The Left Behind Collection: All 12 Books (239 page)

“I sure can, Chaim. You didn’t believe us all this time, did you? That we could see each other’s marks, I mean.”

“Actually, I did believe you,” Chaim said. “Not all of you would have lied to me. I was so jealous.”

“No more.”

“So God knew my heart.”

“Apparently.”

“That in itself is a miracle.”

“Prepare for descent,” T hollered.

“I can’t say I’m any less scared,” Chaim said.

“I’m scared too, friend, but a lot less than I would be if I didn’t know my destination.”

Leah was tired and bored, despite being fascinated by the change in Rayford and the relationship between him and his daughter. Even with the windows open and a chilly breeze coming through, the Land Rover was cramped and oppressive.

When her phone rang and it was Ming, she was alarmed but glad for the diversion.

“I am going to get to see my parents and my brother again,” Ming said.

“That’s great. How? Where?”

“At the funeral.”

“You’re going?”

“And so are they. I called to tell them I had been assigned crowd control and they insisted on coming.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”

“Leah, I am so worried about my parents. They do not know about either Chang or me being believers. They were
such
admirers of Carpathia that they are sick with grief. I want to tell them and persuade them, but it would take a miracle.”

“It’s always a miracle, Ming. We’ll pray with you that it will happen.”

“You don’t know my father.”

“I know, but God is bigger than any of that. How are you getting to New Babylon? I heard all flights were full.”

“Military transport. I don’t know how my family found seats, except that my father has a lot of influence with the GC. His business contributes more than 20 percent of its profits to New Babylon. They are expecting another million people there tomorrow. I’m telling you, Leah, even prisoners here are mourning Carpathia.”

“When you’re there, look up David Hassid and Annie Christopher.”

“Believers?”

“Of course. Keep up the front. Pretend to argue with them. They’ll notice your mark and play along to protect you. Introduce your brother. I’ll tip them off that your parents don’t know. Hey, any more news on Hattie or on Cameron Williams’s family?”

A pause.

“You can tell me, Ming.”

“Well, it’s sort of good news and bad news.”

“Shoot.”

“The Williamses’ home burned and two bodies were discovered, identified as Cameron Williams’s father and brother.”

“And?”

“This is unconfirmed, Leah, but there is some evidence that they may have become believers.”

“That will be so helpful if Buck could know that for sure.”

“I’ll see what I can find out without being too obvious, but someone said the murders and the torching had to wait because they were at a church-type meeting.”

“Does that mean the GC knows where the church meets?”

“Likely. They know more than most believers want to think.”

“We’ve got to warn that church.”

Buck listened to T talk on the radio to the tower at Kozani. “Very low on fuel. I may make one test pass, but I’d better go for it.”

“On the downside, Super Juliet, we have no foam and no prospects to get any soon.”

“Roger that.”

“You have friends in high places, Juliet.”

“Repeat?”

“You have new equipment coming.”

“I’m not following you, tower.”

“Man named Albie. Know him?”

“Heard of him. Friend of a friend.”

“That’s what he said. He’s delivering a plane for you, assuming yours is going to need some rehab.”

“Roger. What’s he bringing?”

“No idea.”

“How’s he going to get back?”

“I believe he’s planning to do the fix on yours and take it in trade.”

“He’d better be bringing something pretty nice.”

“Just hope yours is worth trading after you scrape our runway.”

“Roger.”

Buck looked at T. “Do you believe that? Rayford had to set that up.”

“Wonder when Albie’s expected.”

Buck shook his head. “He’s got a lot longer flight than we do, and who knows where he’s getting the craft?”

“I can’t wait to see it.”

“I can’t wait to see if we survive.”

“I believe we will,” T said. “We’ll take a look at the situation, and slide her in there nice and smooth.”

“I love the confidence in your voice.”

“Must be my acting background.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Truth is, Buck, I need both of you strapped in in the very back seats. I’ll call out altitude readings. By fifty feet, you should be braced and tucked, but you can get into that position anytime after you hear one hundred feet. Got it?”

Buck nodded.

“We’re close. Get Chaim ready.”

Buck stood and was moving into the cabin when T said, “Oh, no!”

“What?”

The interior lights went dark. Battery-operated emergency lights eerily illuminated the control board.

“What’s happening?” Chaim called out. “Someone talk to me.”

“Let’s just say we won’t have to jettison fuel,” T said. “Get strapped in now, back seats, and don’t talk to me till we’re on the ground.”

“I’m ready for heaven!” Chaim said. “But tonight I prefer asphalt to gold, if you don’t mind.”

“Shut up, Doctor,” T said, and he called the tower on batteries. “Mayday, Kozani tower, this is the Super J, and we’re out of fuel, repeat, out of fuel. On battery backup, landing lights may not be fully operational.”

“Roger, Juliet,” came the response, as Buck settled in across the aisle from Chaim. “Cleared to land.”

“Roger,” T said. He started to talk to himself as he went through all the emergency procedures. He looked too busy to talk on the radio. “Let’s see here, emergency engine shutdown, then set up the best glide speed. The one gear will not come up, so forget that. Better do a partial gear-up landing checklist.”

T’s hand flew all over the panels, and Buck could see from the back through the front window that the airport boundary fence was going to be a problem.

“Approach, can you call off altitudes for Juliet?” T said to approach control, also on tower frequency.

“No problem, Juliet, one thousand and holding below glide path.”

T worried out loud how he was going to control the plane on the ground with only one gear. “Nine hundred . . . eight hundred . . . seven . . . six . . . five-fifty.” He concentrated on keeping the best possible glide airspeed, in a desperate attempt to make the field.

“Runways are clear, emergency teams in place, Juliet,” the tower reported. “Four hundred . . . below glide path . . . looks like you will land short . . . watch out for the boundary fence, Juliet.”

“Roger,” T said. “Three hundred . . . two . . .”

Tsion stood and stretched and checked on Kenny. He felt as if he’d been out for hours, yet he was as weary as when he nodded off. While he was determined not to miss anything in New Babylon, he knew he needed sleep. He sat back down and settled in, hoping, praying he would again be transported to the very portals of heaven. He didn’t know what to call what had happened to him or how to assess it, but it had been the privilege of a lifetime. He was left with so many questions and so much more to come. But before he slept he again felt compelled to pray for his brothers and sisters on the front lines.

David headed for his quarters, phoning Guy on the way. “I’d like to see the positioning of the statue when you’re ready.”

“Now?”

“I say, when you’re ready. The regular schedule will be fine.”

“You’re asking permission?”

“I’m just saying I’d like to watch. There a problem with that?”

“I don’t need my hand held.”

“Believe me, Guy, I don’t want to hold your hand.”

“Protocol demands that you not refer to me by my first name.”

“Sorry, Blood.”

“It’s Blod, and my last name isn’t appropriate either!”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s that bad.”

“Ooh! My title is Minister!”

“Sorry, Reverend Minister. But your supreme commander and mine wants a liaison from administration present when you move naked boy into position.”

“How rude and tacky.”

“That’s sort of what I thought, but I’m surprised you agree.”

“David!”

“Ah, Director Hassid to you, Minister Blood. Anyway, he chose me, so don’t leave home without me.”

“David!
I
am a minister, therefore
I
qualify as a liaison from administration. You just stay in bed until you can be civil.”

“Sorry, Minnie, but I have a direct order. If you want to contest it, you may take it up with him.”

“Just wait till he hears what you called the potentate.”

“Oh, if you tell him that, please clarify that I was referring to your statue. And you might add that you yourself admitted it was—what did you say?—rude and tacky.”

“Five a.m., Hayseed, and we’re not waiting for you.”

“Oh, good. I’d hate to miss that. Have a nice day.”

Buck knew he should have his head buried, as Chaim did, but he was too curious. He leaned out into the aisle where he could see through the cockpit. The plane was too steeply nose down, and clearly T was going to try one last maneuver to somehow clear the south fence, which preceded about a hundred yards of grass and then the runway. It struck Buck that most of the tire marks on the runway were at least a quarter mile from the edge of the pavement and only a couple of others showed nearer, none of them really close to the grass. He would not bet T could get the Super J over the fence, let alone into the grass, forget the runway proper.

“Your landing gear is down, Juliet! Repeat, down! Full gear down on right, partial assemblage on left! Good luck!”

“We don’t do luck!” Buck shouted, as the fence disappeared from view. “God, do your thing through T!”

“Roger!” T shouted as he yanked on the stick; the plane bucked ever so slightly, clearing the fence, then swept tail first onto the grass.

The impact slammed Buck so deep into his seat that he felt it in every fiber of his being. Chaim had let out a terrific grunt on impact, and it seemed his face was near his shoes. Buck wished he’d been in the same position, because he felt soft tissue give way from his tailbone to his neck, and he was sure both shoulders had nearly been torn from their sockets. He felt it in his feet, ankles, and knees, and the plane was still nose up as the rear tore through the sod.

That meant at least one more impact was to come, but Buck couldn’t imagine they would feel it in the back, at least not the way they felt the first one.

The angle and speed T had brought the plane in on somehow carried the craft all the way to the runway on its tail. When the tail hit the edge of the runway, the nose slammed down in a shower of sparks so fast that the front half of the fuselage tore away from the back and the two huge pieces of airplane went sliding and scraping, spinning in opposite directions.