Into the Storm (6 page)

In the back he discovered a shoe box filled with old baseball cards. These have to be worth a fortune, Judd thought. Mixed in was what looked like a key card to agarage. Judd tossed the box back into the desk and kept looking.

In the bottom drawer Judd found huge pages rolled into a scroll. He cleared the desk and unrolled it, looking at the precise drawings.

A blueprint, Judd thought. As he studied it closer, he realized it was a drawing of the Stahley home and underground hangar.

There has to be a passage from the house to here, Judd thought.

He found drawings for the upstairs, the kitchen and patio area, the basement, and then he found an arrow with the word “entrance” scrawled underneath.

Judd flipped the page over and saw a drawing of the underground hangar. He found another arrow drawn in a small room in the back of the hangar.

When he studied it further, he realized he was in that very room.

Now we’re getting somewhere, Judd thought. If I can get into the house, I’m free. But how2The arrow on the drawing pointed to what looked like the bookshelf. Judd pulled books away, hoping a panel would move. He took each book off the shelf and put it back, but nothing happened.

Next he tried moving the actual shelves, but they were somehow anchored to the wall. Mr. Stahley had placed decorative plates and mugs along the shelves. Behind one was a square, silver plate with a slot in the middle. A red light flashed above the slot. He studied it for a moment, then quickly went back to the desk and retrieved the weird card in the shoe box.

It fit perfectly, but when he inserted it, nothing happened.

When Judd pulled the card out, however, a green light flashed below the slot. Something was moving behind Judd. A door? A vault?

Judd turned and was amazed to see a section of the tile floor rising.

Underneath, a safe with an electronic combination came into view.

The next morning Lionel retrieved some clothes from Judd’s house and headed for school. Vicki said she would be praying for him and stood across the hall from the principal’s office while Lionel went in.

The school secretary was just getting in and asked him to wait.

Finally, she buzzed Mrs. Jenness.

The principal opened the door and ushered Lionel in. Inside, a burly, black man about the size of Lionel’s father stood and embraced him.

“I don’t mean to scare you,” the man said.

“I’ve just heard so much about you, I feel like I know you.”

“Who are you?” Lionel said.

“This is Mr. Sebring,” Mrs. Jenness said.

“He called me last Friday about meeting you.”

“Nathan Sebring,” the man said, “but my friends call me Nate. Your mother called me that when we were kids.”

“My mother?” Lionel said.

“Luandawas one of my dearest friends,” Nathan said.

“I called her Cindy. I knew your father as well. Fine man. “

Mrs. Jenness asked them to sit.

“We had trouble locating you with your current address,” she said.

“The house was empty.

Boarded up, actually. “

Lionel didn’t speak. He didn’t want to talk about where he was staying until he was asked.

“I knew your mama when we were little kids,” Nathan said.

“Some of your family’s still down South and when I asked about you, they said”—“I didn’t think I had any family left down South,” Lionel said.

“Didn’t they get taken in the disappearances?”

“Sure, some of ’em did,” Nathan said, “but a couple were left. I think they heard through your Uncle Andre that you were still alive. I’m sorry to hear about his passin’.”

The two stared at Lionel as if he was supposed to know what to say.

Lionel stood.

“Well, it was really nice meeting you,” he said.

“I’d better get to class.”

“Now hold on a minute,” Nathan said, taking Lionel’s arm.

Lionel looked at the man’s hand, and he took it away.

“Your family asked me to come for you,” Nathan continued.

“They gave me papers.”

“They’re in order,” Mrs. Jenness said.

“I told them I’d come and get you. They made me promise not to come back unless I brought you back.”

Lionel forced a smile.

“That’s very kind of you,” he said, “but I don’t know the family back there anymore. I wouldn’t feel comfortable.”

Nathan looked at Mrs. Jenness.

“He’ll get used to it in time,” Nathan said.

“He’ll be like a bird let out of a cage down there.”

“Lionel,” Mrs. Jenness said, “if it’s true that you have no family here and there are relatives who want you to live with them, I don’t see that you have any real choice in the matter.”

“Now you’ve got that right, ma’am,” Nathan said.

“The boy just doesn’t understand how much love those people have for him.” Nathan looked at Lionel.

“If you knew how much they cared, you wouldn’t put up a fuss.”

“I don’t want to go,” Lionel said.

“I’m happy where I am.”

Nathan cocked his head.

“Now if that don’t beat all,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I guess I just don’t understand the culture up here. A man rides hundreds of miles on a train to find somebody he’s never met, and when he finds him ... mm mm mm.”

“You could have phoned,” Lionel said.

“I did phone the only place that has contact with you,” Nathan said.

“And Mrs. Jenness, who has been a wonderful help, offered her complete assistance.”

“Lionel,” Mrs. Jenness said, “you have a right not to go, but Mr. Sebring and the family also have the right to petition the Global Community Social Services.”

“And I’ll do it, too,” Nathan said.

“Out of respect for your relations down South, of course.”

“Can he really do that?” Lionel said.

“I can and I will,” Nathan said.

Lionel felt alone. Bruce was dead. Judd had disappeared. He was glad Vicki was outside waiting for him.

“Can you give me some time to think it over?” Lionel said.

“You can have the whole day,” Nathan said.

“I scheduled train tickets leaving tomorrow for the two of us. Where can Icome talk to you?”

“Why don’t you leave me your hotel number?” Lionel said.

“I’ll call you this evening.”

Judd had slept fitfully on a cot Taylor Graham left outside the door.

Judd dragged it inside and heard the door lock.

“Hey, don’t I get something to eat?” Judd had yelled, but Graham didn’t respond.

Judd awoke the next morning and heard moaning in the next room. He banged on the door and yelled.

In a few minutes, Graham returned with orange juice and sweet rolls, but the man winced when he put the food on the desk.

“What’s wrong?” Judd said. Then he noticed the bloodstain on the back of Graham’s shirt.

“Had a little trouble at your house last night,” Graham said.

“My house?” Judd said.

“I told you I was going to bring your friends here one by one,” Graham said.

“But I was a little late. The GC had a guy talking with Ryan and another kid.”

“Right.” Judd smirked.

“You’re just saying that to”—“I’m telling the truth,” Graham said sternly.

“The guy saw me and fired. It only grazed my shoulder, but it hurts like crazy.”

“I’ve gotta get outta here,” Judd said.

“Do you know what happened to my friends?”

“Don’t have a due,” Graham said.

“But I’m not letting you go.”

Judd stood and ran past the pilot. Graham stuck out his foot and held it tightly against the door. Judd turned and lunged at Graham, who easily stepped aside. Judd went sprawling on the floor.

“Whether you believe it or not,” Graham said, “I’m doing this for your own good.”

Vicki called an emergency meeting of the Young Trib Force that afternoon. The kids ordered pizza, but everyone was so upset, no one felt like eating.

“I can’t believe it,” Ryan said.

“Why do they come for Lionel now, after all this time?”

“Don’t ask me,” Lionel said.

“Seems like I’d have some kind of say in it. I don’t even know these people.”

“What about your friend at the GC Social Services,” Chaya said to Vicki.

“Couldn’t she help?”

“I called Candace from the school this morning,” Vicki said.

“She told me she’d do everything she could, but it doesn’t look good. If the guy really is empowered by the family, Lionel could fight it, but he’d eventually have to go.”

“And if that’s true, I’d only be making them mad if I draw this thing out,” Lionel said. He put his head on the table.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Maybe you should go with Judd,” Ryan said, “wherever he is.”

“Don’t joke about it, OK?” Lionel shouted.

“What’d I do?” Ryan said.

“This is my life we’re talking about,” Lionel said.

“They’re taking me away. Do you understand that?”

Ryan got up and slammed his chair into the table.

“I hope you do go,” Ryan said.

“The sooner the better.”

Ryan ran out of the room. Chaya stood, but Vicki motioned for her to stay.

“Let him go,” Vicki said.

The kids sat in awkward silence. Finally, Lionel said, “I wish Judd were here.”

Vicki did too, but she didn’t say it. Judd had been their anchor. Whether he made the right decision or not, he took charge. The kids could lean on him. Even though she wasn’t the oldest, she felt a responsibility to take his place.

“Judd’s not here,” Vicki said, “and neither is Bruce. We’ve been saying all along we want to make our own decisions and that God can lead us just as well as he can lead older people.”

Lionel looked at Chaya.

“Please tell me there’s something in the Bible that’ll let me stay,” he said.

“The closest thing I can come up with is the verse about obeying authorities,” Chaya said.

“I know it’s not what you want to hear.”

The group threw around ideas and options. Lionel could go into hiding. He could stay and fight the system. Or he could go with Nathan. After a few minutes Chaya took the floor.

“No matter what you decide,” Chaya said, “there are some things in Bruce’s notes we need to talk about. He made it no secret that we would one day become the mortal enemies of the Antichrist. We’ve done a lot of worrying about money, but one day, even to buy a loaf of bread, you’ll have to take a mark on your forehead or your hand.”

“Wait a minute,” Lionel said.

“What do you mean? Like a stamp or something?”

“It’s not dear what form it’ll take,” Chaya said, “but if you don’t have it, you’ll be in trouble. We won’t be able to fake it. And once you take the mark, you’ve chosen sides with the devil. You’re lost forever.”

“What if you don’t take it?” Vicki said.

“Is there any hope for those people?”

“The people who don’t have the mark will have to live in hiding,” Chaya continued.

“Their lives won’t be worth anything to the Global Community, so they’ll have to take care of themselves.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Lionel said.

“Bruce wrote about this, and I think Dr. Ben-Judah agrees,” Chaya said.

“Cash is going to be meaningless soon. We need to take what money we have left and convert it to gold.”

“What I have left wouldn’t buy an ounce,” Lionel said.

“Why gold?” Vicki said.

“Cash might be phased out pretty soon,” Chaya said.

“Gold can still be used for food and supplies. That is, until the day comes when we’re forced to choose whether to take the mark of the Beast.”

“Then we have to put that in an edition of the Underground,” Vicki said.

“Especially this thing about taking the mark.”

“I agree,” Lionel said.

“Buck Williams is coming out with a Global Community Weekly article that spells out the great earthquake that’s coming. You could use some of his material, too.”

“What do you mean I should?” Vicki said.

“You’re not going to be part of it?”

“I’ve made up my mind,” Lionel said.

“It tears me up to say this, but I’m going to call the guy and tell him I’ll go.”

Judd was angry. He didn’t know why he was being held. If the Global Community wanted to question him, they could have done it at any time. But here he was, alone, separated from his friends.

“Let’s say I believe you,” Judd said.

“Let’s say you are keeping me here for my own good. What happens then?”

“We work together,”Taylorsaid.

“We find Mrs. Stahley and Darrion and figure out where those documents are.”

“Can you get a message to my friends?” Judd said.

“I can send an E-mail right now,” Graham said.

Graham plugged in an incredibly lightweight computer and turned it on.

A window opened with a video display of news.

Graham was about to open his E-mail program when Judd stopped him.

“Look at that,” Judd said.

On the screen was a news anchorwoman with a graphic of Maxwell Stahley behind her. Graham turned up the audio as the anchor introduced a reporter.

“We’re live at police headquarters,” the reporter said, “where only moments ago a dramatic arrest was made in the Maxwell Stahley murder case.”

Judd was horrified to see video footage of Mrs. Stahley being led away from a hotel parking lot.

“She was dressed as an old woman,” the reporter continued, “but someone at the hotel recognized her from news reports, and police took Louise Stanley into custody.”

The video footage ended, and the reporter was shown outside police headquarters.

“Authorities tell us the woman will remain here overnight,then she’ll be handed over to the Global Community early tomorrow morning.”

Taylor Graham cursed and slammed his hand against the desk.

“There goes our chance to find those documents,” he said.

Judd stood and took the key card from his pocket. He knew Graham was telling the truth now. He slid the key card into the slot, and the safe rose from beneath the floor.

“I know where the documents are,” Judd said.

“Now all we have to do is figure out the combination.”

Lionel put his suitcase down in the foyer of Bruce’s house.

It was late. No one seemed to want to look at him. Lionel shook hands with some and hugged others.