Left Behind: A Novel Of Earth's Last Days (28 page)

He wept bitterly in the darkness, suddenly jarred by a creak and footsteps. He turned quickly to see Chloe, the dim light from her room silhouetting her robed form in the doorway. He didn’t know what she had heard.

“Are you all right, Dad?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah.”

“Nightmare?”

“No. I’m sorry to disturb you.”

“I miss them, too,” she said, her voice quavery. Rayford turned and sat with his back to the bed. He held his arms open to her. She came and sat next to him, letting him hold her.

“I believe I’ll see them again someday,” he said.

“I know you do,” she said, no disrespect in her voice. “I know you do.”

AFTER
a few minutes, Chloe gave Rayford evidence that she had heard his cry. “Don’t worry about me, Daddy, OK? I’m getting there.”

Getting where? Did she mean that her decision was just a matter of time or simply that she was getting over her grief? He wanted so badly to tell her he was worried, but she knew that. Her very presence brought him comfort, but when she padded back to her room he felt desperately alone again.

He could not sleep. He tiptoed downstairs and turned on the new TV, tuning in
CNN
. From Israel came the strangest report. The screen showed a mob in front of the famous Wailing Wall, surrounding two men who seemed to be shouting.

“No one knows the two men,” said the
CNN
reporter on the scene, “who refer to each other as Ell and Moishe. They have stood here before the Wailing Wall since just before dawn, preaching in a style frankly reminiscent of the old American evangelists. Of course the Orthodox Jews here are in an uproar, charging the two with desecrating this holy place by proclaiming that Jesus Christ of the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Torah’s prophecy of a messiah.

“Thus far there has been no violence, though tempers are flaring, and authorities keep a watchful eye. Israeli police and military personnel have always been loath to enter this area, leaving religious zealots here to handle their own problems. This is the most explosive situation in the Holy Land since the destruction of the Russian air force, and this newly prosperous nation has been concerned almost primarily with outside threats.

“For
CNN
, this is Dan Bennett in Jerusalem.”

Had it not been so late, Rayford would have called Bruce Barnes. He sat there, feeling a part of the family of believers to which the two men in Jerusalem apparently belonged. This was exactly what he had been learning, that Jesus was the Messiah of the Old Testament. Bruce had told him and the rest of the core group at New Hope that there would soon spring up 144,000 Jews who would believe in Christ and begin to evangelize around the world. Were these the first two?

The
CNN
anchorwoman turned to national news. “New York is still abuzz following several appearances today by new Romanian president Nicolae Carpathia. The thirty-three-year-old leader wowed the media at a small press conference this morning, followed by a masterful speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he had the entire crowd standing and cheering, including the press. He reportedly sat for a cover photo session with People magazine and will be their first ever Sexiest Man Alive to appear less than a year after the previous designate.

“Associates of Carpathia have announced that he has already extended his schedule to include addresses to several international meetings in New York over the next two weeks and that he has been invited by President Fitzhugh to speak to a joint session of Congress and spend a night at the White House.

“At a press conference this afternoon the president voiced support for the new leader.”

The president’s image filled the screen. “At this difficult hour in world history, it’s crucial that lovers of peace and unity step forward to remind us that we’re part of a global community. Any friend of peace is a friend of the United States, and Mr. Carpathia is a friend of peace.”

CNN
broadcast a question asked of the president. “Sir, what do you think of Carpathia’s ideas for the U.N.”

“Let me just say this: I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anybody, inside or outside the U.N., show such a total grasp of the history and organization and direction of the place. He’s done his homework, and he has a plan. I was listening. I hope the respective ambassadors and Secretary-General Ngumo were, too. No one should see a fresh vision as a threat.”

The anchorwoman continued: “Out of New York late this evening comes a report that a Global Weekly writer has been cleared of all charges and suspicion in the death of a Scotland Yard investigator. Cameron Williams, award winning senior writer at the Weekly, had been feared dead in a car bombing that took the life of the investigator Alan Tompkins, who was also an acquaintance of Williams.

“Tompkins’s remains had been identified and Williams’s passport and ID were found among the rubble after the explosion. Williams’s assumed death was reported in newspapers across the country, but he reappeared in New York late this afternoon and was seen at the United Nations press conference following Nicolae Carpathia’s speech.

“Earlier this evening, Williams was considered an international fugitive, wanted by both Scotland Yard and Interpol for questioning in connection with the bombing death. Both agencies have since announced he has been cleared of all charges and is considered lucky to have escaped unharmed.

“In sports news, Major League Baseball teams in spring training face the daunting task of replacing the dozens of players lost in the cosmic disappearances.”

Rayford still was not sleepy. He made himself coffee, then phoned the twenty-four-hour line that kept track of flight and crew assignments. He had an idea. “Can you tell me whether I can still get Hattie Durham assigned to my
JFK
run Wednesday?” he asked.

“I’ll see what I can do,” came the response. “Whoops, no. I guess you can’t. She’s going to New York already. Yours is the 10 A.M. flight. Hers is the 8 A.M.”

Buck Williams had returned to his apartment after midnight, assured by Nicolae Carpathia that his worries were over. Carpathia had phoned Jonathan Stonagal, put him on speakerphone, and Stonagal had done the same as he made the middle-of-the-night phone call to London that cleared Williams. Buck heard Todd-Cothran’s husky voiced agreement to call off the Yard and Interpol.

“But my package is secure?” Todd-Cothran asked.

“Guaranteed,” Stonagal had said.

Most alarming to Buck was that Stonagal did his own dirty work, at least in this instance. Buck had looked accusingly at Carpathia, despite his relief and gratitude.

“Mr. Williams,” Carpathia said, “I was confident Jonathan could handle this, but I am just as ignorant of the details as you are.”

“But this just proves Dirk was right! Stonagal is conspiring with Todd-Cothran, and you knew it! And Stonagal promised him his package was secure, whatever that means.”

“I assure you I knew nothing until you told me, Buck. I had no prior knowledge.”

“But now you know. Can you still in good conscience allow Stonagal to help promote you in international politics?”

“Trust me, I will deal with them both.”

“But there have to be many more! What about all the other so-called dignitaries you met?”

“Buck, just be assured there is no place around me for insincerity or injustice. I will deal with them in due time.”

“And meanwhile”

“What would you advise? It seems to me that I am in no position to do anything right now. They seem intent on elevating me, but until they do I can do nothing but what your media calls whistle-blowing. How far would I get with that, before I know how far their tentacles reach? Before recently, would you not have thought Scotland Yard would be a trustworthy place to start?”

Buck nodded miserably. “I know what you mean, but I hate this. They know that you know.”

“That may work to my advantage. They may think I am with them, that this makes me even more dependent upon them.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“Only temporarily. You have my word. I will deal with this. For now I am glad to have extricated you from a most delicate situation.”

“I’m glad, too, Mr. Carpathia. Is there anything I can do for you?”

The Romanian smiled. “Well, I need a press secretary.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that. I’m not your man.”

“Of course not. I would not have dreamed of asking.”

As a joke, Buck suggested, “What about the man you met in the hall?”

Carpathia displayed his prodigious memory once more. “That Eric Miller fellow?”

“He’s the one. You’d love him.”

“And I already told him to call me tomorrow. May I say you recommended him?”

Buck shook his head. “I was kidding.” He told Carpathia what had happened in the lobby, on the elevator, and in the hall before Miller introduced himself. Nicolae was not amused. “I’ll rack my brain and see if I can think of another candidate for you,” Buck said. “Now you promised me a scoop tonight, too.”

“True. It is new information, but it must not be announced until I have the ability to effect it.”

“I’m listening.”

“Israel is particularly vulnerable, as they were before Russia tried to invade them. They were lucky that time, but the rest of the world resents their prosperity. They need protection. The U.N. can give it to them. In exchange for the chemical formula that makes the desert bloom, the world will be content to grant them peace. If the other nations disarm and surrender a tenth of their weapons to the U.N., only the U.N. will have to sign a peace accord with Israel. Their prime minister has given Dr. Rosenzweig the freedom to negotiate such an agreement because he is the true owner of the formula. They are, of course, insisting on guarantees of protection for no less than seven years.”

Buck sat shaking his head. “You’re going to get the Nobel Peace prize, Time’s Man of the Year, and our Newsmaker of the Year.”

“Those certainly are not my goals.”

Buck left Carpathia believing that as deeply as he had ever believed anything. Here was a man unaffected by the money that could buy lesser men.

At his apartment Buck discovered yet another phone message from Hattie Durham. He had to call that girl.

Bruce Barnes called the core group together for an emergency meeting at New Hope Village Church Tuesday afternoon. Rayford drove over, hoping it would be worth his time and that Chloe wouldn’t mind being home alone for a while. They had both been edgy since the break-in.

Bruce gathered everyone around his desk in the office. He began by praying that he would be lucid and instructive in spite of his excitement and then had everyone turn to the book of Revelation.

Bruce’s eyes were bright and his voice carried the same passion and emotion as when he had called. Rayford wondered what had him so excited. He had asked Bruce on the phone, but Bruce insisted on telling everyone in person.

“I don’t want to keep you long,” he said, “but I’m onto something deep here and wanted to share it. In a way, I want you all to be wary, to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, as the Bible says.

“As you know, I’ve been studying Revelation and several commentaries about end-times events. Well, today in the pastor’s files I ran across one of his sermons on the subject. I’ve been reading the Bible and the books on the subject, and here’s what I’ve found.”

Bruce pulled up the first blank sheet on a flip chart and showed a time line he had drawn. “I’ll take the time to carefully teach you this over the next several weeks, but it looks to me, and to many of the experts who came before us, that this period of history we’re in right now will last for seven years. The first twenty-one months encompass what the Bible calls the seven Seal Judgments, or the judgments of the Seven-Sealed Scroll. Then comes another twenty-one-month period in which we will see the seven Trumpet judgments. In the last forty-two months of this seven years of tribulation, if we have survived, we will endure the most severe tests, the seven Vial judgments. That last half of the seven years is called the Great Tribulation, and if we are alive at the end of it, we will be rewarded by seeing the Glorious Appearing of Christ.”

Loretta raised her hand. “Why do you keep saying ‘if we survive’? What are these judgments?”

“They get progressively worse, and if I’m reading this right, they will be harder and harder to survive. If we die, we will be in heaven with Christ and our loved ones. But we may suffer horrible deaths. If we somehow make it through the seven terrible years, especially the last half, the Glorious Appearing will be all that more glorious. Christ will come back to set up his thousand-year reign on earth.”

“The Millennium.”

“Exactly. Now, that’s a long time off, and of course we may be only days from the beginning of the first twenty one-month period. Again, if I’m reading it right, the Antichrist will soon come to power, promising peace and trying to unite the world.”

“What’s wrong with uniting the world?” someone asked. “At a time like this it seems we need to come together.”

“There might be nothing wrong with that, except that the Antichrist will be a great deceiver, and when his true goals are revealed, he will be opposed. This will result in a great war, probably World War
III
.”

“How soon?”

“I fear it will be very soon. We need to watch for the new world leader.”

“What about the young man from Europe who is so popular with the United Nations?”

“I’m impressed with him,” Bruce said. “I will have to be careful and study what he says and does. He seems too humble and self-effacing to fit the description of this one who would take over the world.”

“But we’re ripe for someone to do just that,” one of the older men said. “I found myself wishing that guy was our president.” Several others agreed.

“We need to keep an eye on him,” Bruce said. “But for now, let me just briefly outline the Seven-Sealed Scroll from Revelation five, and then I’ll let you go. On the one hand, I don’t want to give you a spirit of fear, but we all know we’re still here because we neglected salvation before the Rapture. I know we’re all grateful for the second chance, but we cannot expect to escape the trials that are coming.”