Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama Of Those Left Behind (40 page)

Rayford nodded.

“Look here,” Amanda said. “Bruce’s last line says, ‘Check your E-mail Monday at midnight. Lest you find this all as depressing as I have, I am uploading a favorite verse to comfort your hearts.’”

Bruce had sent it so it would be available to both couples just before they left for their trips to Chicago to meet up with him. It read simply, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Rayford shifted in the pilot’s seat, eager to talk to Amanda and find out how she was faring on the grueling nonstop flight from New Babylon to Dulles International. She was spending as much of the time as she could in Rayford’s private quarters behind the cockpit, but she had to be sociable enough with the rest of the contingent so as not to appear rude. That, Rayford knew, meant hours of small talk.

She had already been asked about the new import/export business she was starting, but then the mood in [_Global Community One _]seemed to shift. During one of the few breaks Rayford shared alone with her, she said, “Something’s up. Someone keeps bringing Carpathia printouts. He studies them and scowls and has private, heated meetings.”

“Hmph,” Rayford said. “Could be something. Could be anything. Could be nothing.”

Amanda smirked. “Don’t doubt my intuition.”

“I’ve learned that,” he said.

Buck and Chloe arrived in Chicago the night before the scheduled rendezvous with the Tribulation Force. They checked into the Drake Hotel and called New Hope to leave a message for Bruce, telling him they had arrived and that they would see him the following afternoon at four. They knew from his E-mails that he was back in the States from his Australia/Indonesia trip, but they had heard nothing from him since.

They also e-mailed him that Rayford and Amanda were going to come to the Drake for lunch the next day and that the four of them would travel to Mount Prospect together that afternoon. If [_you want to join us for lunch in the Cape Cod Room, we’d be delighted, _]Buck had written.

A couple of hours later, when they still had received no response to either the E-mail or the phone message, Chloe said, “What do you think it means?”

“It means he’s going to surprise us at lunch tomorrow.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Count on it,” Buck said.

“Then it won’t really be a surprise, will it?”

The phone rang. “So much for surprises.” Buck said. “That has to be him.”

But it wasn’t.

Rayford had illuminated the Fasten Seat Belt sign and was five minutes from touchdown at Dulles when he was contacted through his earphones by one of Carpathia’s communications engineers. “The potentate would like a word with you.”

“Right now? We’re close to final approach.”

“I’ll ask.” A few seconds later he came back on. “In the cockpit with you alone after engine shutdown.”

“We have a postflight checklist with the first officer and the navigator.”

“Just a minute!” The engineer sounded peeved. When he came back on, he said, “Run the other two out of there after shutdown and do the postflight jazz after your meeting with the potentate.”

“Roger,” Rayford muttered.

“If you recognize my voice and will talk to me, call me at this pay phone number, and make sure you call from a pay phone.”

“Affirmative,” Buck said. He hung up and turned to Chloe. “I’ve got to run out for a minute.”

“Why? Who was that?”

“Gerald Fitzhugh.”

“Thank you, gentlemen, and forgive me for the intrusion,” Carpathia said as he passed the first officer and navigator on his way into the cockpit. Rayford knew they were as annoyed as he at the breach of procedural protocol, but then Carpathia was the boss. Was he ever.

Carpathia slipped deftly into the copilot chair.

Rayford imagined that along with all his other gifts, the man could probably learn to fly a jet in an afternoon.

“Captain, I feel the need to take you into my confidence. Our intelligence has discovered an insurrection plot, and we are being forced to circulate false itineraries for me in the United States.” Rayford nodded, and Carpathia continued. “We suspect militia involvement and even collusion between disgruntled American factions and at least two other countries. To be on the safe side, we are scrambling our radio communications and telling the press conflicting stories of my destinations.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Rayford said.

“Most people think I will be in Washington for at least four days, but we are now announcing that I will also be in Chicago, New York, Boston, and perhaps even Los Angeles over the next three days.”

“Do I hear my little vacation slipping away?” Rayford said.

“On the contrary. But I do want you available on a moment’s notice.”

“I will leave word where I can be reached.”

“I would like you to fly the plane to Chicago and have someone you trust return it to New York the same day.”

“I know just the person,” Rayford said.

“I’ll get to New York somehow, and we can leave the country from there on schedule. We’re just trying to keep the insurrectionists off balance.”

“Hey,” Buck said when President Fitzhugh picked up on the first ring. “It’s me.”

“I’m glad you’re not at home,” Fitzhugh said.

“Can you tell me more?”

“Just that it’s good you’re not at home.”

“Gotcha. When can I return home?”

“That could be problematic, but you’ll know before you head back that way. How long are you away from home?”

“Four days.”

“Perfect.”

Click.

“Hello? Mrs. Halliday?”

“Yes. Who’s—?”

“This is Rayford Steele calling for Earl, but please don’t tell him it’s me. I have a surprise for him.”

In the morning Buck took a call from one of the women who helped out in the office at New Hope. “We’re a little worried about Pastor Barnes,” she said.

“Ma’am?”

“He was gonna surprise y’all by comin’ down there for lunch.”

“We thought he might.”

“But he picked up some kinda bug in Indonesia and we had to get him to the emergency room. He didn’t want us to tell anyone, because he was sure it was something they could fix real quick and he could still get down there. But he’s slipped into a coma.”

“A coma!?”

“Like I say, we’re a little worried about him.”

“As soon as the Steeles get here, we’ll head out there. Where is he?”

“Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.”

“We’ll find it,” Buck said.

Rayford and Amanda met Earl Halliday at O’Hare at ten that morning. “I’ll never forget this, Ray,” Earl said. “I mean, it’s not like carting around the potentate himself, or even the president, but I can pretend.”

“They’re expecting you at Kennedy,” Rayford said. “I’ll give you a call later to see how you liked flying her.”

Rayford rented a car, and Amanda answered a page from Chloe. “We have to pick them up and go straight to Arlington Heights.”

“Why? What’s up?”

Buck and Chloe were waiting at the curb in front of the Drake when Rayford and Amanda pulled up. After quick embraces all around, they piled into the car. “Northwest Community is on Central, right, Chlo’?” Rayford said.

“Right. Let’s hurry.”

Despite their concern for Bruce, Rayford felt a little more whole. He had a four-person family again, albeit a new wife and a new son. They discussed Bruce’s situation and brought each other up to date, and though they were all aware that they were living in a time of great danger, for the moment they simply enjoyed being together again.

Buck sat in the backseat with Chloe, listening. How refreshing to be with people who were related and yet loved each other, cared about each other, respected one another. He didn’t even want to think about the small-minded family he had come from. Somehow, someday, he would convince them they were not the Christians they thought they were. Had they been, they would not have been left behind, as he was.

Chloe leaned against Buck and slipped her hand into his. He was grateful she was so casual, so matter-of-fact, about her devotion to him. She was the greatest gift God could have granted him since his salvation.

“What’s this?” he heard Rayford say. “And we’ve been making such good time.”

Rayford was trying to exit onto Arlington Heights Road off the Northwest Tollway. Chloe had told him that would put them close to Northwest Community Hospital. But now local and state police and Global Community peacekeepers were directing a snarl of traffic past the exits. Everything came to a standstill.

After a few minutes they were able to creep forward a little. Rayford rolled down his window and asked a cop what was happening.

“Where’ve you been, pal? Keep it moving.”

“What does he mean?” Amanda reached for the radio. “What are the news stations on, Chloe?”

Chloe moved away from Buck and leaned forward. “Hit AM, then try 1, 2, and 3,” she said. “One of those should be
WGN
or ‘
MAQ
.”

They stopped again, this time with a Global Community peacekeeper right next to Buck’s window. Buck lowered it and flashed his Global Community _Weekly _ press pass. “What’s the trouble down there?”

“Militia had taken over an old Nike base to store contraband weapons. After the attack on Washington, our boys wiped them out.”

“The attack on Washington?” Rayford said, craning his neck to talk to the officer. “Washington, D.C.?”

“Keep moving,” the officer said. “If you need to get back this way you can get off at Route 53 and try the side streets, but don’t expect to get near that old Nike base.”

Rayford had to keep driving, but he and Buck hollered questions at every officer they passed while Amanda kept looking for a local station. Every one she tried carried the Emergency Broadcast System tone. “Put it on ‘scan,’” Chloe suggested. Finally the radio found an
EBS
station and Amanda locked it in.

A Cable News Network/Global Community Network radio correspondent was broadcasting live just outside Washington, D.C. “The fate of Global Community Potentate Nicolae Carpathia remains in question at this hour as Washington lies in ruins,” he said. “The massive assault was launched by east coast militia, with the aid of the United States of Britain and the former sovereign state of Egypt, now part of the Middle Eastern Commonwealth.

“Potentate Carpathia arrived here last night and was thought to be staying in the presidential suite of the Capital Noir, but eyewitnesses say that luxury hotel was leveled this morning.

“Global Community peacekeeping forces immediately retaliated by destroying a former Nike center in suburban Chicago. Reports from there indicate that thousands of civilian casualties have been reported in surrounding suburbs, and a colossal traffic tie-up is hampering rescue efforts.”

“Oh, dear God!” Amanda prayed.

“Other attacks we know about at this moment,” the reporter went on, “include a foray of Egyptian ground forces toward Iraq, obviously intending a siege upon New Babylon. That effort was quickly eliminated by Global Community air forces, which are now advancing on England. This may be a retaliatory strike for Britain’s part in the American militia action against Washington. Please hold. Ah, please stand by … Potentate Carpathia is safe! He will address the nation via radio. We will stand by here and bring that to you as we receive it.”

“We’ve got to get to Bruce,” Chloe said, as Rayford inched along. “Everybody’s going to be taking 53 north, Dad. Let’s go south and double back.”

“It’ll be another few moments before Potentate Carpathia comes on,” the reporter said. “Apparently the
GCN
is ensuring that his transmission cannot be traced. Meanwhile, this news out of Chicago regarding the strike against the former Nike base: It appears to have been preemptive as well as retaliatory. Global Community intelligence today uncovered a plot to destroy Potentate Carpathia’s plane, which may or may not have contained Carpathia when it was flown to O’Hare International this morning. That plane is now airborne, destination unknown, though Global Community forces are marshaling in New York City.”

Amanda grabbed Rayford’s arm. “We could have been killed!”

When Rayford spoke, Buck thought he might break down. “Let’s just hope I didn’t fulfill Earl’s dream by getting [_him _]killed,” he said.

“You want me to drive, Rayford?” Buck asked.

“No, I’ll be all right.”

The radio announcer continued: “We’re on standby for a lie feed, excuse me, a
live
feed from Global Community Potentate Nicolae Carpathia … ”

“He had [_that _]right the first time,” Chloe said.

” ... Meanwhile, this word from Chicago. GC peacekeeping forces spokesmen say the destruction of the old Nike base was effected without the use of nuclear weapons, and though they regret heavy civilian casualties in nearby suburbs, they have issued the following statement: ‘Casualties should be laid at the feet of the militia underground. Unauthorized military forces are illegal to start with, but the folly of mustering arms in a civilian area has literally blown up in their faces.’ There is, we repeat, no danger of radiation fallout in the Chicago area, though peacekeeping forces are not allowing automobile traffic near the site of the destruction. Please stand by now for this live feed from Potentate Nicolae Carpathia.”

Rayford had finally exited south onto Route 53, snaked his way through an Authorized Vehicles Only turnaround, and was heading north toward Rolling Meadows.

“Loyal citizens of the Global Community,” came the voice of Carpathia, “I come to you today with a broken heart, unable to tell you even from where I speak. For more than a year we have worked to draw this Global Community together under a banner of peace and harmony. Today, unfortunately, we have been reminded again that there are still those among us who would pull us apart.

“It is no secret that I am, always have been, and always will be, a pacifist. I do not believe in war. I do not believe in weaponry. I do not believe in bloodshed. On the other hand, I feel responsible for you, my brother or my sister in this global village.

“Global Community peacekeeping forces have already crushed the resistance. The death of innocent civilians weighs heavy on me, but I pledge immediate judgment upon all enemies of peace. The beautiful capital of the United States of North America has been laid waste, and you will hear stories of more destruction and death. Our goal remains peace and reconstruction. I will be back at the secure headquarters in New Babylon in due time and will communicate with you frequently.