Deceived (11 page)

“These are photos of Global Community officers destroying paintings, sculptures, icons, and even old Bibles,” Conrad said. “The directive came from Leon Fortunato himself.”

Mark shook his head. “That stuff is priceless.”

“A spokesman said they destroyed everything that paid tribute to the impotent God of the Bible,” Conrad said.

“Pretty soon they're going to see he's not so impotent,” Vicki said.

Judd talked with Chang on the phone the next day and discovered that Chang's parents were gone. The GC had offered to let them both take the mark in New Babylon, but Mr. Wong had refused. There had been a tearful good-bye at the airport, and Chang returned to the apartment and was assigned permanent quarters. “I'm all by myself now with my own room and my own computer. I don't have to worry about my parents listening in on my conversations.”

“Have you talked with Mr. Hassid about his escape?”

“Sorry, Judd, I can't tell you about that. I can tell you this though. Director Hassid and I are designing a new computer system. I should be able to do everything he did up until now from my office or from here in my new apartment.”

“What will you do?”

“I'll give the Tribulation Force access to anything they want to hear or see in the palace. But first, I have to monitor the escape and keep things going in the safe house in Chicago. It's going to be a pretty complex mission.”

“Who will be your new boss after Hassid leaves?”

“A guy named Aurelio Figueroa. David says he treats the people above him like kings and queens and the people below him like servants. I should be able to handle him okay.”

Judd asked how Chang was doing with his feelings about the dual marks, but the boy quickly changed the subject. “Director Hassid showed me how to tap into both live and recorded conversations in the palace, and I came across something you'll be interested in. Are you ready?”

Judd heard several keyboard clicks, then the unmistakable voice of Nicolae Carpathia. “Now when I spoke the other day of a host of enforcers, I wanted you to gather that I meant the very core of my most loyal troops, the GCMM. They are already armed. I want them supported! I want them fully equipped! I want you to marry them with our munitions so their monitoring will have teeth. They should be respected and revered to the point of fear.”

“You want the citizenry afraid, sir?” another man said.

“Walter! No man need fear me who loves and worships me. You know that.”

“I do, sir.”

“If any man, woman, young person, or child has reason to feel guilty when encountering a member of the Global Community Morale Monitoring Force, then yes, I want them shaking in their boots!”

Chang stopped the recording. “Carpathia's talking with Walter Moon, the new supreme commander. They go on about their budget, and then Carpathia says he's going to have at least one hundred thousand armed troops in Israel when he returns there.”

“A hundred thousand?”

“You may want to reconsider going.”

“Maybe it's time we head back to the States. It's probably a lot safer.”

Vicki and the others were careful to stay inside the rest of the day. All the kids were glad when they received the news that Bo and Ginny Shairton, Maggie Carlson, and Manny Aguilara had made it safely to the hideout in Wisconsin. They had also taken an ample supply of Jim Dekker's uniforms and Global Community gear.

But their joy quickly turned to concern when Jim Dekker phoned. Vicki answered and asked for an update.

“No change with me,” Jim said, “but you need to sit down.”

“What's wrong?”

“It's about Natalie.”

“Is she still in Des Plaines? She should have gotten out of there a long time ago.”

“I'm afraid she won't be getting out, Vicki.”

“No, even if I have to go down there and—”

“She's gone, Vicki. I just received a communiqué from Des Plaines. That deputy commander over her is being—”

“What do you mean, she's gone?” Vicki interrupted.

“Let me read this release to you. It's to all United North American GC.”

Vicki's heart raced as Jim Dekker slowly read the words she dreaded to hear.

“Deputy Commander Darryl Henderson was relieved of duty after a Judah-ite plot was discovered under his command. At least four prisoners were released in Des Plaines, and more than a dozen more in Iowa when a man posing as Commander Regis Blakely presented false papers and escorted prisoners out of custody
.

“It is believed that a female Morale Monitor, Natalie Bishop, 17, aided the impostor by sending information of the transfer via Deputy Commander Henderson's computer
.

“The Global Community joint chiefs of the United North American States have appointed Commander Kruno Fulcire as head of the Rebel Apprehension Program (RAP). Commander Fulcire will visit the suburban Chicago facility, as well as the Iowa reeducation facility where the escapes took place.”

“But it doesn't say anything about Natalie's death,” Vicki said. “They could still want to interrogate her!”

“Let me finish,” Jim said. He took a breath and continued.

“Commander Fulcire reported that the Morale Monitor Bishop was given the opportunity to swear allegiance to Potentate Carpathia by taking his mark of loyalty. Upon refusal, Peacekeepers used the loyalty enforcement facilitator.”

“No,” Vicki whispered. She felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. Shelly, Mark, and Conrad kept asking questions, but she waved them off.

“They go on to say they think this is the first Global Community employee to die for not taking Carpathia's mark. Commander Fulcire says this shows the importance of administering the mark to everyone on the planet. He has commanded complete compliance from every Global Community employee.”

“Jim, you have to get out of there right now. If you turn yourself in for stealing the uniforms—”

“I'm not letting somebody take the fall for my actions! Even if he is an unbeliever.” Jim clicked at his computer, then gasped.

“What's wrong?”

“They've taken the guy from the cleaners to Des Plaines to give him Carpathia's mark.”

“Then you have to get out.”

“This is my fault,” Jim said. “I have to go. I'll let you know what happens.”

“Jim, listen—”

Click
.

Mark, Conrad, and Shelly gathered around Vicki, and two others from the reeducation center joined them. Vicki was too overcome to speak, but the others could tell what had happened from the conversation.

“Father, we've lost another member of our team today,” Mark said, his voice breaking. “We can only imagine what those last moments were like for Natalie. But you gave her the courage to be faithful to you, even until death.”

“We know that one day we'll see her again,” Conrad continued, “but right now we're hurting. Show us every step we need to take, and make us brave like Natalie. Amen.”

11

VICKI
spent a few hours alone, thinking about Natalie, how they had met, and what the girl had done for the Young Trib Force. They wouldn't have escaped the schoolhouse or gotten Charlie and the others away from the Global Community without her. Vicki cried herself to sleep and had nightmares about the guillotine.

When Vicki woke up the next morning, she didn't want to talk with anyone. Turning over in bed, she grabbed a Bible, leafed through the pages, and closed it.

“God, I don't know why you let this happen. You saved people before, you helped us get out safely, but you let Natalie die. Why? I don't understand.”

Vicki buried her face in her pillow and wept. She wanted to blame someone for Natalie's death, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the girl had died because of Vicki's choices.

While Z-Van and his group went into a studio to record, Judd and Lionel went with Westin Jakes to Z-Van's plane at the New Babylon airport. Though they were able to talk at the hotel, they all felt freer on the airplane.

The three prayed about their next move, feeling strongly that they should get out of New Babylon. But they didn't know whether they would travel to Israel or the States.

“The truth is,” Judd said, “you may have to get out before we do.”

“Why?” Westin said.

“Z-Van has already taken the mark. His fate is sealed. But you know he's going to want everyone around him to take the mark. Working for him might be worse than being inside the GC.”

Westin frowned. “Ever since I prayed to God, I've known that my days with Z-Van were short. I guess I didn't want to think about it.”

“If all three of us leave together, we could fly commercial back to the States,” Lionel suggested.

Westin frowned again. “Is it wrong to take an airplane like this?”

“You mean steal it?” Judd said.

Westin nodded. “We could really use this thing for the Young Trib Force.”

Lionel sighed. “Maybe if we were running for our lives, but I don't like just stealing the plane because it's here. God can take care of us some other way.”

Lionel brought up an e-mail he had received from Sam Goldberg in Israel asking them to come back to Jerusalem.
You won't believe what God is doing here
, Sam wrote.

As they talked and prayed, Judd and Lionel both felt they should still go to Israel. They wanted to see the spectacle Carpathia had planned for the world firsthand.

“Why don't we stay on the plane until it's time to go?” Westin said. “We'll have the whole thing to ourselves, and we won't have to put up with the parties and headbanging music. When Z-Van starts recording, things get wild.”

Judd and Lionel brought their things to the plane and settled in. They both had access to the latest computers and communication equipment.

“We should get a conference call together with the rest of the Force,” Judd said.

Lionel smiled. “We'll make it a videoconference. That way you can see Vicki.”

Late that evening in Iowa, Vicki was sitting up in bed, writing down a few thoughts in her journal when Shelly knocked. She came in, sat on the bed, and asked how Vicki was doing.