“We’re getting high-, mid-, and low-level formations all at the same time,” Chang said.
“They’re gorgeous.”
“Yeah, now. Wait till they start developing vertically. They can reach heights of more than seven miles and generate incredible energy.”
“How do you know all this?” she said. “All I know is computers.”
“I know everything,” Chang said.
Naomi punched him. “Hey,” she said, turning on her side and gazing at his face. “You’re going to fall asleep.”
“Not likely,” he said. “Too much happening up there. Too much to look forward to.”
CHAPTER 6
“Brother Enoch,” a Hispanic man said, “if you can concentrate, we can concentrate.”
“I don’t follow,” Enoch said, again looking through trees and windows at the edge of the mall’s courtyard to be sure the GC had not found them out.
“You seem distracted, brother. I mean, we’re all waiting for the same thing. We want to be ready. We want to be here when Jesus comes. But in the meantime we want you to teach us. You keep saying you’re no scholar, but you’ve been our pastor for years. Something’s working.”
“Yeah,” another chimed in. “I don’t feel like I’ve got a handle on what all’s happened and what’s going to happen. I know we’ll soon be with Jesus—or anyway, He’ll be with us—but I wouldn’t mind going into all this with more understanding. You got more for us?”
Enoch had to smile. “I do,” he said. “I just didn’t expect to have the time to cover it, and I certainly didn’t expect you to have the patience for it.”
“Beats waitin’ around. I can’t wait till Jesus gets here, but the clock moves slow when nothin’s happening.”
“Fair enough. I’ve got my Bible and my notes, if you’re game.”
“We’re game. But, Pastor, have you looked up lately?”
It was coming up on noon in the Midwest, and the sun was riding high. Enoch shielded his eyes. “Clouds,” he said.
“Clouds that weren’t there an hour ago. If I’m not mistaken, we woke up to blue skies.”
“Totally blue.”
“They’re not threatening clouds,” Enoch said. “I don’t expect we’ll get rained on.”
A woman laughed. “I just wanna see clouds Jesus can ride in on.”
Razor showed up on a 750cc ATV plenty big enough to accommodate Rayford if he were healthy. But he had not been sitting up long, let alone standing or bouncing along on a vehicle.
“You didn’t happen to bring any food, did you?” Rayford said.
“Sir, yes, sir,” Razor said in the maddening military formality of which Rayford had been trying to break him.
“Miz Leah here didn’t care if I starved to death.”
“Hydration was most important,” she said. “And I didn’t expect you to be stuck here this long.”
“I’m kidding, Leah. You saved my life. Now what’ve you got, Razor?”
“An energy bar, sir.”
“One of those Styrofoam jobs that tastes like cardboard?”
“One and the same.”
“Flavor?”
“Corrugated chocolate, I believe, sir.”
Kidding aside, Rayford was famished. He tore open the wrapper and took a huge bite.
“Easy there, cowboy,” Leah said. “Your system’s been traumatized.”
“Well, this ought to help,” Rayford said, following orders and slowing down. He was stalling. Climbing aboard an ATV was going to be an ordeal, but that would be the least of it. The path back to Petra, such as it was, looked like a sheer cliff from his vantage point. “It’s going to be a beautiful sunset,” he said idly.
“And probably the last one before Jesus comes,” Leah said.
Sebastian sat on the hood of a Hummer that had been idle for hours, but whose metal had only just cooled enough to allow him there. The Unity Army seemed distracted, if that characteristic could be applied to such an expansive gathering. Ever since they had advanced half a mile and stopped, they had sat staring menacingly at him and his troops.
George had decided not to antagonize them with directed energy weapons or fifty-caliber fire, and in the last half hour they had grown, well, somehow less threatening. It was as if they had lost focus. Earlier, the hundreds of thousands of mounted troops alone had seemed to act in concert to stare him down, and now he heard their squeaky saddles in the distance. They had stopped staring and had begun wheeling in their saddles, chatting with each other.
Was it possible the rumors had reached the battlefield? Did these soldiers know that they might not be spelled by reinforcements or that, even if they were, it was unlikely they would be paid on time, if at all? The grapevine was remarkably accurate, quick, and—if this proved true—resilient enough to reach across the desert sands.
Could Big Dog One take advantage of this lapse? He couldn’t imagine how. A volley of shells or DEW rays would succeed only in getting the enemy re-engaged, setting them back on course. For now, hopelessly outnumbered as he was, Sebastian liked his adversary just the way it was. If he could choose, he’d have moved them back about a mile and a half. But they couldn’t pull that off even if they wanted to, even if they were ordered to. Backing up the front lines meant backing up the rear, and coordinating that would take weeks. This was a fighting force that could go only one way, and Sebastian and his excuse for a defending force were directly in their path.
He got on the phone. “Chang, what’re you doing right this instant?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“’Course I do.”
“I’m lying on my back, watching the clouds.”
“And you’re not alone, are you?”
“Of course not,” Chang said.
“Priscilla and I are going to be apart when Jesus comes,” Sebastian said.
“You want me to send her and Beth Ann to be with you?”
“Hardly. We’ve arranged a meeting spot for when this is over.”
“I hope Captain Steele will be up to watching all this when he gets here and the time comes,” Chang said.
“Oh, he will be. Just hope the time doesn’t come before Razor gets him there.”
“As you know,” Enoch told his people, “the whole theme through my teaching of the events of the end times has been the mercy of God. To many of you this seemed inconsistent with what was prophesied and what came to pass. But as I have said, all of this, all twenty-one judgments that have come from heaven in three sets of seven, have been God’s desperate last attempts to get man’s attention. Make no mistake about it, however; the last seven judgments in particular also evidence His wrath.
“In fact, the angels who carry out these judgments are depicted as turning over and emptying out bowls or vials, so that every drop of judgment is poured out on the various targets of God’s anger. Notice the focus of these judgments:
“The first bowl was poured out on the earth in the form of horrible malignant sores on the bodies of those who had taken the mark of the beast.
“The second was poured out into the sea, turning the water to blood and killing every living thing in it.
“The third was poured into the rivers and springs so that all remaining freshwater was turned to blood. You’ll recall that this was God’s initial and partial response to the martyrs’ prayers in Revelation 6:10 that their deaths be avenged: ‘And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”’
“The fourth bowl was poured out on the sun so that it so increased in power that extraordinary heat burned men with fire. And how did those who survived respond? Revelation 16:9 tells us they ‘blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.’
“The fifth bowl was poured out on the throne of the beast. Who knows what that means?”
“New Babylon.”
“Yes! And we know t
hat mighty city was plunged into a darkness so great that it caused physical pain so severe that men and women gnawed their own tongues. And once again, what was their response? ‘They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.’
“The sixth bowl was poured out on the great river, the Euphrates, and it dried up. That allowed the leaders from the east to bring their armies to the mountains of Israel for the battle of Armageddon. Here God was clearly luring Antichrist into His trap. Joel 3:9-17 prophesies this, and though scholars disagree about when the book of Joel was written, it is generally agreed that it was more than eight hundred years before Christ:
“‘Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’”
“‘Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.’ Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great.”
“‘Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
“‘So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.’”
Enoch continued, “The seventh Bowl Judgment, the one we still await, will be poured out upon the air so that lightning and thunder and other celestial calamities announce the greatest earthquake in history. It will be so great it will cause Jerusalem to break into three pieces in preparation for changes during Christ’s millennial kingdom. It will also be accompanied by a great outpouring of hundred-pound hailstones.
“And what will the general response be from the very ones God is trying to reach and persuade? Revelation 16:21 tells us that ‘men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.’”
“And this is what’s coming next?” someone said.
“In advance of the Glorious Appearing,” Enoch said. “Yes.”
“And you believe this?”
“Without question.”
“Then what are we doing outside while the clouds gather?”
“Do you not recall that believers have been spared injury under all these judgments? I rest in that.”
“Amen!”
“Praise the Lord!”
“Come, Lord Jesus!”
“I rest in something else, beloved,” Enoch said. “One of the most beautiful and reassuring passages in Scripture is John 14:1-6, where Jesus is comforting His disciples. I believe we can take these promises for ourselves and stand secure, knowing they were made by One in whom there is no change, neither shadow of turning. Let me read them to you.
“‘Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.’
“‘Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
“‘Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”’”
Rayford noticed a lull in the activity and assumed it was because both Razor and Leah needed Abdullah’s help to load him aboard the big ATV. And Abdullah was fifteen feet or so down the rocky slope with his back to them, on the phone. When it appeared he was finished, he called someone else.
The energy bar, distasteful as it was, had its desired effect, and Rayford was ready to get going. He’d felt better in his day, but despite numerous ailments, he had a renewed sense of purpose and drive. Let’s go; let’s go! he thought, but he said nothing.
Presently Abdullah returned. “Many people worry about you, Captain,” he said. “Ree Woo for one, but especially Chaim himself. He wonders what your plans are.”
“My plans? To keep breathing. To survive the trip.”
“He is wondering if you would be up to his visit at your quarters when you arrive.”
“Of course,” Rayford said. “Know what he wants?”
“Again,” Leah said, “let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? You joke about surviving the trip, and frankly I am quite worried about that. You have no idea how you’ll feel when you arrive. You likely have a broken rib on top of everything else, maybe more than one. It’s nearly impossible to tell without an X-ray or MRI.”
“What’re you saying, Doc?”
“I’m just a nurse, but moving you the way we’re planning is just about the worst possible scenario for you right now.”
“Just about?”
“Staying here would be worse, but at least you’re stable.”
Mac gingerly climbed aboard the biggest, blackest, most powerful horse he had ever seen. It had been years, but he knew enough to plant his left foot firmly in the stirrup before swinging his right leg up and over. If anyone was looking, he might appear to have a clue.
Unfortunately, he was more concerned with mounting than he was with his dangling Uzi, and before he settled firmly in the saddle, the barrel of his weapon poked the horse in the back, just above the saddle horn at the base of the neck. The beast started and stepped about quickly, causing Mac to panic and stiffen. That made the horse rear. Mac pulled on the reins with all his weight, desperate to hang on and not be chucked off onto his head.
As the steed whinnied loudly and reared higher, spooking other horses and riders, Mac slid out of the saddle and the stirrups slackened. Mac pushed his legs straight as hard as he could, tucked his chin to his chest, and held the reins for all he was worth. That pulled the horse’s muzzle down and nearly made him topple backward. Mac was almost upside down, all his weight pulling against the horse, and he could imagine pulling the animal down atop him.
Somehow the horse balanced itself with a few well-placed steps with its back feet, then slammed down to all fours, thrusting Mac hard into the saddle and throwing him forward to where he was now hugging the horse around the neck. The animal still felt unsure beneath him, and Mac knew he had done the opposite of showing it who was in charge. If a message had been sent to the horse, it was that the rider was scared to death and hanging on for dear life.
Mac’s “superior” appeared not to have noticed. He cantered up and pointed to several soldiers, Mac included, directing them to position themselves off the flanks of Carpathia’s horse. Leave it to the potentate to have a monster creature that put the rest to shame. His horse was at least two hands taller and a hundred pounds heavier than the others. It had a spot of white between its eyes and four white feet. Its tail seemed to shoot straight up before the rest of it cascaded down in a smart flow. The mane was somehow longer and thicker as well. Mac had heard of the hound of heaven. This was the horse from hell.
It even seemed to have attitude. It snuffled loudly whenever another horse invaded its space, and it nipped and kicked to keep its place. Carpathia appeared to have been raised around horses, deftly controlling the thing with a light grip and decisive hands, knees, and feet. He rode ahead several feet and turned his horse to face the others.
“Let me remind you all,” he said, “that we are merely feet from an active battleground. The resistance currently holds the Temple Mount, aboveground, and they are capable of firing from atop the wall. Be vigilant. This is no
t a press junket or a sightseer’s safari. I am most disappointed to tell you that I have just been made aware of an insurgence within our own ranks from both the south in Egypt and below and from the northeast. Ironically, some who pledged their allegiance now call themselves ‘Revitalized Babylon’ and condescend to assert their independence. These uprisings shall be crushed posthaste. As we speak, portions of our more than extravagantly outfitted fighting force will peel off to these locations to lay waste to the pretenders. They will regret their insolence only as long as they have breath, and then they will be trampled and made an example of.
“Meanwhile, we will figuratively set out for Petra. I say figuratively, because I do not plan to waste the hours it would take to actually ride some sixty miles on horseback. The Global Community media will get what it needs as we strike out from here, leave the occupied Muslim Quarter, and head southwest through the Jewish and Armenian Quarters—both also having been easily taken by our forces—and leave the Old City through the Zion Gate. There you will transfer to ground vehicles capable of covering the distance at well over a hundred miles an hour. I will set out a few minutes later with my generals and cabinet in aircraft that will actually transport us and our horses to the area slightly in advance of your arrival.
“We have mounts similar to those you are on now waiting for you outside Petra, and you shall have the privilege of witnessing my leading our troops to victory over what shall by then be one of only two remaining enclaves of opposition to the New World Order. Smile for the cameras!”
Mac finally felt he had control of his horse, but he had no intention of following Carpathia in one of the ground vehicles. If any portion of the security detail was assigned elsewhere, Mac would find a way to join them, and then peel off to his own helicopter. He wouldn’t mind seeing what went down at Petra, though he had been taught that the actual fighting would take place twenty miles north in Buseirah, Jordan—the modern name of the city of Bozrah, ancient capital of Edom—when Messiah chased the Unity Army back toward Jerusalem.