Frantic (19 page)

Mark followed the news about the former senator from Maryland and was sad to see how many believers had been arrested. Mark had left a phone message at Traickin's apartment, but it hadn't helped. As he scanned articles he found on the Internet, he knew something was wrong.

After Lenore put Tolan down for the night, Mark gathered all the believers together. “If the GC had found believers in Tennessee, it would probably be all over the news,” Mark said.

“What do you think they'll do with the Traickin guy?” Darrion said.

Mark flipped through some news files on the computer and shook his head. “Something's not right with that story. Before the disappearances, this guy was constantly in the news. He was against President Fitzhugh about the military. They caught him with campaign money and somehow he wiggled out of it. Then the disappearances happened and Carpathia came to power.”

“What did Traickin say about that?” Darrion said.

“He supported Nicolae at the start,” Mark said, “but look at this.” Mark turned the screen so everyone could see the story.

Traickin Urges a Return to God

While politicians and citizens alike have fallen in love with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Nicolae Carpathia, Senator Chris Traickin has fallen in love with God.

No stranger to controversy and scandal, Traickin says he believes America and the world may be following an evil man.

“We have the Pied Piper from Romania here,” Traickin said in an interview from his home in Maryland. “This guy is not a friend of God-fearing Americans.”

“Well, he was sure right about that,” Darrion said.

“Now look at this,” Mark said, clicking on another news story. “A week before that story ran, Traickin had a meeting with Carpathia. Then, after World War III breaks out, his name shows up in connection with the militia uprising.”

“So the guy who fought Fitzhugh about the military winds up being part of the militia?” Darrion said.

“Yeah, and you know what happened to the militia,” Mark said.

“It got toasted by GC troops,” Darrion said.

“Right,” Mark said. “A few months later, Traickin shows up in another story that says he reads Tsion Ben-Judah every day and he's looking for people who want to stand up against the Global Community.”

“I don't get it,” Darrion said.

Charlie sat forward. “You think this guy is working for Carpathia?”

“Bingo,” Mark said. “Buck Williams talked about Nicolae's mind-control tricks. What if he got to Traickin?”

“You mean he ratted on the militia and now he's working against believers?” Darrion said.

“Right,” Mark said.

“How do you know you're right?” Lenore said.

“Does the way Traickin talks sound like any believers you know?” Mark said. “I think this guy was setting a trap and he succeeded.”

“Then why did the GC take him off in handcuffs?” Lenore said.

“It's part of the act,” Mark said.

Lenore sighed. “I don't know whether I ought to be praying for that guy or praying against him.”

Charlie stood and walked toward the stairs. “Do you guys smell that?”

“What?” Mark said.

Something dripped from the ceiling. Charlie touched a drop and sniffed it. “Gasoline!”

Mark looked at Darrion and the others. “Janie and Melinda!”

Mark took the stairs three at a time and burst into Janie's room. The girl turned a gas can in her hands. She threw it but Mark ducked. Melinda lay on her bed, dazed. The room smelled like a gas station.

“What are you doing?” Mark shouted.

Janie opened a box of matches. “I'm going to end this, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!”

Judd awoke early the next morning to the phone ringing. Mr. Rudja said, “It's for you.”

Judd staggered to the phone. It was Nada. “I thought Mac made it clear we shouldn't—”

“I have to see you,” Nada said. “It's urgent.”

“My friend is dying,” Judd said. “I can't just run out on him.”

“Please,” Nada said. “I can't talk on the phone. There's a park a few blocks from you. Meet me there in a half hour.”

Vicki tried to sleep but couldn't. Greg Sowers found her. “We could sure use someone like you around here if you thought you could stay.”

“I have to find out what happened to Pete,” Vicki said, “then we need to get back to Illinois.”

“I understand,” Greg said, “but I want you to know we'll make a place for you and your friends to stay for as long as you'd like.”

After dark, Vicki, Conrad, and Shelly slipped out, one by one, and met near a grove of pine trees on the hillside. The sky was overcast and the wind had picked up.

“Wish we had a flashlight,” Shelly said after she tripped and nearly fell.

“Stay close to me,” Conrad said. “I know the way.”

When they made it to the bottom, Conrad led them through a field toward the gas station. The kids saw the hazy glare of lights in the distance.

They slipped through the tall grass and hid in the shadows of the station. Conrad peeked around the corner, then quickly returned. “One of those GC vans is in front.”

A few minutes later the van pulled away and the kids rushed into the station. Roger Cornwell sat behind a cash register staring out the window.

“Did they catch Pete?” Vicki said.

Roger turned and glared at them. “Where are the other believers?”

“Still at the cave,” Vicki said. “What about Pete?”

Roger looked away.

“Tell us!” Shelly said.

“Pete's dead,” Roger said. “The truck plunged into a ravine.”

“But—”

“It caught fire,” Roger said. “No one could have survived that. The GC think all those believers died too. Pete bought us some time. They'll be back in the morning to inspect the wreckage, so we have to get those people out of the cave tonight.”

Vicki sat down hard. They had lost one of their best friends. How would they get back home? And when the GC discovered an empty trailer, what would happen then?

“I'll go with you,” Conrad said to Roger. He put a hand on Vicki's shoulder. “You and Shelly stay here.”

Vicki nodded. She felt numb. It was going to be a long night.

Mark couldn't believe how thin Janie and Melinda had become in such a short time. The kids had given them meals but the girls didn't eat much. “You're out of your mind!” Mark yelled. “You want this whole place to go up?”

“Yeah,” Janie said, “I'm going to prove you wrong. I
can
kill myself.”

“You won't,” Mark said, taking a step closer.

“You want to go up with us?” Janie said, holding a match next to the box.

“Okay,” Mark said, backing away. “Let me get everybody out of the house first. The baby's asleep downstairs.”

“Okay,” Janie said, pulling the match away, “but you'd better not try anything.”

Mark yelled for everyone to get out. Lenore ran for Tolan. When Mark was sure everyone was outside he turned to Janie. “I know you think this is the answer to your troubles, but I've been reading reports of people jumping off tall buildings, cutting their wrists, everything you can imagine. Not one of them has died, and you won't either.”

“Have any of them tried to burn themselves?” Janie said.

Mark shook his head. “No, but—”

“I don't care whether it works or not,” Janie said. “I want the pain to stop!”

“That's what I'm telling you,” Mark said. “The pain of the locust sting isn't going away, no matter what you do. If you try this, you'll burn yourself and the school.”

“That's what you care about, isn't it?” Janie said. “Your precious hideout.”

“No,” Mark said. He noticed Melinda shaking uncontrollably. “At least let her out before you do this.”

Janie looked at Melinda. “You want to go? Then get out of here.”

“Maybe Mark's right,” Melinda said, standing. “This might just make things worse for us.”

As Melinda passed Janie, Mark darted behind her and lunged at the matches. Janie jerked away and Mark fell to the floor.

“Not fast enough, are you?” Janie said, holding the matches over her head. “Now you're going up with me.”

As she struck the match, Charlie bolted through the door and tossed a bucket of water on Janie, dousing the matches. Janie screamed and cursed at him, then tried in vain to strike another match.

Mark wrestled Janie to the floor and dragged her down the stairs. They would need to keep a tight watch on her in the future.

Vicki and Shelly huddled behind a counter in the truck stop. They were glad Roger had locked the front door and turned out most of the lights.

“I can't believe Pete's really gone,” Vicki said. She looked at the phone on the counter. “We have to call and tell the others.”

Vicki reached for the phone. Someone moved at the front door and Vicki hit the floor. She pointed toward the door and Shelly peeked over the counter. “I don't see anything.”

Vicki grabbed Shelly and pulled her down just as a GC radio squawked.

18

VICKI'S
heart beat wildly. She expected a storm of GC Peacekeepers breaking into the station. Instead, someone pecked lightly on the front window.

“What in the world?” Vicki muttered, peeking around the cash register. A big man stood near the door.

“Pete!” Vicki screamed. She rushed to the door and unlocked it. “We thought you were dead!”

Pete hugged Vicki and Shelly. “They're going to have to try a lot harder than that to kill old Pete.”

“What happened?” Shelly said.

“I knew those GC would be right behind me and I remembered a ravine just up the road. No guardrail or anything. I slowed down until I saw the vans in my mirrors. I wanted to draw them away from the gas station until you guys could get to the hills.”

“It worked,” Vicki said, “but how did you get out?”