Stung Page 5

  “Then the preacher lady said my mom had just asked Jesus to forgive her. I couldn’t believe it. I’d heard this Jesus talk from a couple of kids at school. I thought it was trash.”

  “What happened?” Vicki said.

  “I told her I didn’t want to hear it. She said she’d waited up all night to talk with me. My dad had been there and left. I started up the stairs, and my mom followed. When I got to the top, she grabbed me by the arm. She begged me to listen.”

  Melinda closed her eyes, as if she were watching the scene again. “I yelled something awful at her and pulled away. When I did, she lost her balance. I turned around. There was nothing I could do. She fell the whole way down those stairs.

  “The preacher lady rushed to her and felt her neck. She ran for the phone. I flew down the stairs to see if I could help. Honestly, I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

  Vicki nodded. “Was she dead when you got there?”

  Melinda stared at Felicia’s grave. “All that was left at the bottom of the stairs were her dress and shoes. I screamed and ran for the preacher lady. The phone was hanging by the cord. Her clothes were in a pile on the floor.”

  “You must have been so scared,” Vicki said.

  “I thought I’d killed her,” Melinda said. “Killed them both.”

  “Why did you tell me this story?” Vicki said.

  “I’ve tried to get it out of my head for so long. I didn’t even tell my dad about it for a long time. When I did, he said I was crazy. Accused me of being drunk.” Melinda sighed. “The way you looked at me tonight when you said you were sorry, it reminded me of my mom.”

  Vicki put an arm around Melinda. “If you want, I’ll tell you exactly what happened to your mom.”

  When evening came and they still hadn’t found a place to stay, Judd suggested they go back to the Temple Mount. “A lot of people stay there through the night.”

  “We can see the witnesses,” Mr. Stein said, “Eli and Moishe!”

  Mr. Stein darted into a store and brought back three heavy blankets. “These will keep us warm.”

  Judd hailed a cab. He recalled the terror the two witnesses had created the last time he had seen them.

  A crowd gathered to watch Eli and Moishe thirty feet from the wrought-iron fence. Eli sat Indian style, his back to a stone wall. A slight breeze sent a chill through Judd and moved Eli’s long hair and beard, but the prophet was unmoving, unblinking. Moishe stood near the fence, staring at the crowd.

  “When’s the show start?” a young man said, giggling, from the back of the crowd.

  “Yeah, say something,” another said.

  “Come with me,” Judd said. He led Mr. Stein and Lionel to a ledge overlooking the witnesses. Bushes blocked their view of the crowd.

  “This will be a good place to rest,” Mr. Stein said. They spread out their blankets and sat.

  “I’ve seen them talk without moving their mouths,” Judd said. “Everybody understands in his own language.” Judd was exhausted. He put his head down and fell asleep.

  Lionel shook him awake some time later. “Something’s going on.”

  Judd rubbed his eyes and peered through the bushes. A disturbance in the crowd had caused some to back away from the fence.

  “Carpathia!” someone shouted. “It’s the potentate!”

  “I don’t believe it,” Lionel said. “Those guys will eat him alive.”

  Judd recognized Leon Fortunato, Carpathia’s right-hand man. He instructed the guards to keep the crowd away. The potentate boldly moved within ten feet of the fence. Someone shouted a greeting. Carpathia held a finger to his lips, and the crowd grew quiet.

  The silence was shattered by the booming voice of Moishe. “Woe unto the enemy of the Most High God!”

  Carpathia seemed startled but quickly collected himself. He smiled and spoke softly. “I am hardly the enemy of God. Many say I am the Most High God.”

  Moishe crossed his arms over his chest and spoke softly to Carpathia.

  “What did he say?” Lionel said.

  “I couldn’t tell,” Mr. Stein said.

  Now Carpathia clenched his teeth and said, “Let me tell you and your companion something. You have persecuted Israel long enough with the drought and the water turned to blood. You will lift your hocus-pocus or live to regret it.”

  It was Eli’s turn. He motioned Nicolae closer and spoke with great volume. Judd recoiled in fear. “Until the due time, you have no authority over the lamp stands of God Almighty!” Eli said.

  Carpathia seethed. “We shall see who will win in the end.”

  Eli stared at Carpathia. “Who will win in the end was determined before the beginning of time. Lo, the poison you inflict on the earth shall rot you from within for eternity.”

  Carpathia stepped back. He smiled. “I warn you to stay away from the charade of the so-called saints. I have guaranteed their safety, not yours.”

  Eli and Moishe spoke in unison. “He and she who have ears, let them hear. We are bound neither by time nor space, and those who shall benefit by our presence and testimony stand within the sound of our proclamation.”

  Leon Fortunato and the guards ushered the potentate away from the area. Mr. Stein was about to speak when someone moved back through the bushes. When it was clear they were safe, Lionel spoke.

  “I got everything except the last statement,” Lionel said. “What was all that ‘benefit by our presence’ jazz?”

  Mr. Stein shrugged and looked at Judd.

  “I don’t know either,” Judd said, “but this is the first time I’ve ever heard them say, ‘He and she who have ears, let them hear.’”

  7

  VICKI took Melinda to the house and told her own story. Vicki’s parents had changed overnight. They wanted Vicki to attend church, but Vicki wouldn’t. Then came the awful morning when Vicki realized her whole family had disappeared.

  “Would you let me show you verses from the Bible?”

  Melinda frowned. “Don’t think I’m ready for that.”

  Someone knocked on Melinda’s door. “Can I see you a minute, Vicki?” Mark said.

  “I’m kind of in the middle of something—”

  “It’s important.”

  “Go ahead,” Melinda said. “I’m tired. We can talk tomorrow.”

  Vicki joined Mark in the kitchen. The others had gone to bed.

  “We had a meeting while you were out looking for her,” Mark said, “and most of us think it’s time to set some rules about who gets to stay.”

  “Most of us?” Vicki said.

  Mark shrugged. “Darrion and Conrad think I—we might be going a little too far.”

  “What do you propose?” Vicki said.

  “If this is going to be a training ground for the Young Trib Force,” Mark said, “the people who stay here ought to have the mark of the believer. If they don’t, we can’t trust them.”

  “Melinda just told me—”

  “I’m not talking about just Melinda,” Mark said. “Charlie’s a threat to us too.”

  “How?”

  “He could walk out of here anytime he wanted,” Mark said. “Even if he doesn’t mean to, he could bring trouble.”

  Vicki held up a hand. “I understand about safety. I don’t want the GC to find us any more than you do, but for some reason, God brought three people here who aren’t believers. One of them is buried up on the hill. I don’t want the same thing to happen to the other two.”

  “That’s not the point,” Mark said.

  “It is the point,” Vicki said.

  “Then this isn’t the place for me,” Mark said.

  Vicki sat, exhausted. She thought her troubles with the group were over when Judd had left. “Can we talk about this in the morning?” she said.

  Judd, Lionel, and Mr. Stein slept near the witnesses until Global Community guards found them and shooed them away. They spent the rest of the night wandering the streets of the old city. Before dawn, Mr. Stein led them through a gate an
d past a cemetery. They found a peaceful place to watch the sunrise. Judd asked Mr. Stein what they were going to do, but the man didn’t seem upset. As they drank the last of their water, Lionel wandered off. A few minutes later, he returned.

  “Do you guys know what this place is?” Lionel said. “It’s the Garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus was betrayed. Where he prayed on the night of his arrest.”

  Mr. Stein looked around the garden in awe.

  A man approached. He was short, with stooped shoulders. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that hid his eyes. With a powerful voice he said to Mr. Stein, “Are you one of the witnesses?”

  Judd put a hand on Mr. Stein’s shoulder. Being in Israel didn’t mean they were out of danger.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Are you one of those called by God?” the man said. He drew close and lifted his hat above his forehead. Judd saw the telltale mark of the believer.

  “I can see it in your eyes,” the man said. “You have the fire of God in you.”

  “Are you a witness?” Lionel said.

  The man turned and motioned for them to follow him.

  “Where are you taking us?” Judd said.

  “Where you are supposed to be,” the man said.

  Mr. Stein followed. Judd hesitated. Lionel shrugged, and they jogged to catch up. The man’s car was parked a few blocks away. The three squeezed into the tiny backseat.

  “Where are we going?” Mr. Stein said.

  “You will see. When did you get to Israel?”

  Mr. Stein told him when they had arrived and that they had slept outside the previous night.

  “The foxes have holes,” the man said, shaking his head. “You will not sleep outside again.”

  The man wound past the old city and into a newer section. The streets were already congested with traffic and people on foot. The man pointed out the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.

  Mr. Stein introduced himself, then Judd and Lionel. “What is your name?”

  “I am Yitzhak Weizmann, and God told me to expect you.”

  Mr. Stein looked at Judd and Lionel. “What do you mean?”

  “The Lord God of Israel impressed upon me to make room for you. I have done as he suggested.”

  “God spoke to you and told you we would be coming?” Judd said, his mouth open.

  Yitzhak ignored the question. They drove near Teddy Kollek Stadium. “That is where you will be tonight, along with thousands of other witnesses. I cannot wait until the rabbi speaks. I was watching the day he announced his findings on television.”

  They stopped in a huge parking lot near what looked like a school. “This is Hebrew University,” Yitzhak said. “You are in the building on the far side. You will be able to walk to the stadium tonight.” Yitzhak laughed. “If you leave early enough.”

  Yitzhak led them along a concrete path to a back entrance. Before he opened the door he said, “In the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, our provider, I welcome you.” He opened the door.

  What Judd saw next would stay with him the rest of his life. The gymnasium had been transformed into an emergency shelter for witnesses. Hundreds of cots filled the room. People gathered in small groups to pray. Others ate sack lunches and watched one of several monitors positioned throughout the room.

  “Incredible,” Judd said.

  Yitzhak smiled. “When I read Tsion’s messages about the meeting, God gave me this idea. I knew there would not be enough room in hotels for all of the witnesses, so I approached the administration of the university. They allowed me to rent five buildings like this.”

  “And they knew what you were using them for?” Mr. Stein said.

  “They only know that I was willing to pay twice what they are worth,” Yitzhak said, smiling.

  “So you didn’t really know we were coming,” Judd said.

  “Our God knows the number of hairs on your head. This morning I have found fourteen witnesses who spent the night sleeping on the ground. I must look for more.”

  Yitzhak showed them where to register for a cot. Mr. Stein asked the cost. “The money has already been paid,” Yitzhak said. “Enjoy your stay.”

  Yitzhak left them, and they spent the rest of the morning meeting other witnesses and sharing stories. Mr. Stein couldn’t stop talking. He went from one person to the next, trying to find out more about how to spread their message.

  Judd and Lionel found their cots and collapsed.

  Vicki awoke the next morning with a pain in her stomach. She felt such pressure to hold everything together. She stared at the ceiling and listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen. The kids were saying good-bye to Z.

  Vicki dressed quickly and ran to the truck.

  “Sounds like you had an interesting night,” Z said.

  Vicki got into the truck and closed the door. “This seemed so perfect for us, but even all the way out here we don’t feel safe.”

  Z scratched his head. “Here’s what I know. God wanted you here. That’s pretty clear, right?”

  Vicki nodded.

  “If you know that, you know he’s gonna work out the rest.”

  “I just don’t know what to do. …”

  Z started the big rig, and the whole truck shook. “I put a box for you in the kitchen. Hang on to your dream and don’t give up.”

  Vicki and the others watched Z drive off. Conrad and Mark helped with the logs at the end of the road. Vicki looked in on Melinda, but she was still asleep.

  When they were all gathered, Vicki asked Charlie to take Phoenix outside. Vicki briefly explained Melinda’s story. “We can pull together on this, or we can pull apart. But I don’t think we’re as strong if we split up.

  “God’s given us this place. With the Meeting of the Witnesses starting, I think we should use this next week to study and pray that God would use us how he wants.”

  No one spoke. Vicki looked at each person and recalled what they had been through together. Though Mark was outspoken, she knew he loved God and wanted to do the right thing. Shelly had been with her almost from the start. Darrion had seen so much loss, she looked like a shell.

  Finally, Conrad spoke. “None of us knows how much longer we have. I think Vicki’s right. If we can help people like Melinda and Charlie know the truth, I think we ought to do it.”

  “There’s risk in everything,” Shelly said. “I say we open the place up and let God bring whoever he wants, believer or not.”

  Everyone spoke in support of Vicki except Mark. He stared at the floor. “I lost a lot of friends when the Global Community attacked the militia base. Now I’ve lost my cousin, John. Ryan’s gone. Chaya’s gone. The people we knew at the church. I don’t want to hold you guys back. Maybe if I take some time …”

  Mark’s voice trailed off. Vicki could tell he was hurting.

  “I’m thinking of going back to find my aunt,” Mark said. “She’ll want to know about John. She’s the last of my family, as far as I know.”

  “There are two cycles left,” Conrad said. “Take one.”

  “How will you see the Meeting of the Witnesses?” Vicki said.

  “Can I take Judd’s laptop?”

  Vicki nodded.

  Mark gathered some supplies later that morning. He said good-bye to everyone. When he got to Vicki, she said, “I hope you’ll come back.”

  Mark pursed his lips. “Yeah.”

  When Judd awoke that afternoon, the room was crowded with witnesses. People stood shoulder to shoulder around Judd’s cot. Judd stood on his cot. Lionel did the same.

  A deep-voiced man spoke through a megaphone at the front of the gym. Judd recognized the hat and the stooped shoulders. It was Yitzhak. He stood on a stepladder and spoke in Hebrew, then translated into English. Around the room small groups who spoke other languages gathered for the translation.

  “Last night, I met with others in the local committee for a final walk-through of the program,” Yitzhak said. “You will be happy to know that Tsion Ben-Judah is here
and alive and well!”

  A cheer went up from the group. Some shouted, “May God be praised!” Others spoke in their own languages.

  A chill went down Judd’s spine. This is what heaven is going to be like, he thought.

  When the cheering died down, Yitzhak said, “But there has been a disturbing development. The reports we have heard have been confirmed. Nicolae Carpathia has asked to address the meeting tonight.”

  A murmur rose from the crowd. Yitzhak held up a hand. “I do not know whether Dr. Ben-Judah will allow it, or if he refuses what will happen. But I do know that God is in control of this meeting!”

  Another cheer arose.

  “And now, I urge you to pray with me. What we will learn over the next few days will be vital. But our hearts must be right.”

  For the next fifteen minutes, Judd heard the sound of voices praying in different languages. Yitzhak gently interrupted them by saying, “My friends, there will be some in the stadium and many watching and listening via satellite who do not know our Messiah. Let us pray earnestly for God to open their eyes.”

  Again, voices swirled in prayer. Judd moved toward Lionel. “Can you believe this?”

  Lionel shook his head.

  As the prayers of the people wound down, Yitzhak said, “In the spirit of these prayers, O God, we commit ourselves to you. We ask that you give us clear minds to understand your teaching. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

  Yitzhak led the group out the back door. There was no shoving, no pushing, no trying to get the best spot in line. Everyone slowly followed the little man across the parking lot toward the stadium.

  “Where’s Mr. Stein?” Lionel said.

  Judd shrugged. “I guess we’ll find him later.”

  Judd had never seen such traffic. Every road to the stadium was jammed with cars and pedestrians. Every person he saw seemed happy. People carried satchels and notebooks and water bottles. Most of those on foot made it to the stadium faster than those in cars and buses.

  “This looks like a lot more people than that stadium could ever hold,” Lionel said.

  Judd saw two jeeps with flashing yellow lights. Each vehicle carried four armed Global Community guards. Between the jeeps was a Mercedes van. Someone shouted, “The rabbi!”