Stung (4 page)

“Religion's not my thing,” Melinda said.

“Mine either,” Vicki said, “but this is not religion. This is the truth. Stay. I'll explain it all. What do you have to lose?”

“You really think the GC will do the same to me as they did to the commander?”

“If I were you, I wouldn't want to chance it,” Vicki said.

Melinda rolled the gun over and looked at Vicki. “All right. But the minute I find out you're hiding something or lying to me, I'm out of here.”

“Deal,” Vicki said.

Judd talked with Taylor Graham by phone and explained that he and Lionel would accompany Mr. Stein.

“I only agreed to take one,” Taylor said.

Judd handed the phone to Mr. Stein.

“How many seats are there on that plane?” Stein said. “Six? Good, then we will have three extras for anyone else that might—”

Mr. Stein held the phone away from his ear. Taylor Graham yelled something.

“It's my money,” Mr. Stein said. “If they don't come, I stay.”

After a few moments, Mr. Stein handed the phone back to Judd.

“All right, listen,” Taylor Graham said. “There's a landing strip in a ritzy development about ten miles from you.”

“The earthquake didn't destroy—?”

“These people have more money than Carpathia himself,” Taylor said. “The strip's been repaired. The problem is tight security. There's a guard 24-7 and a fence all the way around. I need you to turn on the landing lights. I'll wait two minutes at the end of the runway. If you're not there, I'm gone.”

“Why don't we just come to you?” Judd said.

Taylor laughed. “It'd take too much time.”

“Isn't there anywhere else you could land?” Judd said.

“I've scoped it out,” Taylor said. “This is the way it goes down. If you can't make this happen, forget it.”

“We'll be there,” Judd said.

Taylor gave Judd the exact location and the time he would arrive.

“We'll need to leave soon if we're going to make it,” Judd said when he hung up.

Suddenly there was an explosion, and a grinding sound came from the other end of the house. Judd and Mr. Stein rushed through billowy black smoke and found Lionel high-fiving Conrad.

Conrad stood by the generator, covered with grease. “We did it!”

Judd inspected the machine. “As long as you can find gas, this should give you power.”

“We found three underground gas tanks,” Conrad said. “Must be Z's work.”

“Get cleaned up,” Judd said to Lionel. “We're heading out.” Judd took Vicki aside. “Is Melinda gone?”

“She's staying for now.”

“Good,” Judd said. “I'll leave my laptop so you guys can watch the coverage of the meetings. Don't let her know about Taylor or where we're going.”

Vicki nodded. “I know. Give us an update when you can.”

“You can take two of the cycles and ditch them,” Conrad said. “They're just sitting here.”

Judd sensed something was wrong with Conrad. “Did you want to go with us?”

Conrad shook his head. “It's my brother. Talk some sense into Taylor if you can. He's going to get himself killed.”

Judd patted Conrad on the shoulder as Darrion slipped an envelope into Judd's hand. “Give Taylor this. Maybe it will help.”

Mr. Stein showed Vicki where he had hidden the rest of his money. “Use as much of it as you need.”

Judd and Lionel pushed the cycles to the road and started them. Traveling after dark was difficult. Judd wasn't familiar with the roads. Finally, he spotted the well-lit water tower Taylor had described.

“It's only a couple of miles from here,” Judd said to Mr. Stein sitting behind him.

When they came within a few hundred yards of the gated community, Judd and Lionel turned off their cycles and hid them in some tall grass. They walked the rest of the way.

Mr. Stein huffed and puffed as he carried the heavy duffel bag filled with cash. “How much longer?”

“We've got about an hour to figure out how to get inside,” Judd said.

“Are there security guards all around?” Lionel said.

“Only one,” Judd said, “but I'm sure they have cameras and sensors around the fence. We have to time this just right.”

Mr. Stein wiped his brow. “I don't know if I can handle this much excitement.”

Judd spotted a delivery truck. “Wait here.”

Judd ran through a field and darted to the other side of the road as the delivery truck stopped by the guardhouse. Judd saw a camera above him and stayed in the shadows.

“Okay, we got one package for Kendall, number 418, and another one for Miller,” the man in the truck said.

“Miller again?” the guard said. “Busy place.”

The guard signed for the packages and the driver left. Judd checked his watch. Only forty-five minutes before Taylor touched down.

“What did you see?” Lionel asked when Judd returned.

“It's tight. They don't even let delivery guys inside. But I have an idea.”

Judd took some cash and told Mr. Stein and Lionel to stay on the south side of the fence. “When you hear Taylor's plane, climb over and meet me at the end of the airstrip.”

Judd grabbed a motorcycle and raced to a nearby gas station. “Anybody know where I can get a pizza around here?”

A girl behind the counter gave him a name and phone number. “It won't do you any good,” she said. “They don't deliver to a pay phone.”

“If you order, would they deliver?” Judd said.

“They might,” she said coyly.

Judd pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. “Would this convince you?”

The girl looked over her glasses and snatched the bill. “You must want a pizza pretty bad.”

A noisy car chugged into the station thirty-five minutes later. Judd handed the man a fifty, and he stared at it. “I can't make change for this.”

“Keep it,” Judd said.

“You mean it?” the man said.

Judd jumped on his motorcycle and roared off, holding the pizza tightly. Taylor was only ten minutes from touchdown.

Judd pulled into the guard station and smiled. “Got a delivery here.”

The guard eyed Judd warily. “Where's your sign?”

“They're trying to save money,” Judd said as he looked around the guard's station and whistled. “I've never delivered here before. Is this the place where the planes land?”

“Yeah. Who's the pizza for?”

“You control the runway lights in here?”

The guard leaned close. “Who's the pizza for?”

“Sorry,” Judd said. “It's for Miller. Which house is it?”

The guard looked at his logbook.

“Is there a problem?” Judd said.

The guard picked up a phone. “They're supposed to tell security when they order. … Yes, Mrs. Miller, this is the front gate.”

Judd saw a panel of switches for the runway lights on the office wall. He put the pizza down and climbed onto his motorcycle.

“Ma'am, we have a pizza here. Did you order—”

Judd sped under the barrier and past the well-manicured shrubbery.

“Hey, come back here!” the guard yelled.

Judd rounded the corner and shot through a yard. He hid the bike behind a tree and sprinted into the shadows. Moments later a jeep roared by. Judd ran to the guardhouse. A jet passed overhead.

An alarm rang, and Judd saw Lionel and Mr. Stein on a small monitor. They crawled over the fence near the runway.

“Right on time,” Judd muttered. He flipped switches and bolted outside. Judd ran behind houses. Dogs barked. When the plane touched down, he raced toward it. Lionel and Mr. Stein stayed low at the end of the runway. Taylor rolled to a stop and opened the door. Mr. Stein and Lionel scampered aboard and waved for Judd. The engines screamed as Judd jumped into the plane.

“Everybody buckle in!” Taylor shouted. “We've got company.”

Through the cockpit window Judd saw the jeep coming at them. Taylor swerved left, then right and off the runway to miss the oncoming car. When the jeep passed, Taylor gunned the engine. Within a few seconds they were airborne and heading toward the Middle East.

4

JUDD
couldn't sleep. When the plane left Chicago, Mr. Stein sighed with relief. His eyes shimmered with excitement.

Judd asked Mr. Stein where they would stay in Jerusalem, but he wouldn't discuss it.

“I can make us a reservation,” Judd said.

Mr. Stein held up a hand. “God will provide.”

Taylor tuned in a Global Community frequency and listened. He had a stolen GC codebook and followed the security forces' movements.

“Did you kill anyone getting this plane?” Judd said.

“Why are you so worried about the GC?” Taylor said. “They're your enemy.”

“There's a chance anybody can turn around,” Judd said. “A lot of GC people were forced into service. Our job is just to give the message.”

“Well, my job is to stop the GC wherever I can and, ultimately, to kill Nicolae Carpathia.”

“I wouldn't advertise that if I were you,” Lionel said.

“Before I get to him,” Taylor continued, “I'll probably have to take out other GC posts.”

Judd shook his head.

“I know you all want to tell people about Jesus and do good stuff so God will like you and all that. I've told you before, if that rings your bell, go ahead. But I've seen what the GC does to good people. They're destroying everything I know and love. They talk peace, but they're armed to the teeth. They talk freedom, but they send people to prison. Oh, sorry. They call them reeducation camps.”

“You can't do it alone,” Judd said.

“Maybe not,” Taylor said. “But I'm giving them a run for their money.” Taylor eyed Mr. Stein. “Speaking of which, where's the cash you promised?”

Mr. Stein opened the duffel bag and produced an envelope filled with large bills. Taylor grinned. “This should keep me going for a while.”

Judd remembered the letter in his pocket. He handed it to Taylor. “Darrion asked me to give you this.”

Taylor took it and said, “How's Conrad?”

“He's worried about you,” Lionel said.

The radio squawked, and a man gave a report about a plane using a private airfield in Illinois. “A local guard on the ground reports seeing a GC insignia on the side of the plane,” the man said. “This may be the stolen jet we're looking for.”

“We're way ahead of them,” Taylor said, opening the letter and checking his watch. “We should be in Tel Aviv in good time.”

“Why Tel Aviv?” Judd said.

“This plane needs a new paint job. I've lined up somebody to do it.” Taylor read Darrion's note privately.

Lionel signaled for Judd. “Do you realize the danger we're in? This is a stolen airplane, the pilot's killed several GC personnel, crashed a GC helicopter, and he isn't finished yet.”

“I've been thinking the same thing,” Judd said.

Taylor stuffed the letter in his shirt and waved Judd forward. “All right, you guys are taking a chance riding with me. You deserve to know what's happened.

“Some people did get killed at the base, but the GC press reported that it was a terrorist attack. It was just me. I wired explosives in the other planes and choppers. They were supposed to explode just after I took off. A couple of guys saw me and scrambled before I could get away. Those were the only two who got killed, I swear.

“I'm not a killing machine, and I don't want innocent people to get hurt. But this is a war. I'm going to stop the Global Community, or at least slow them down as much as I can.”

“You could do a lot more damage to them on our side,” Judd said.

“You guys are weak,” Taylor said. “These people don't understand anything but strength. Plus, you don't have a plan.”

“Our goal is to change people one at a time,” Lionel said. “From reading the Bible, we know we can't overthrow the system, but having people on the inside will help.”

“You do it your way. I'll do it mine.”

“Why did you let us come with you?” Judd said.

“I need the money. Now I have it. This will be my last run with you guys.”

“What about the return flight?” Mr. Stein said.

“Never discussed that,” Taylor said.

“What?!” Judd yelled.

“Calm down. It's nothing personal. I've got a job to do and I can't wait in Israel.”

“I'm through talking to him,” Judd said. He stomped back to his seat and strapped himself in.

Lionel leaned close to Taylor and said something. The two talked for a few minutes. Then Taylor motioned for them all to sit. “Some turbulence up ahead. Buckle in and get some rest.”