Fuller and Barrington exchanged looks before they turned their attention to the map.
“What kind of bomb makes people disappear?” Barrington wanted to know.
“Well,” Carr began confidently, “probably the same kind of bomb - or bombs - that caused the vanishings several months ago.”
Fuller frowned at him. “Director Carr, even you should know the impossibility of what you’re suggesting. One bomb could not have had this kind of an affect on an entire planet.”
Carr paused. “There were several bombs, Darren. Or to the point, we believe that several canisters were used in specified locations around the globe, which released the toxins that made the vanishings occur.”
Barrington shook his head. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?” Averill demanded. “Because it would discount your so-called Rapture theory?”
“At this point, what you’re proposing here as the viable hypothesis to this event will only give more credence to the Rapture.”
Averill just glared at him.
Behind them, Alyson and Meers watched the discussion take place. Alyson was amused by Averill’s reaction to Barrington’s comment.
“So what you’re telling us is that several canisters, which carried this toxin,” Fuller began, “were released simultaneously on the day of the vanishings.”
“And one nuclear bomb was detonated in California,” Carr reminded them. “It also contained the toxin responsible for the vanishings.”
Fuller nodded. “One bomb. But what you’re saying is that this toxin within a nanosecond covered the entire earth…and only took some people, causing them to vanish, while the survivors remained unaffected. Is that what you’re saying?”
Carr nodded. “That’s what I’m saying. This toxin that we call X-24 was used then. It was also released right in the center of Allentown.”
“X-24?” Barrington inquired.
Carr simply nodded, but he did not respond.
“Were there any survivors or anyone who hadn‘t vanished?” Fuller asked. He was aware that Carr had told them every living thing had vanished as a result from the detonation of the bomb, but he also suspected the Director of Justice was not telling the complete truth. He was leaving something out.
Carr’s answer only verified Fuller’s suspicion.
“I’m not at liberty to disclose that information yet,” Carr began, “but I do have it on good authority that what I’m telling you is exactly what happened.”
Fuller and Barrington exchanged another look. They each suspected that what Carr was telling them was they did have a survivor or some survivors from the blast in Allentown. The question was where they were being kept. Barrington glanced at the bank of computers lining one wall. The wall seemed different than the others for it was more solid and sturdier than the other walls.
Alyson noticed Barrington’s attention to the wall and realized he had come up with the same suspicions she had when she had first noticed it. Barrington suspected there was a private room behind the computers.
“Have you sent teams into the town?” Fuller asked.
“Several teams of FEMA operatives have gone in,” Carr responded. “They tell me that in a few hours, the X-24 will become dormant and you can go in without the environmental gear.” He looked at Fuller and Barrington. “I’m assuming you’ll want to go into the town to see for yourself?”
Fuller nodded. “You assume correctly.”
“How did the bomb get into Allentown?” Barrington asked.
Carr appeared to be considering his words before he answered. “We’re still looking into that, but we believe it was a terrorist who simply carried it into town and detonated it. This, of course, would mean he himself died in the blast. So there’s no way to trace him back to where he received the bomb.”
“It’s possible that if this was the work of a terrorist,” Barrington began, “then perhaps he wasn’t working alone. Maybe he came with a handler. The handler sent him into town and stayed well enough away so he could report that it was a success or failure.”
Fuller nodded thoughtfully. “If that is the case, the handler could still be in the area.”
“You said ‘if this was the work of a terrorist,’ Mr. Barrington,” Alyson pointed out. “If it isn’t the work of a terrorist, then who else could be responsible?”
Barrington paused. “Any extremists groups could be responsible. But in light of the attack on our country during the vanishings, I’d have to conclude it was a terrorist group from Hammas, or Al Qaeda. They’re not about to sit still while our country is still recovering. I believe they’ll use any opportunity they can to kill as many Americans as they can.”
Carr turned to look at Barrington. “You do know that Advocate Tristian Salvadori has pushed for a reformation and a Peace Treaty has been signed. These groups you’ve mentioned have been disbanded and terrorism will no longer be tolerated.”
“Yeah…I hope that works out for you.”
Carr just looked at him.
“Hey!” Averill exclaimed. “The Advocate got the Islamic radicals to stand down. Now no one in the entire history of this planet has ever accomplished anything like that. Don’t bad mouth his accomplishments as if it were something distasteful!”
Barrington shrugged. “Whatever you say. Can we continue here?”
Averill glared at him.
Carr nodded. “Yes, of course, we’ll continue.” He turned to Fuller. “I was under the impression Agent Lenox would be arriving with you. Where is he?”
“He’s taking care of something,” Fuller replied, “but I expect him to arrive within the hour.”
“Good. That’s good.”
Barrington and Fuller exchanged looks. They each wondered if Carr would be saying that if he knew Lenox was bringing Dr. Staci Cohen with him. What they didn't know was that Carr not only knew about it, but he was the one who authorized her release from the safe house.
Carr was about to continue the briefing when one of the men from FEMA entered and approached him. After a hushed conference where Fuller and Barrington couldn’t hear what was being said, Carr nodded his head with grim determination.
“Gentlemen,” Carr said to Fuller and Barrington, “if you’ll excuse me, something has come to my attention and I need to see to it immediately. If you have any questions, Agent Averill will answer what he can. I’ll be but a moment.”
Fuller nodded once. “Of course.”
Carr followed the FEMA operative out of the HQ.
Fronk’s fingers danced across the keyboard of his laptop as he and the others realized someone else had entered into HQ. They had been listening in on the entire conversation. They now knew just as much as Director Fuller and Barrington knew, but Fronk simply hacked into the central computer hardware, which Justice and FEMA had set up inside the HQ. He was grateful the encryption was carried on a wireless router because it became possible for him to access it.
When Carr commented that the toxin was known as X-24, LeBeau let out a snort. “X-24! Where do these people come up with namin’ these things?”
“Well,” Fronk replied, glancing up from his laptop, “they certainly can’t call something this destructive X-42, now, can they?”
Erin regarded him with a puzzled look. “Why not?”
“Because the number 42 is the answer to life. That being said, the number 24 is just the opposite…the answer to death. Everyone knows that.”
Shiva and Erin exchanged looks.
“What does that mean?” Bandjough wanted to know.
LeBeau rolled his eyes. “Forget about it, Rookie. He’s not serious anyway.”
Fronk had adjusted the frequency so that they could listen in on the conversation between Carr and the man who had approached him.
“The subject has awoken,” the man from FEMA told Carr in soft tones. “But we had to sedate her for she was becoming a bit hostile.”
Carr let out a sigh. “I need her awake. We’ll go back in there, you bring her out of her slumber…and then we’ll run this test again. You shouldn’t have sedated her.”
“We didn’t want to risk anyone hearing her.”
“Those walls are soundproof, you idiot. No one will hear her. She can scream to the moon and no one will know about it. Let’s go. I have to know why she hasn’t been affected.”
Carr excused himself and left the HQ with the man from FEMA.
“What was that all about?” Shiva asked.
Fronk shrugged. “Don’t know…but give me a second. I think I’ve got something here.” He opened another window on his Portals and grinned. “Well, well, well…what have we here?”
Erin leaned forward behind him to look at the image on the laptop. “What is that?”
“This, my dear, is a camera I just happen to be accessing. There seems to be a lot of activity going on here. This is one of the encryption paths I piggy-backed onto…but you know, I think this is what our Director from Justice wants to keep to himself.”
The image showed a woman strapped onto a cot in what could only be described as a sterile room. She was inside a sealed structure while a man stood outside the room at a computer station. Whatever he was doing was keeping his full attention.
“Carr said she wasn’t affected,” Shiva mused thoughtfully. “Affected by what?”
“The toxin released from the explosion?” Bandjough offered helpfully.
Erin shook her head. “Why wouldn’t she be affected by the toxin if she was in the radius of the blast?”
Silence descended on them as they huddled around Fronk and his laptop.
“We have to tell the Director and Bear about this,” Shiva finally said, breaking the silence.
“We will,” Fronk replied with a nod. “They’re on their way back right now.”
The market in Belgrade, Maine was crowded and prices had sky-rocketed like the price of gas had due to the national crisis. In spite of Advocate Tristian Salvadori’s reformation and peace treaty signing with Israel, it did nothing to stem the high cost of living. Chase, Dell and several men from the shelter went into the market, got what basic necessities they could and paid for it in cash. Credit was just no good any more.
Chase couldn’t help but overhear the man in front of him trying to pay for his groceries with a credit card, but he was refused. He begged for the clerk to make an exception, but the clerk sadly shook his head. Chase and Dell exchanged worried looks.
“How do you expect us to eat?” the man demanded in desperation. “I don’t have any cash! This is all I have.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” the clerk said for what must have been the hundredth time. “We do not accept credit. Only cash. Everywhere across the United States, no one is accepting credit any more. Haven’t you been watching the news?” He glanced to his left as if looking for someone.
Chase followed his gaze. Two big security guards were coming their way. One of them carried a shotgun. He shook his head, feeling bad for the man who was only trying to get groceries.
The man saw the guards coming. “Please…don’t do this!” He swallowed, on the verge of breaking down. “My wife…Look, this isn’t much…Probably not even enough to last us more than a couple of days! I-it’s just enough to--”
“You’re going to have to leave!” the clerk finally snapped, losing his patience. “These men will escort you out.”
The man stepped away from the counter in defeat. “I’ll go. I-I can go on my own.”
They didn’t listen to him. They each took him by the arm and practically dragged him out of the store. The clerk began to put the bags of basic staples into a cart so that they could later be returned to the shelves.
Chase moved forward. “Hey, could you just add all of that to what I have here?”
The clerk frowned at him. “That will add $101.58 to your bill.”
“That’s fine. We’ll take it.” He turned to Dell. “We’ll be able to cover it.”
Dell just nodded.
The others who came with them from the shelter also added their carts. They originally had four shopping carts full of groceries, but the cart the man was unable to purchase added to theirs made five. Chase paid for it all and then he and the others brought it outside to their vehicles.
Chase looked over the parking lot, searching for the man who was escorted out. He saw the two security men returning. As they passed him by, they glared at him as if they were going to accost him at any second. Chase wasn’t even intimidated in the least.
Dell pointed. “Hey, is that him?”
Chase looked to where Dell was pointing. A man and a woman were in a green caravan. The man appeared to be trying to console the woman.
Chase pushed the cart over to the van and knocked on the window.
The man looked out, at first puzzled, then concerned more trouble was on the way. He rolled down the window. “Look,” he said, “we’ll be out of here in a jiffy. We don’t want any trouble.”
“Who said anything about any trouble?” Chase asked him. “I just wanted to give you back your groceries that you left inside.”
The man blinked. He wasn’t sure he had heard correctly.
The woman leaned toward her husband. “Larry,” she said softly, “did he say he was giving us our groceries?”
The man named Larry sat up behind the wheel, a half smile on his face. “Yeah, Faye…I…I believe he did. At least, I am certain he did.” He turned to regard Chase with hesitation. “That is what you said, isn’t it?”
Chase nodded. “It is.”
The man paused. “Look, I appreciate it…We both do. But…we can’t pay for it. All we have is credit and, well, we know credit isn’t any good these days.”
Chase glanced at Dell. “We’re not interested in money.”
“What then?”
“We’re interested in people. Helping those in need, and you two seem to be in need so we want to help.”
Larry again regarded the two men outside his van. “Why would you want to help us?”
Chase shrugged. “I suppose it’s because it would be what Jesus would do.”
Larry blinked again. “Who?”
“He said it’s what Jesus would do, man,” Dell told him.
Faye began to smile. “You don’t know how much this means to us.”
“It’s nothing,” Chase told them.
“No it’s not. It really is something. Larry and I have been praying to God about what to do, and He impressed upon our hearts to be here today. We could have come yesterday or the day before, even knowing then we wouldn’t have been able to make any purchases here.”
Larry nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, but we got up this morning to pray and both of us just felt this strong urge to come here. So we did.” He shrugged. “I went in with my credit cards, knowing I wouldn’t be getting anything with them except aggravation. All the while, I was asking myself what would Jesus do in a situation like this. No food. No job. Plenty of money but no way to cash in on it because of this economical nightmare.”
Chase noticed some suitcases and miscellaneous items in the back of the truck. “Where are you guys going?”
Larry let out a little chuckle. “Well, wherever the Lord leads us to. We couldn’t pay rent either and were evicted this morning.”
“We lost everything,” Faye told them. “After the vanishings, we both turned our eyes to Jesus where we know now they should have been all along. Right after we got saved, Larry went into work and witnessed to his boss. His boss told him not to witness in the work place, but he seemed to be okay with the idea that Larry was a new man. His work ethics increased and he did more in one day than others did in a week.”
“What I didn’t know was that my boss was setting me up for a fall ever since I witnessed to him. Three weeks later, I was told that my bookkeeping was way off and I had lost the company a considerable amount of money. So I had two choices. Stick around, pay for the losses myself with some possible jail time…or resign.”
“So you resigned,” Chases replied knowingly.
Larry nodded. “Yeah.”
“But it didn’t stop there,” Faye said. “His boss slandered Larry all over town so he couldn’t get a job anywhere. I couldn’t either.”
“Our situation was becoming desperate. We were out of a job. I went to the bank to try to get what money I could, but there’s some kind of a hold on our account until this credit situation clears up. But they said we could start with a new SO account.”
“What’s that?” Dell asked.
“It’s called a Starting Over account. Basically, you’re just starting a new account all over again with real money. They would build the account up for you, but you still have to put in some cash to open it. Then the money you have in the bank that you can’t touch will start to move into this account. Eventually, you’d be able to withdraw from it like you did back in the old days before there was credit. They had a ledger they were writing in, but I didn’t have any cash to open an SO account.”
“The bank clerk was furious with us,” Faye said.
“Why’s that?” Chase inquired.
Larry couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Well…because they didn’t tell us that we had to put cash in to open it at first. The clerk wrote in all of the detail and then he mentioned that we needed a hundred dollars to open it. I told him all I had was two dollars. He slammed that book shut and really started to yell at us. People were looking at us like we were in the circus.”
“The Holy Spirit was there with us though,” Faye replied, smiling at the memory of it.
“Really?” Chase regarded them. “Well, seems to me that you were having a horrible time of it. How do you know the Spirit was there?”
“Because He gave us the joy of laughter.”
Larry let out a laugh. “Yeah. We just started laughing. The clerk practically tossed us out, but we went laughing and he just got angrier.”
Faye shrugged. “And so, here we are now. We thank you so much for getting our groceries for us.”
“We can do even better than that,” Chase told them. “By the way, I’m Peter Chase and this is my brother in Christ, James Dell.”
Dell waved. “Hi.”
Larry nodded. “Nice to meet you. I’m Larry Yeomans and this lovely lady is my bride, Faye.”
Chase smiled. “Listen, why don’t you follow us? We have a shelter about twenty miles or so from here and I’m sure we can find a place for you there. We have a gathering of believers there already, but I don’t believe the Lord had us meet just to give you groceries.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Faye replied gratefully.
Yeomans held his hand out the window and shook hands with Chase. “God bless you, brother. You’re an answer to prayer.”
Chase and Dell loaded the groceries into the van and returned to their own truck. They got back onto the road with the Yeomans following their little convoy back to the shelter.
Saint was in the shelter inside the pantry where Donna had shown him a place the lockbox could be hid. In the corner behind a shelf was a hidden space big enough to put the lockbox. All he had to do was move two large jars of pickles and two large jars of banana pepper rings. He set the money in the space, replaced the cover, and began to place the jars back where they were.
“John,” said a voice from in the doorway of the pantry, “what are you doing?”
Saint turned his head and looked at Morris. He wondered how long the man had been standing there in the doorway. “Making room for more supplies when the others get back from their trip into town,” he replied casually. It wasn’t exactly a lie because he had intended to do just that after he hid the money they received from Amber. “Why? What’s up, Tony?”
Morris regarded him for a minute. He glanced down at the jars of pickles and banana pepper rings. Finally, he leaned against the doorframe and let out a sigh of frustration. “I’ve got a problem with David King.”
“What kind of a problem?”
“I don’t believe he’s been exactly honest with us. I’m just finding out about his past and, you’ll have to excuse me, but I think it’s a little too far fetched to say he’s completely turned his back on the Muslim way of life.”
Saint paused to consider his response carefully. “Things change, Tony.”
Morris looked doubtful. “How does a terrorist who goes around killing Americans change? That man has killed many Americans. He’s been a part of a number of attacks on our country and on Israel. Are you seriously telling me that he suddenly got a conscious and asked God to cleanse his soul?”
"‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. 1’"
Morris frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that God saves all men who come to Him. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2’ David understood the message and he willingly came to God for repentance. God offered him salvation, just as He freely offers it to everyone, but no one will receive it unless they take it.”
Morris shook his head. “John, you don’t even know this guy. I mean, come on! You and I have been friends for years. We’ve gone to High School together. You and I know everyone in this shelter who came with us from Willow Creek. We don’t know Donna Perkins, or Amber, or Pa very well, because we just recently met them. You don’t know David King well either.”
“Are you telling me that Donna, Amber, and Pa are also terrorists?”
“No. I’m saying we don’t know David King well enough to tell if he’s telling us the truth or not about his conversion! Do you even know his real name?” Morris didn’t give him a chance to respond. “It’s Darwyn Musad.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because Jim told me.”
Saint paused, nodding his head. “I see. Well, Tony, let me ask you a question. How well do we know this Jim guy?”
Morris let out a sigh, but he didn’t answer.
“We don’t know anything about him,” Saint pointed out. “And what we do know isn’t much to tell us whether he can be trusted or not.” He used his fore finger to count off on the fingers of his right hand. “First, he was hiding in the back seat of Pa’s Lexus when Pa found him. What was he doing in the back seat? Why was he hiding? Second, when asked about his name, all he tells us is that his name is Jim. What is his last name? Third, since he’s been here, he’s been hiding up in the hayloft in the barn. Why? Why won’t he come down and join us? Why won’t he be a part of our community? And why is he so freely pointing out David’s past and not telling us about his own.”
Morris listened, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.
Saint shrugged. “Jim seems to be the kind of guy who likes to start fires by getting others to do the dirty work for him. He’s telling you what you want to hear. You’re angry about our country being attacked. You want to react. You want a chance to lash out at something…or someone. Now Jim comes along, and he says, ‘Tony, let me tell you about the real David King.’ The next thing you know, people are looking at David funny. They’re talking in hushed whispers that stop whenever David or even when I look their way. So ask yourself, Tony, who are you going to listen to? Jim? David? Or should you just allow God to lead you in the direction He wants to take you>” He shrugged. “It’s your call.”
Silence descended upon them.
After a moment, Morris let out a sigh. “Well, when you say it like that…I guess I have to think about this before I do anything rash.”
“Or stupid,” Saint replied with a wry grin.
Morris nodded. “Yeah. Okay, I’ll give you that. But just look me in the eye and tell me this guy is solid. That he isn’t pulling a fast one on us. Is David King the real deal?”
“He’s as real as you or I am. I’ve accepted Christ. Have you?”
“Yes, I have.”
“David has, too. He’s the real deal. I’ve seen him in action, Tony, and I can tell you that God definitely has His hand on him. He’s leading him just as He’s leading us. You just have to stop listening to the lies of the Devil and lean not toward your own understanding. Trust in God.”
Morris paused. “But the things he’s done…”
“They’re in the past.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Saint clapped him on the shoulder. “Tony, forgiveness is something that God really wants us to grasp because without it, all of the baggage that we keep hanging onto keeps coming back up to the surface. When it does, it hinders us from doing His will. So forgiveness is a two-fold condition that God requires of us. We are to forgive the trespasses of our brothers and sisters, and we are to forget those trespasses. If we can’t do that, the Devil wins. The flesh warring with our spirit wins. The world wins.”
Morris nodded. “John, you’re right. I’m going to make it right with David. I guess I’ve been letting myself get worked up for nothing.”
“Amen, brother. That’s the right attitude.” He clapped him again. “Why don’t we bring this matter to the Lord in prayer?”
Morris grinned. “Sure.”
As Saint prayed, Morris purposed in his heart to seek King out and apologize to him.
“Why am I needed in Allentown?” Staci asked as she peered out the window of the Huey at the ground moving below them. “I’m not an agent like you. I don’t have any experience.”
Lenox grinned at her. “Yeah? Well, for someone who doesn’t have field experience, you do get yourself tangled in situations with Justice, don’t you?”
She frowned. “That’s not my doing. They think I killed Ishmael Musad.”
He nodded. “Yes. I know. But other than that, you helped during the crisis in Albany.”
“I’m a doctor. It’s my calling to help people.” She hesitated. “Well…I’d still be a doctor if Dr. Manning hadn’t suspended my license.”
“You’re a doctor whether you have a license or not. If your talents are needed, you know Director Fuller will allow you to do what you’re skilled to do.” He paused. “Besides, I suspect there’s another reason he wants you in on this.”
“What would that be?”
“To keep you safe.”
Staci tilted her head to look over at him. “And what about you?”
He regarded her suspiciously. “What about me?”
“Well,” she hesitated, “do you want to keep me safe?”
He paused, considering his response. Finally, he said, “Yes, I do.” He looked into her eyes. He marveled that this woman was Nichole Parkhurst’s younger sister. The two didn’t look alike at all. And where he had tried to get Nichole to go out with him even though she was married and refused him every time, he found that he could not bring himself to hit on Staci. Staci was the first woman he had ever known that he wanted to protect…even from himself.
Staci also looked into his eyes. Then, she took a deep breath and made herself look away. She blushed and smiled sheepishly.
“Why are you turning red, Staci?” Lenox asked, grinning in spite of himself.
“Nothing, no reason, nope,” was her hurried response.
“Well, don’t be blushing when we get off the chopper,” he said as he looked out the window and saw their approach toward the outpost. “I wouldn’t want to give Ed Carr the wrong impression. We’ve arrived at our destination.”
The Huey began to descend for a landing.
1 - Titus 2:11
2 - II Peter 3:9
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