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  “Please let us go by the ocean,” Vicki had pleaded as they started their long drive home. What Vicki’s father did next shocked her. It still surprised her, just thinking about it. He pulled the RV to the side of the road, backed up, and turned around.

  “You kids are gonna get your feet in the Atlantic if it’s the last thing I do,” he said.

  Jeanni had screamed with delight when they saw the water. It was the first time she had seen anything bigger than Lake Michigan. They parked and Vicki took off her shoes and ran to the shoreline, digging her toes in the wet sand. She picked up a few shells and stuffed them in her pocket.

  She looked back and saw her mother and father at the RV, shouting at each other. Vicki walked into the water. She wanted to keep going, just walk until the water was over her head.

  “What are you doing?” her father screamed, standing by the shore. “Get back here!”

  Vicki waded back, a wave toppling her when she turned. Her dad grabbed her arm as she went under and pulled her up, her hair wet with the salty water. Then he smiled.

  It had been such a long time since Vicki had remembered her father’s smile. The events since the disappearances had kept her so busy she didn’t think much about the past. But now, with the rumble of the diesel engine and the shaking of the truck cab, she let herself go back. She remembered little things like her dad’s stale-beer breath, the brand of cigarettes he smoked, and little Jeanni’s screams as Vicki chased her around the house. She remembered the laundry her mother used to hang on a line by the trailer. Seeing one of her shirts or a pair of pants flapping in the breeze had always embarrassed Vicki.

  But there had been moments, even before her mom believed in Christ, when they sat at the kitchen table and talked. Vicki’s mom had shared some of her dreams that would never come true. Vicki tried to listen and say helpful things, but sooner or later another fight would start, and her mother would grab a bottle and Vicki would slam her bedroom door.

  “Do you want something to eat?” Vicki heard someone say.

  “Mom?” Vicki mumbled. She opened her eyes and saw Shelly. They were sitting in front of a truck stop.

  “I’m not your mother,” Shelly laughed. “Come on. Sun’s coming up. We’re in North Carolina. You’ve been sleeping all night.”

  The truck stop was almost empty. There was no one healthy enough to work in the diner, so Pete picked out some packaged food and paid for the fuel.

  “How much longer?” Vicki said as they sat in a grimy booth at the back of the restaurant.

  “We’d be about eight hours away under normal conditions,” Pete said. “With the damage from the earthquake and the tidal wave after the meteor, we’ll be lucky to get there by nightfall.”

  While Pete rested in the passenger seat, Carl got behind the wheel. He looked scared of all the gears at first, then seemed to get used to them. Locusts skittered among the trees as they drove through the mountains. Carl slowed as locusts flew toward the windshield. Once they saw everyone’s mark, the locusts flew away.

  By late afternoon Pete awoke and took the wheel as they crossed the South Carolina border. Ruins of destroyed homes littered the roadside. Tiny shacks with signs advertising shrimp and crabs had sprung up. Then the scenery changed. Through the palmetto trees, Vicki saw the expanse of water she had dreamed about.

  “This whole area was devastated by the wave,” Carl said. “Changed everything.”

  “How did the GC keep their military buildings?” Conrad said.

  “Most of them were destroyed,” Carl said. “Had to be rebuilt from the ground up. A few made it through.”

  Pete opened his window and an ocean breeze blew through the cab. Vicki closed her eyes. She could almost hear the water lapping at the shoreline.

  “Can we stop and get out?” Vicki said.

  Pete turned and eyed her.

  “It’s been so long since I’ve been in salt water. It’ll just be for a minute.”

  Pete smiled and pulled to the side of the road. A sandy path led through what had been a small park. A crooked teeter-totter and monkey bars were all that remained.

  “Enjoy yourself,” Pete said. “We’ll stay here for the night.”

  Vicki, Shelly, and Conrad took off their shoes and jogged down the path. They stretched their legs and raced to the edge of the water. Vicki closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She could almost hear her family from years ago. When she looked at the horizon, the sun dipped below the salt marshes and sea oats. The tidal wave had changed what people had built, but it couldn’t take away the natural beauty God had created. The sky turned a purplish orange as the sun faded.

  Carl came running onto the beach and kicked water at the others. “Pete says dinner’s about ready. And good news. We’re pretty close to the location where the group I was telling you about is supposed to meet. Thought we’d head over that way a little later and see if we can find anybody.”

  Pete boiled shrimp and made sandwiches for everyone. Vicki didn’t know how to peel the shell off the shrimp, so Carl showed her. Soon the kids were full.

  “What’s this place called?” Vicki said.

  “We’re near Beaufort,” Carl said. “We’ll drive down by the river and you can see some of the old mansions. A few of them are still standing.”

  “What about the believers?” Shelly said. “You think they meet somewhere near here?”

  Carl pulled out a map of the area with a red circle around a nearby town. “The report we had said they met in an old Christian radio station near Port Royal.”

  Pete helped Carl pull motorcycles from the back of the truck. “I’m bushed. Going to get some shut-eye. You kids be careful.”

  Carl and Vicki rode ahead of Conrad and Shelly. They found Main Street in Beaufort, and though much of it had been washed away, Vicki could tell how beautiful it once was. Mansions dating back to the Civil War had somehow survived the massive onslaught of water after the meteor. A few shops remained but were darkened.

  Carl checked his map again and rode farther south. Spanish moss hung from live oak trees that lined the road. The radio station was small. Pine needles and branches covered the driveway. When the motorcycles stopped, Vicki heard insects singing their evening song. A light flickered inside the building, then went out. Something scurried in the leaves.

  “What was that?” Shelly said.

  “Probably an egret or a heron,” Carl said. “Most of the deer and the foxes were killed by the wave.”

  A short-necked bird with red eyes darted overhead. Vicki screamed and jumped back.

  “It’s just a night heron,” Carl said. “It’s OK.”

  Carl walked up the concrete steps and tried the door. It was locked. He knocked softly. Conrad went around the side of the building to look in a window. When no one answered Carl’s knock, he called out, “We’ve come to help you. Let us in.”

  Conrad shuffled around the corner, his hand behind his back. Behind him was a burly young man. He had sandy hair and arms like tree limbs. He held Conrad’s arm with one hand and had a knife in the other.

  “Throw down your guns and anything else you got,” the boy said, “or this guy’s history.”

  The kids put up their hands. “We don’t have any weapons with us,” Carl said.

  “I know that uniform. You’re GC.”

  Vicki stepped forward. The boy’s face was shaded from the moonlight. “Are you a believer?” she said.

  “Tom, get a flashlight out here now!” the boy shouted.

  Another boy, shorter but just as athletic, opened the door. He shone a light on Carl’s forehead and on the rest of the group. The teen holding Conrad let go. “Didn’t know we’d have other believers visiting or we’d have cooked you guys some dinner.”

  “Let me apologize for my brother,” the shorter one said. “I’m Tom Gowin. This is Luke. Come in.”

  The kids shook hands and entered the tiny building. Seven other kids stood in a circle around an old radio transmitter. Vicki loved th
eir accent and was excited to have found other believers.

  “We came to warn you,” Carl said. “The Global Community knows about this group and has a good idea where—”

  “We know,” Tom said. “They came here just before the big bugs did.”

  “They took some of our supplies and dumped the rest in front,” Luke said. “I think they were gonna torch the place.”

  “What happened?” Vicki said.

  “Didn’t have the chance,” Tom said. “Sky opened up and poured some of God’s little demons on their heads. Those GC went flyin’ outta here. Don’t think they’ll be back anytime soon.”

  “They’ll be back,” Carl said. He explained what he knew about the GC plan to locate and capture believers. “They’re targeting people who are spreading the message.”

  “People like Dr. Ben-Judah,” Tom said.

  “Right,” Vicki said. “But Tsion is safe. The Trib Force won’t let—”

  “You talk like you know him,” Tom said.

  “We do,” Vicki said, and from the beginning she explained how the kids had been left behind and eventually met the famous rabbi from Israel.

  “I can’t believe you actually know him,” one of the other kids said.

  “We read his Web site before the tidal wave hit,” Tom said. “Haven’t been able to get the computer working since.”

  “How did you survive the wave?” Conrad said.

  “Long story,” Tom said. “Had to go inland a couple hundred miles and when we came back . . . well, you can see what happened.”

  Luke stepped forward. “Can you tell us what’s going on with the Tribulation Force? We want to be a part of it, but there’s so much we don’t know.”

  Carl looked at Vicki and smiled. “Where’s your notebook?”

  10

  AFTER Judd and the others arrived at Yitzhak’s house, they hid the car and spent a few days keeping out of sight. As Tsion Ben-Judah had predicted, people were busy avoiding the locusts or were hurting from their stings.

  Jamal was concerned for the kids’ safety, but he didn’t seem as peeved as before. Sam was dejected about his father.

  “Your dad could have kicked you out when he recognized you,” Judd said. “It was Woodruff who caused the problem.”

  “God can still get through to your dad,” Lionel said. “Just because he was stung doesn’t mean there’s no hope.”

  Late one afternoon Judd climbed to Yitzhak’s attic to spend some time alone. He took Yitzhak’s laptop and logged on to Tsion’s Web site. Tsion included many of the stories of the 144,000 witnesses who had gone to remote places. He searched for Mr. Stein’s name but couldn’t find it.

  Judd clicked on theunderground-online.com icon and was surprised to see how much material was already on the Web. He recognized many of the questions and answers. He and Mr. Stein had worked on them a few weeks earlier. Just looking at the material made him long for home and his friends. He wondered if Vicki had gone on the trip and what was happening at the schoolhouse.

  He jotted a quick note to Mark and asked for an update, then checked his own e-mail. He found hundreds of messages from kids who wanted answers. He composed a reply and told everyone to check out Tsion’s Web site and theunderground-online.com.

  As Judd went through rows of messages, one caught his eye. It was from Pavel, his friend in New Babylon. Judd hadn’t talked with him in a long time. Pavel’s father was a worker with the Global Community, and Judd had been thrilled when the boy had responded to the message of the gospel.

  Judd opened the message. It read: I know where you are. Please e-mail me as quickly as you can. I have some wonderful news. Better yet, let’s talk by computer link. Pavel.

  Judd set up the laptop’s camera and sent a message to Pavel. As he waited, he heard a noise on the stairs. It was Nada.

  “Am I disturbing you?”

  “Not at all,” Judd said. He looked around for a chair.

  “I’ll sit on the floor with you,” Nada said.

  Judd explained who Pavel was and that he lived in New Babylon. “Perhaps he knew my brother?” Nada said, scooting closer. She sighed. “Judd, I want to talk about what happened back at my house. My mother says I should move on, but I can’t pretend I don’t have feelings.”

  Judd stared at the computer as Nada continued. “I’ve seen how much you care for your friends. You’re willing to risk your life. You’ve done the same for me. You don’t know how hard it was at home, being cooped up, hiding, and taking people in. Then you came. The talks we had were wonderful. I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”

  “I enjoyed talking too,” Judd said. “We have a lot in common, with our faith and wanting to work against the GC.”

  Nada grew quiet. Finally she said, “I don’t know if I should tell you this. I have prayed about it and I think God wants me to . . .”

  “Go ahead,” Judd said.

  “I think you’re running.”

  Judd laughed. “Yeah, we’re all running from the GC.”

  “No, I mean on the inside. I see it in your eyes. You’ve told me bits and pieces about your life, and it seems you’re always on the move. Always flying here or moving around with your friends.”

  “We’ve had to stay on the run from the GC—”

  “I’m not explaining it well,” Nada said.

  Judd looked at the floor and nodded. “If you’d have known me before, you wouldn’t have liked me. I guess there’s still a part of me that’s restless.”

  “I’m wondering if you could ever . . . if before the Lord’s return you could be interested . . . in someone like me?”

  Judd looked into Nada’s eyes. She glanced down but

  Judd touched her chin and lifted it. “I told you I care a great deal about you. But there are things you don’t know. Things even I don’t understand.”

  Judd scooted closer. “God put us together for a reason. I don’t know why. Maybe he wants us to . . . to get more serious. Or maybe he just wants us to stay friends.”

  “I’m twenty and I know that we have almost five years before Jesus will return. I want us to be more than friends during those years.”

  Judd nodded. “I understand. I just need some time.”

  Nada turned away. “That means I’ll never hear from you again. You’ll go off on some—”

  “Stop,” Judd said. “It means I need some time. That’s all.”

  Nada stood to leave. A message popped up on Judd’s computer. It was Pavel. “Stay,” Judd said. “I want you to meet him.”

  Pavel pushed his wheelchair close to the computer. His voice seemed weak. “Is it really you, Judd?”

  Judd introduced Nada and briefly told Pavel what had happened to them since coming to Israel. Pavel couldn’t believe all of Judd’s travels. “I found out you were in Israel from some of your friends back in the States.”

  “What’s the exciting news?” Judd said.

  “My father has become a tribulation saint!” Pavel said, beaming.

  “What happened?” Judd said.

  “It’s a long story. But reading Tsion Ben-Judah’s Web site was an important part of him coming to the truth.”

  “Did he pray before the locusts came?” Judd said.

  “Yes, but as you know, he works for the Global Community and nearly everyone has been stung there. He has had to fake a locust sting in order to not appear suspicious. We also have a safeguard on our e-mail and computer transmissions. He met a believer named David who also works for the Global Community. David helped my father set up this system so it could not be traced.”

  “What’s the word about Nicolae and the ten rulers?” Judd said.

  “They’re keeping everything a huge secret,” Pavel said. “Carpathia and his right-hand man, Leon Fortunato, are in an underground shelter for protection.”

  “The locusts wouldn’t bite Nicolae,” Judd said.

  “Why not?”

  “Too afraid they’d be poisoned.”

  Pavel
laughed, then coughed. His face seemed pale but when Judd mentioned it, Pavel shook his head and continued. “The ten kings and even Peter the Second have been stung. They’re suffering terribly.”

  “With every judgment, Nicolae has turned it into something good for himself,” Judd said. “I don’t see that happening with the locusts.”

  “He will try,” Pavel said. “My father says Nicolae is preparing a televised message for the entire world. He will say the stories of poisonous bites are exaggerated.”

  Judd laughed. “With everyone suffering? He can’t possibly—”

  “To convince people, he will conduct his speech with a locust sitting on his shoulder.”

  “What?!?”

  “My father says Nicolae wants to convince people these things can be tamed like pets. But don’t believe it. The locust was created with trick photography. Make sure you watch the telecast.”

  “What a liar,” Judd said. “With all the suffering, he’s playing games.”

  “He’s not the only crafty one,” Pavel said, scooting closer to the camera. “Have you heard about the Christian literature that is flooding the globe?”

  Judd nodded. “Lionel told me they helped pack some of it for delivery.”

  “Nicolae Carpathia has sent his pilots to deliver food and supplies to some of the rulers where people are suffering most. What he doesn’t know is that his very plane is carrying shipments of the rabbi’s studies in different languages.”

  “Incredible,” Judd said.

  “That is the other exciting news.”

  “You want us to help pack more pamphlets?” Judd said.

  “It’s not that. It’s better. Have you read how Tsion believes this is the time for believers to travel?”

  “Sure,” Judd said.

  “I want you to come here.”

  “To New Babylon?” Judd said. “How?”

  “The pilot of Carpathia’s plane, who is also faking a locust sting, is picking up a shipment from Israel in a few days. My father talked with him and explained your situation. The way is clear for you to fly with him and stay at my house. You could possibly get a transport back to the States or anywhere you wish.”