which made driving dangerous.

Judd looked back and saw one man talking into his microphone.

Judd was nearly to the Stahleys’ driveway when a vehicle shot out of the bushes and cut him off. Judd turned and followed Ryan, the GC vehicle not far behind. Ryan pointed to the woods on the other side of the property.

While Judd and Ryan rode along the side of the hill, the GC vehicle couldn’t. It went into the valley and up the other side. By that time, Judd and Ryan had neared the woods and had a lead. If they reached the trees, the GC would have to backtrack to the access road.

Judd’s body rattled on the motorcycle. He turned once more to see the pursuers. Then he lost control of the bike.

Ryan looked back just as Judd’s front tire hit a rock. The bike upended and sent Judd sprawling. Ryan braked hard, turned around, and raced back.

Judd was sitting up when he got there.

“Go!

“Judd yelled.

“I’m not leaving you,” Ryan said.

“I’m hurt,” Judd said.

“I can’t ride. They’re almost here.

Now got Ryan felt awful leaving his friend. When he made it to the woods, he looked back long enough to see that the GC vehicle had overtaken Judd.

The documents, Ryan thought.

But it was too late. Ryan gunned the bike and sped through the trees toward Vicki’s house.

Vicki could hardly believe Ryan’s story when he arrived at her house early Monday morningWith the documents in the hands of the GC, she knew they had little hope of helping Mrs. Stahley, Taylor Graham, or even Judd.

Ryan nodded.Phoenixhuddled close and licked his hand.

Judd was sore and dazed as he sat in the Global Community headquarters. Though he hadn’t broken any bones in the fall, he had strained his neck and shoulder. The GC guards hadn’t helped any with the way they had arrested him.

Judd prayed they wouldn’t find the documents, but a guard at headquarters discovered them.

“You were hoping we wouldn’t find these,” the guard said in a mocking tone.

An hour later another man was led into the room. Judd recognized him as the gunman beneath the L.

“That’s him,” the short-haired man said.

“Where’s the other kid?”

“We don’t know, sir,” another guard answered.

“I’m talking to him,” the man said.

“I’m not telling you anything,” Judd said.

“Better think hard,” the man said.

“You’ve got a record.” The man ticked off a list of Judd’s violations and said, “You’re a prime candidate for re-education. I wouldn’t be surprised to see you shipped out of here by next week”

Lionel decided his best plan of action was to obey his captors until he could find a way back home. If they thought he was one of them, he could escape. He hoped to do so with his new friend, Conrad.

Lionel had told Conrad his story, but the boy seemed skeptical. Lionel backed off and prayed for him.

The group quickly tapped Lionel for leadership. By the middle of his first week in camp, he knew the GC slogans and chants by they explained their mission.

“You are part of an elite group of young people,” a GC official told them.

“You have been chosen to be the eyes and ears of the Global Community and our leader, Nicolae Carpathia.”

Yeah, right, Lionel thought.

On Friday evening, Vicki called a meeting to pray for Judd and give an update. They had heard nothing from Judd since his arrest.

“I’m taking the Underground to school Monday morning,” Vicki said.

“I want to thank you all for your help and ask you to pray for me.”

Chaya said she wouldn’t be able to drive Vicki, so Mark offered.

“Where are you going?” Vicki asked Chaya.

“My father has allowed me one hour Monday morning to go through some of my mother’s things,” she said.

The kids prayed for her, then Lionel. Ryan asked about Darrion. She was still with Donny Moore and his wife. The discussion turned to Ryan’s safety.

“The GC may not care about you,” Vicki said.

“With Judd, Taylor, and Mrs. Stanley in custody, they might leave you alone. But I’m not taking any chances. “

“I haven’t gone outside the whole week,” Ryan said.

“I know,” Vicki said, “but I want you to promise me in front of everybody. You won’t go outside, right?”

“I promise,” Ryan said.

Monday morning Mark helped Vicki load a duffel bag full of copies of the Underground into his car.

“I hear security is as tight as ever,” Mark said.

“How are you going to get it inside?”

Vicki held up a key.

“Shelly gave me this yesterday morning,” she said.

“I had a copy made and got it back before they knew it was missing.”

“What’s it for?” Mark said.

“The gymnasium,” Vicki said.

“I’m putting the Underground in the gym lockers.”

Vicki thanked Mark and lugged the duffel bag to the gymnasium entrance. The key fit perfectly. She locked the door and walked across the basketball courts. Her footsteps echoed in the building. She put the bag down and looked down both halls. Empty.

She started with the boys’ locker room. She placed several copies of the paper in each locker,then closed the door.

Where she found a lock, she stuffed the pages through the vents in front. She hoped the first-period class would take one,then leave the rest for others.

She was nearly finished when she sensed someone watching her. She turned. No one was in the room.

She saw a movement in the coach’s office. She picked up the bag and headed for the door. She opened it and found Mrs. Jenness staring at her.

“Byrne,” she said.

“I saw someone walk through the gym on the monitors.”

The cameras! Vicki thought.

Vicki backed up. Mrs. Jenness grabbed the duffel bag and pulled out a copy of the Underground. She looked startled.

“You!” she said.

“It was you.”

Mrs. Jenness rifled through the lockers, stuffing the papers back in the bag. She marched Vicki to the office and ordered a Global Community guard to collect the papers from the rest of the lockers.

“You’re staying right here,” Mrs. Jenness said as she sat Vicki in her office.

“This time I have evidence, and I’m not letting you out of my sight!”

For a whole week the Global Community tried to uncover more information from Judd, but he kept silent. Finally they led him to a holding cell for transport. Judd hadn’t received treatment for his injuries, but he felt better. Now he was anxious to see where they were taking him. He was definitely going to a re-education camp, but he had no idea how severe the treatment would be. The camps ranged from a minimum Level 1 camp to a maximum Level 5.

The door opened, and three other prisoners were led in. Judd gasped when he realized one of them was Taylor Graham. The man looked sick. He was bruised about the face, and he walked with a limp.

“Taylor, it’s me, Judd.”

The pilot’s left eye was swollen shut, so he turned his head to see Judd. He smiled.

“So they finally found you?”

Judd explained what had happened. When he told Graham about the secret documents, the man winced.

“I wish we could have saved those,” Graham said.

“The GC probably destroyed them, so there’s no hope for Mrs. Stahley and me.”

“Where is she?” Judd said.

Taylor Graham shook his head.

“They told me she was sent out of here late last week,” he said.

Several armed guards led them to the transport area.

“Youtwo, get over here,” one guard said to Judd and the pilot.

“You’re going to Level 5.”

Vicki sat in the office and watched Mrs. Jenness read the Underground. The woman sneered as she read. When she was finished, Mrs. Jenness bundled the copies and ordered them burned.

After school was under way, Mrs. Jenness made two phone calls.

“No, I do not want someone to pick her up,” she said.

“I’ll bring her in myself.”

Vicki glanced at the dock as they left the school. It was9:00A. M.

Chaya found her mother’s domes piled in bags for a nearby homeless shelter. She picked up a sweater and smelled her mother’s perfume. In her mother’s room, she found pictures and jewelry. Chaya remembered how she used to play with her mother’s box of treasures.

Chaya located the family photo albums and pored through them. She wept and laughed as she remembered vacations and graduations and the way her mother was always there.

Chaya couldn’t decide which memento to take—a golden broach she had given her mother or an empty photo locket.

The door downstairs opened and closed. She looked at the dock. It was9:18a. m.

Judd Thompson, Prisoner #4634-227, was handcuffed and sitting by Taylor Graham in the third seat of the Security Transport vehicle. The STV drove west ofChicago, then south along Interstate 55.

“How many Level 5 places are there?” Judd said.

“There are two inIllinois,” Taylor Graham said.

“One is close to theWisconsinborder nearRockford. The other is close to a little town named Streator, about two hours south.”

Judd watched as the scenery changed from apartment buildings and storefronts to cornfields and farmland. They exited 1-55 and headed west. Judd noticed an unusual amount of dead animals on the road. Skunks, raccoons, and deer littered the two-lane road.

They passed a farmhouse and a huge grain silo. The weather vane on top swayed.

Vicki watched Mrs. Jenness drive with determination. The principal had her revenge now and was going to enjoy every minute. Mrs. Jenness’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the steering wheel.

“I told you I’d get you, Byrne,” Mrs. Jenness said.

“Didn’t anything in the Underground or in the service for Pastor Barnes get to you?” Vicki said.

“If you want to believe that stuff, it’s your business,” Mrs. Jenness said.

“But you’ll never come in my school and shove it down our throats again.”

Vicki looked away. The electric lines and light poles seemed to be moving, but there was no wind.

Ryan was watching television in the basement whenPhoenixbounded into the room.

“Hey, boy, you glad to see me?” Ryan said.Phoenixbarked and put his paws up. Then he ran in circles around the room.

“Looks like you need to go out,” Ryan said.

“Sorry I can’t go with you.”

Phoenixraced Ryan up the stairs and jumped on the front door.

“No, you gotta go out back,” Ryan said. Ryan opened the screen door andPhoenixbolted from the house, yipping and barking like Ryan had never seen before.

“That dog’s goin’ crazy,” Ryan muttered.

Lionel was in the exercise yard of the compound when someone yelled, “Snake!”

Boys ran to the edge of the yard,then retreated to a nearby porch. Lionel watched as snakes crawled out of their holes and raced across the compound. There had to be at least a hundred of them, all slithering and hissing.

Lionel saw squirrels in a nearby tree skitter to the top,then jump to the limbs of another tree. A huge cloud of birds darkened the sky,then they were gone.

Then Lionel felt it.

The ground.

Shaking.

He looked for a place to run. To hide. Then he remembered.

There was no such place.

Chaya met her father downstairs by the piles of clothes.

“I am sorry,” she said.

“I got caught up with all the pictures and I forgot”—“We agreed you would be gone by now,” Mr. Stein said.

“I don’t want to talk with you.”

“Please, Father,” Chaya said.