Arrived (15 page)

Otto came back inside. “Krystall, one more question. Your information about Chloe Williams. Is that from inside knowledge or just from the news?”

“Both,” Krystall said. “I did see the newscast, but I also heard Security and Intelligence people talking about Chloe being there. The latest information I had was that she was to be executed at 1000 hours Central Time.”

15

VICKI
awoke a couple of hours before they touched down in Petra, and Lionel caught her up on what he had heard from Mac and Zeke. “From what Mac says, it doesn't look good for Chloe.”

“What about Judd?” Vicki said.

“If he's with this Otto guy, Mac's going to pick them up after we land in Petra.”

Vicki nodded and breathed a silent prayer of thanks.

“There's something else,” Lionel said. “I don't know if you picked this up from reading Scripture, but Mac said Tsion believes New Babylon is going to be destroyed.”

Vicki thought of the passage in Revelation 18. It ended with the words: “She will be utterly consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”

At 2 p.m. local time, Sam Goldberg met the plane and helped Zeke unload his things. Another Trib Force pilot, Abdullah Smith, had a bigger plane ready for Mac and came for Zeke.

Vicki turned to Mac before he left. “Be careful.”

“You bet,” Mac said. “Like I just told Zeke, I hope to get back here before the GCNN goes on the air with Chloe—assuming everything we've heard is true.”

Sam took Vicki and Lionel into the camp. The sight of Petra took Vicki's breath away. The red rocks seemed to reach into the sky. And seeing a million people spread out in the camp, knowing they were all believers who had been protected by God, gave Vicki a feeling of safety she'd never felt.

“Lionel will stay with me,” Sam said. “Vicki, you will have your own place.”

“I don't need—”

“It's already been settled. I talked with Mr. Stein and he said Tsion and Dr. Rosenzweig want to see you, but after this thing with the American woman is settled.”

“What have you heard about Chloe?” Vicki said.

“We think the Global Community is setting a trap for the Trib Force in a place called Louisiana. I overheard Chang and Naomi talking earlier. Chang has the ability now to interfere with GC broadcasts.”

“Are they going to televise Chloe's execution?” Vicki shuddered. It was a spectacle Vicki never wanted to see, but if her sister in Christ was going to be killed, Vicki wanted to witness the woman's last moments on earth.

As they walked farther, a robed figure walked toward them, the sun at his back. When they got closer, Vicki recognized Mr. Stein and hugged him.

“We've prayed for you for so long,” Mr. Stein said, “and now you're here.”

Vicki nodded. “Now we should pray for Judd.”

Judd stood at a secluded spot near the New Babylon runway with about thirty other believers from Otto's group. Zvi had become so scared he would be arrested that he, Westin, Gunther, and some others decided to take their chances driving a school bus through the desert. Before they had left, Westin shook hands with Judd and smiled. “Hope I can attend your wedding at Petra, but if not, I'll be thinking about you.”

Otto was now back at the palace for one last trip. As the plane circled for a landing, Otto returned, his face white.

“What's wrong?” Judd said.

“I went to thank Krystall for her help and found her body.”

“She's dead? What happened?”

“I don't know. She was on the floor and the phone was buzzing. Perhaps the GC found out she was giving us information.”

Judd shook his head. “Sounds like something Carpathia would do.” He looked around at the sidewalks and doorways of the airport. There were dead bodies lying around. Some people were still alive, and Judd wanted to help them. They called out for food or water.

“I've got a question,” Judd said. “Wasn't there supposed to be an angel or something that warned us to get out of here?”

“I guess it hasn't occurred yet,” Otto said.

“Which means there must be more believers here than us,” Judd said.

Otto nodded. “Yes, there are some who elected not to go with us, so they will somehow need to get out of here with the help …”

The plane engines drowned out the rest of Otto's words. When the plane stopped and Mac let down the stairs, the people with Otto tried to individually thank Mac, but he tried to keep them moving up the stairs.

When Mac saw Judd, he grinned and slapped Judd's back. “I dropped off a redhead in Petra. Get on the plane, boy. I'm taking you home.”

Judd couldn't help laughing as he got on the plane. As Mac and Otto spoke at the bottom of the stairs, a sense of peace came over him. During his stay in New Babylon, he hadn't let himself think of the next day. He simply survived minute by minute. Now his thoughts turned to Petra and who was waiting for him.

Vicki joined Lionel and hundreds of thousands at the huge video display on the side of a mountain. Sam Goldberg explained that they normally didn't watch executions, but Tsion had asked everyone to be in prayer for Chloe and believed they should show the coverage.

Vicki thought of Buck, Rayford, and Kenny and wondered if they were watching. Surely they wouldn't let the little boy see such a horrible sight.

When Vicki arrived, Chloe was being led through the gauntlet of reporters and the crowd. People cheered and clapped. The camera zoomed in on Chloe, and Vicki caught her breath. Even with the drab prison clothing she looked radiant.

The camera panned away, and Vicki noticed prisoners with the Star of David stenciled onto their clothes. These were Jews who had been starved, beaten, and tortured. They looked almost relieved to be nearing death.

The GC man in charge, Jock Ashmore, was introduced to the delight of the crowd. “We have thirty-six executions to carry out for you today,” he said, “twenty-one for murder, ten for refusing to take the mark of loyalty, four for miscellaneous crimes against the state, and one for all those charges and many, many more.”

The crowd went wild.

“I am happy to say that though Mrs. Chloe Steele Williams did not in the end agree to accept the mark of loyalty to our supreme potentate, she did provide us with enough detailed information on her counterparts throughout the world to help us virtually wipe out the Judah-ites outside of Petra and to put an end to the blackmarket co-op.”

The crowd clapped and cheered again.

Vicki couldn't believe they were actually going to show all thirty-six executions live. All around her, people prayed softly. Some wept.

Vicki heard the screaming engines of a plane and looked at Lionel. They both jumped up and ran down the hill with Sam.

Judd was never happier to be back on the ground than when he stepped off the plane in Petra. As he helped the others find their way to the narrow entrance to the ancient city, he saw Sam, Lionel, and Vicki running toward him.

“What are you waiting for?” Mac said. “Go on!”

Judd waved as he ran, whooping and hollering. Sam and Lionel slowed, and Vicki reached Judd and threw her arms around him. She put her lips close to Judd's ear, and Judd could feel her hot tears on his face.

“You're back! You're finally back, and we're never going to be separated again!”

“You got that right,” Judd said. “From now on, wherever I go, you go.”

Judd ran alongside Vicki as Sam and Lionel took the lead. Instead of going to the big screen, Sam led them to the computer center. Chang Wong stared at a computer, and Naomi was behind him, her hands on his shoulders.

Chang and Naomi welcomed them and had them sit at a screen near the front. “The elders and some others are together in the back,” Chang said. “Did you hear about what just happened?”

“I just got here,” Judd said.

“The head of this whatever you call it, Jock something, was about to execute ten people in a row who had refused to take the mark. But before he could …” Chang paused and clicked on a computer. “I'll show you.”

While the main feed continued, Judd watched a replay of what had happened. Something bright appeared in the middle of the courtyard, and an angel towered over Jock and the others. Judd guessed the angel had to be at least fifteen feet tall. His clothes were so white the crowd had to shield their eyes.

The camera shook when the angel spoke. “I come in the name of the most high God,” he began. “Hearken unto my voice and hear my words. Ignore me at your peril. ‘Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!'

“For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness. You who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death are bound in affliction because you rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.

“Cry out to the Lord in your trouble, and he will save you out of your distress. He will bring you out of darkness and the shadow of death and break your chains in pieces.

“Thus says the Son of the most high God: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.'

“But woe to you who do not heed my warning this day. Thus says the Lord: ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

“ ‘And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.' ”

“Incredible,” Vicki said, as Chang switched back to the live feed.

“I was ready to pull Chloe's execution off the air, but this is too good,” Chang said. “God is even using this terrible event to reach people.”

Chang and Naomi excused themselves and moved farther into the bowels of the center. Judd wished he could talk with Tsion Ben-Judah, but he knew this wasn't the time or place.

“I don't get it,” Vicki said. “If there's an angel there, surely he could rescue Chloe. It doesn't seem fair.”

Sam shook his head. “Why have any of us been saved or rescued? God has helped us, but others he has allowed to go through the fire. Who can know God's purposes?”

Judd put an arm around Vicki. “And we have to trust him, no matter what happens to Chloe or to us.”

Though the leader of the executions had tried to tell the crowd not to worry about the angel, calling it a trick, the people looked frightened.

A short while later the executions continued with the deaths of what looked like seven true believers being beheaded at once. But just as the blades were about to come down, the screen filled with such a bright light that no one could see.