Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama Of Those Left Behind (20 page)

Bailey was laughing, but Buck couldn’t fake it. He believed the fire-breathing story because it was right out of Scripture, and neither did he put people who believed the Rapture in the same category as the
UFO
wackos.

“Anyway,” Bailey continued, “I haven’t told Borland he’s got the cover, but I think rumor has it that he’s in line for it. I could put you on it, and I’d rather, but somebody else would have to get bumped from the trip, because we’re maxed out budgetwise. Maybe I could send one less photographer.”

Buck was eager for a photographer to get some supernatural evidence on film. “No, don’t do that,” he said. “Plank is offering to let me fly over there as part of the U.N. contingency.” There was a long silence. “Sir?”

“I don’t know about that, Cameron. I’m impressed that they’ve apparently forgiven you for stiffing them last time, but how do you maintain objectivity when you’re on their dime?”

“You have to trust me, sir. I have never traded favors.”

“I know you haven’t, and Plank knows you haven’t. But does Carpathia understand journalism?”

“I’m not sure he does.”

“Neither am I. You know what I’m afraid of.”

“What’s that?”

“That he’ll try stealing you away.”

“Not much chance of my going anywhere,” Buck said.

“Still, I would have thought he’d be more upset at you than I was, and now he wants you to ride along on this deal-signing thing?”

“He actually wants me to sit in on the signing as part of his delegation.”

“That would be totally inappropriate.”

“I know.”

“Unless you could make it clear that you’re not part of the delegation. What a great spot! The only media person at the table!”

“Yeah, but how would I do that?”

“It could be something simple. Maybe you wear a patch on your jacket that makes it obvious you’re with
Weekly
.”

“I could do that.”

“You could carry it with you and slap it on once everyone’s in place.”

“That sounds a little underhanded.”

“Oh, don’t kid yourself, son. Carpathia’s a politician’s politician, and he has all kinds of reasons for wanting you there with him. Not the least of which would be greasing the skids so you could slide out of
Global Weekly
.”

“I have no such plans, sir.”

“Well, I know you don’t. Listen, do you think you could still get in on the signing, I mean be right there when it happens, with the involved parties instead of the press corps, even if you didn’t ride with the U.N. delegation?”

“I don’t know. I could ask.”

“Well, ask. Because I’ll spring for an extra ticket on a commercial flight before I’ll see you go over there at U.N. expense. I don’t want you owing Carpathia any favors, but there’s not much I wouldn’t do to see you peeking over his shoulder when he signs that treaty.”

Buck liked the idea of taking the day off, not that he had anything ambitious planned anyway. He puttered around in the spare bedroom, setting up his office. Once everything was plugged in and tested, he checked his E-mail and found one long message from James Borland, religion editor of
Global Weekly
.

Uh-oh
, he thought.

I’d get on the phone and have it out with you voice to voice. But I think better on paper and want to vent a little here before I get your usual excuses. You knew full well that I was in line for the treaty signing cover story. The thing’s happening in the religious capital of the world, Cameron. Who did you think would handle it?

Just because I’m not your typical cover-story writer and haven’t done one before doesn’t mean I couldn’t handle it. I might have come to you for advice on it anyway, but you probably would have wanted to share the byline, your name first.

The old man tells me that your writing it was his idea, but don’t think I can’t envision you talking your way into this one and me out of it. Well, I’m going to be in Israel, too. I’ll stay out of your hair if you’ll stay out of mine.

Buck immediately phoned Borland. “Jimmy,” he said, “it’s Buck.”

“You got my E-mail?”

“I did.”

“I have nothing more to say.”

“I imagine not,” Buck said. “You were pretty clear.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Just to set the record straight.”

“Yeah, you’re going to convince me that your story lines up with Bailey’s, that you didn’t even ask for the assignment.”

“To tell you the truth, Jim, I did tell Bailey I saw it as more of a political than a religious story, and I even wondered aloud whether you were up to it.”

“And you don’t think that constitutes running me off the story so you can write it?”

“I may have, Jim, but it wasn’t intentional. I’m sorry, and if it means that much to you, I’ll insist that you do it.”

“Right. What’s the catch?”

“That I get your stories, and one new one.”

“You want my beat?”

“Just for a few weeks. In my mind, you’ve got the most enviable job on the _ Weekly_.”

“Why don’t I trust you, Buck? You sound like Tom Sawyer trying to get me to paint your fence.”

“I’m dead serious, Jim. You let me cover the one-world religion story, the rebuilding of the temple story, the two preachers at the Wailing Wall story, the vote for a new pope story, and another one in your bailiwick I haven’t told anyone about yet, and I’ll see to it you get to do the cover story on the treaty.”

“I’ll bite. What’s the big scoop on my beat that I’ve missed?”

“You didn’t miss it. I just have a friend who was in the right place at the right time.”

“Who? What?”

“I won’t reveal my source, but I happen to know that Rabbi Tsion Ben-Judah-”

“I know him.”

“You do?”

“Well, I know of him. Everybody does. Pretty impressive guy.”

“Have you heard what he’s up to?”

“Some research project, isn’t it? Something typically musty?”

“So that’s another one you don’t want. It sounds like I’m asking for Baltic and Mediterranean and offering Boardwalk and Park Place.”

“That’s exactly what it sounds like, Buck. You think I’m stupid?”

“I sure don’t, Jimmy. That’s one thing you don’t understand. I’m not your enemy.”

“Just my competitor, keeping the cover stories for yourself.”

“I just offered you one!”

“Something doesn’t wash, Buck. The one-world religion meeting is dry as dust, and the thing will never work anyway. Nothing’s going to stand in the way of the Jews rebuilding their temple because no one but the Jews care. I’ll grant you that those two guys at the Wailing Wall would be a great story, but more than a half-dozen people who’ve tried to get near them wound up dead. I have to think every journalist in the world has asked for an exclusive, but no one’s had the guts to go in there. Everybody knows who the new pope’s gonna be. And who in the world cares about the rabbi’s research?”

“Whoa, back up a second there, Jim,” Buck said. “Now, see, you’ve got a leg up on me on the pope thing because I have no idea who the new one will be.”

“Oh, come on, Buck. Where have you been? All the smart money is on Archbishop Mathews out of—”

“Cincinnati? Really? I interviewed him for the—”

“I know, Buck. I saw it. Everybody around here has seen your next Pulitzer.”

Buck was silent. Did the depths of jealousy know no bounds?

Borland must have sensed he’d gone too far. “Truthfully, Buck, I’ve got to hand it to you. That’s going to be one good read. But you got no hint that he’s got the inside track on the papacy?”

“None.”

“He’s a pretty crafty guy. He’s got support coming out his ears, and I think he’s a shoo-in. So do a lot of other people.”

“So, since I know him and I think he trusts me, you won’t mind that story being part of the trade?”

“Oh, you just assume we’re making this trade now, is that it?” Jimmy said.

“Why not? How bad do you want the cover?”

“Buck, you think I don’t know you’re going to be part of the U.N. contingent at the signing and that you’re going to be wearing a [_Global Weekly _]blazer or hat or something to get us a little play?”

“So make it part of your cover story. ‘Substitute Religion Editor Gets to Stand Next to Secretary-General.’”

“Not funny. No way Plank gives you that plum and then settles for someone else writing the piece.”

“I’m telling you, Jim, I’ll insist on it.”

“You weren’t supposed to have any more bargaining power after missing that Carpathia meeting before. What makes you think Bailey will listen to you? You’re just a Chicago bureau writer now.”

Buck felt his old ego kick in, and the words were out before he could measure them. “Yeah, just a Chicago bureau writer who wrote next week’s cover story and has been assigned the following week’s too.”

“
Touché
!”

“I’m sorry, Jim. That was out of line. But I’m serious about this. I’m not just bluffing to make you think your beat is a bigger deal than a cover story. I’m convinced things are breaking religiously that make much more interesting stories than the treaty signing.”

“Wait a minute, Buck. You’re not one of the suckers buying into the prophetic, apocalyptic, all-this-has-been-fore-told-in-the-Bible theories, are you?”

[_That’s exactly what I am, _]Buck thought, but he couldn’t afford to go public yet. “How widespread is that view?” Buck asked.

“You ought to know. You wrote the cover story.”

“My story gives voice to all the opinions.”

“Yeah, but you ran into the Rapture nuts. They’d love to see some spin on all these stories you want to do that shoehorns them into God’s plan.”

“You’re the religion editor, Jim. Do they have a point?”

“Doesn’t sound to me like something God would have done.”

“You’re allowing that there is a God.”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“What manner?”

“God is in all of us, Buck. You know my view.”

“Your view hasn’t changed since the disappearances?”

“Nope.”

“Was God in the people who disappeared?”

“Sure.”

“So now part of God is gone?”

“You’re way too literal for me, Buck. Next you’re going to tell me the treaty proves Carpathia’s the Antichrist.”

[_How I’d love to convince you, _]Buck thought.
And someday I’ll try
. “I know the treaty is a big deal,” he said. “Probably bigger than most people realize, but the signing is just the show. The fact that there’s an agreement was the story, and that story has been told.”

“The signing may just be show, but it’s worth a cover, Buck. Why wouldn’t you think I could handle it?”

“Tell me I can have the other stuff, and I’ll see that you get it.”

“Deal.”

“You’re serious?”

“‘Course I’m serious. I’m sure you think you’ve pulled one over on me, but I’m no kid anymore, Buck. I don’t care where this cover ranks with all the ones you’ve done. I’d like to have it for my scrapbook, my grandkids, all that.”

“I understand.”

“Yeah, you understand. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, and you’ll do twice as many covers as you’ve already done.”

“Chloe! Come down here!”

Rayford stood in the living room, too stunned to even sit. He had just flipped on the TV and heard the special news bulletin.

Chloe came hurrying down the stairs. “I’ve got to get to the church,” she said. “What’s up?”

Rayford shushed her and they watched and listened. A
CNN
White House correspondent spoke. “Apparently this unusual gesture came as a result of a meeting early last evening between U.N. Secretary-General Nicolae Carpathia and President Gerald Fitzhugh. Fitzhugh has already led the way among heads of state in his unwavering support of the administration of the new secretary-general, but this lending of the new presidential aircraft sets a whole new standard.

“The White House sent the current [_Air Force One _]to New York late yesterday afternoon to collect Carpathia, and today comes this announcement that the maiden flight of the new
Air Force One
will carry Carpathia and not the president himself.”

“What?” Chloe asked.

“The treaty signing in Israel,” Rayford said.

“But the president is going, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but on the old plane.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Neither do I.”

The
CNN
reporter continued, “Skeptics suspect a behind-the-scenes deal, but the president himself made this statement from the White House just moments ago.”

CNN
ran a tape. President Fitzhugh looked perturbed. “Naysayers and wholly political animals can have afield day with this gesture,” the president said, “but peace-loving Americans and everyone tired of politics-as-usual will celebrate it. The new plane is beautiful. I’ve seen it. I’m proud of it. There’s plenty of room on it for the entire United States and United Nations delegations, but I have decided it is only right that the U.N. contingency have the plane to themselves for this maiden voyage.

“Until our current [_Air Force One _]becomes [_Air Force _]Two, we will christen the new [_757 ‘Global Community One’ _]and offer it to Secretary-General Carpathia with our best wishes. It’s time the world rallies round this lover of peace, and I am proud to lead the way by this small gesture.

“I also call upon my colleagues around the globe to seriously study the Carpathia disarmament proposal. Strong defense has been a sacred cow in our country for generations, but I’m sure we all agree that the time for a true, weaponless peace is long past due. I hope to have an announcement soon on our decisions in this regard.”

“Dad, does this mean you would—?”

But Rayford silenced Chloe again with a gesture as
CNN
cut to New York for a live response from Carpathia.

Nicolae gazed directly into the camera, appearing to look right into the eyes of each viewer. His voice was quiet and emotional. “I would like to thank President Fitzhugh for this most generous gesture. We at the United Nations are deeply moved, grateful, and humbled. We look forward to a wonderful ceremony in Jerusalem next Monday.”

“Man, is he slick.” Rayford shook his head.