

Redemption

The Armoire Series - Book Two

Ione Joy

Copyright © 2019 Ione Joy

All rights reserved

www.ionejoy.com

# CHAPTER 1

Nicole leaned against the headboard, shaking. "Yours? The feather is yours?"

"Yes, Nicole."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know much about you. Your mother and I are acquainted."

"My mom? How do you know her?"

"The Father sent me on a mission to help show Maxine her purpose in life."

"The Father? You mean, God?"

"Yes."

"OK," she said, confused. "Then why are you appearing to me?"

"It was at your mother's request."

"What? Why?"

"Maxine was given the opportunity to glance into the future and see what was to come of the world after the Rapture. One of the things she was shown........was you."

"She knew I'd be left behind? She knew and didn't tell me?"

"She did everything she could to prevent it. If she would have told you, would you have believed her?"

Nicole glared at Abia for a moment, and then looked away. "No."

"She asked me to be available to you during this time."

Nicole's eyes slowly drifted back toward him. "In the.......tribulation period?"

"Yes."

Her eyes filled with tears. "I remember hearing about it in church and how awful it'll be, especially for those that become Christians."

"There has never been a time like it, nor will there ever be another."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"As much as I'd like to tell you no......it is a possibility."

Nicole closed her eyes and shook her head. "Well, I won't renounce God, again. No matter what. And if it means death, then that's what it means!"

Abia smiled. "Nicole, you remind me a lot of your mother."

Nicole grabbed the necklace around her neck and squeezed her mother's ring in her hand. "I wish I could go back and do things differently. I gave Mom and Dad such a hard time." She lowered her head. "That wasn't even me. I don't know why I did it." Then she sat forward and looked at Abia. "Can the devil really make us do things?"

"He can certainly influence, but the steps you take are ultimately up to you."

She hung her head. "So, what happens now? What am I supposed to do? Everyone I loved is gone. I have nothing."

"Nicole, the time remaining is very brief and much will happen during it. What do you believe is of the utmost importance right now?"

"To make things right with God."

Abia smiled and nodded. "That should be what's most important to everyone, but unfortunately, it is not."

"Maybe they just need some guidance."

"Indeed, Nicole, they do."

"I can help them!"

"You most certainly can."

"But, how will I get them to listen to me? Have you seen it outside? It's chaos! People are robbing houses; guns are being fired. I have a feeling they won't want to hear it."

"This is an age-old problem, Nicole. Some have hardened hearts and refuse to heed God's Word. For those, you can pray. But many others have softened hearts, who are desperate for hope."

"Yeah," she nodded, and her eyes were pulled towards Abia's sparkling wings. "What's your name?"

"Abia."

"Abia. Unusual, but pretty cool."

"Thank you, Nicole. I like your name, as well."

"It's common."

"Yet it comes with such powerful meaning."

"What do you mean?"

"Your name means victory of the people."

"Wow. I never knew that."

Abia smiled. "Everything has a purpose."

Nicole's brow crinkled, slightly. "Yeah." After a moment, she asked, "So, my family, they're all in heaven?"

"They are."

"And......my baby?"

"She's there, too. She spends a lot of time with your mother."

Nicole cried and laughed at the same time. "She does?"

"Yes. She's very happy."

"Good," Nicole said, wiping her eyes. "I'd rather her be there than here right now. It won't be any place for a child."

Abia clenched his jaw and looked down.

"So, I can call on you when I need to by picking up your feather?"

He nodded.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure, Nicole. May God be with you on this journey."

Then he was gone. Nicole sat on the bed for a while, gazing at the feather and running her fingers over it. Eventually, she locked it back up in the armoire and strung the key on her necklace. She took a deep breath, then laid her forehead against the armoire.

A moment later, she walked back to her room and leaned against the doorway. There was a crib in the corner with bags of baby clothes in it. She opened a bag and held up a onesie that had "Mama's Little Angel" on it.

"Literally," she said, as her eyes filled with tears. She let out a deep breath. "I wish I got to know you first, hold you, feed you, play with you. Got the chance to be your momma."

BLAM! BLAM! Nicole jumped from the sound of gunshots from outside. She ran to each room, turning out the lights and making sure all of the windows and doors were locked. That night, she took a flashlight and a kitchen knife with her to the master room. She slid open the walk-in closet door, made a bed on the floor, then closed the door behind her. She turned on the flashlight and laid it on the floor. She put the knife under her pillow, then laid down and pulled the covers up over her. As she stared at the back of the door, her tears began to fall. It escalated to crying so hard she could barely breathe, to tapering off to a whimper, and then back, again. It went on for three hours. Finally, she cried herself to sleep.

BAM! BAM! Nicole sat straight up. BAM! BAM! She slowly opened the closet and grabbed the knife from under her pillow. It was barely daybreak. She slinked to the doorway and looked the hall. Seeing no one, she tiptoed down it to find where the noise was coming from. BAM! "The front door," she whispered. She looked out the peephole and saw a man wearing a hooded, black sweatshirt, trying to pry the door open with a crowbar, then ramming his body into the door.

"I've got a gun!" she yelled.

The man stopped. After a moment, he turned around and walked to an old, blue Chevy Malibu parked across the street. When he got to his car, he turned back to look at the house. As he stood there glaring at it, Nicole's breathing became more rapid. Finally, he got into his car and drove away.

"He'll be coming back," Nicole whispered. She put her hands on the door to support herself, as she tried to calm down. "Do we have a gun?"

Next, she went looking around the house for something better to defend herself with. Not having any luck, she decided to check in the attic. She pulled the string to the attic opening in the hallway ceiling and let down the ladder. She headed up it, carrying the flashlight with her. When she climbed in, she saw something long and black a few feet away. Careful to crawl on the beams, she made her way over to it. "A pellet rifle?" she said. A box of pellets was sitting next to it. "OK, this will do." She grabbed the rifle and pellets and headed back down. Then she sat on the living room floor and loaded the rifle. Trying to relax, Nicole went to kitchen to make some coffee and get a bite to eat. She flipped on the TV.

"The Secretary General of the United Nations has gone missing," the newscaster reported. "The U.N., assuming he vanished with countless others, is scrambling to find a replacement. Secretariat, Frederick Lindholm of Germany, addresses the cabinet."

"Fellow leaders, friends, this is a very difficult time for us and for the world. Things we cannot yet fully explain have happened, and the world is looking to its leadership for guidance. I vow to find out what occurred. But more importantly, we must remain focused, steadfast in our resolve to bring peace from the chaos and to assure the people they are safe. I, Frederick Lindholm, will do everything in my power to make sure our way of life is not just preserved, but bettered. I see a future where we all come together as one: one mindset, one government body, one set of laws, one nation. Imagine what we can accomplish if we all come together, working side by side with each other. This is my dream for us: a better world, a better future. Let us choose today what is best not only for us, but for generations to come. Let us choose........strength."

The cabinet all stood in applause.

"Compelling speech by the Secretariat," the newscaster said. "The U.N. will be looking for a new Secretary General. I don't know about you, but I think Frederick Lindholm will fit the bill. Sarah, back to you."

Nicole sat silently at the kitchen table, staring at the TV. "For when they shall say peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them," she whispered. She sat back and pushed her cereal bowl away from her. "It's starting already."

After a few days, things had calmed some outside. Nicole went to the kitchen and opened the cupboards. She let out a sigh. "I'm running out of food." She walked over to the window and looked out. It was early evening. "Maybe I can run to the mini mart real quick and get back before dark." She grabbed her dad's wallet and car keys, then headed out.

When she pulled up to the store, she gasped. The glass doors and windows had been busted out, and the inside was trashed. She slowly got out of her car and proceeded inside with caution. She stepped over piles of glass and damaged packaged goods all over the floor. She looked over at the register, but no one was there. "OK, I guess this stuff is free today," she said. The lights in the store were blinking on and off. Nicole took a deep breath and started down an aisle. There wasn't a lot left on the shelves, but enough to get her by. She began grabbing items, holding as much as she could. Then she heard a clang. Her head whipped around. "Who's there?" she said. She heard it, again. Nicole was frozen with fear. She began to hear glass being stepped on and crushed. "I'm armed!" she yelled, even though she wasn't. Then a head peeked around the corner. "Who are you?" Nicole asked.

"Nicole?" a soft voice said.

"Yeah?"

"It's me, Beth," she said, as she stepped into the aisle.

"Oh, my gosh. Beth!" Nicole said, relieved. "I'm so glad it's you."

Beth ran up to Nicole and hugged her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah," Beth said, as she let her go. "I'm OK, I guess. How about you?"

"I'm surviving."

"Did you lose anyone last week?"

"Yeah, my whole family, including...." Nicole placed her hand on her stomach.

Beth put her hand up over her mouth. "You mean you had a miscarriage?"

"No. When I woke up that morning, she was just gone."

Beth's eyes filled with tears. "But how.... I'm so sorry, Nicole. I'm sorry for a lot of things."

Nicole smiled at her. "It's OK, Beth. I figured Jeff had a hand in it."

Beth nodded. "I shouldn't have listened to him, though."

"How about you? Did you lose anyone?"

"My little brother. My parents went looking for him and haven't come back yet. I'm worried."

Nicole put her hand on Beth's shoulder to comfort her.

"What do you think happened, Nick?"

"The Rapture."

"Huh?"

"I know you didn't go to church much, but it was Jesus. He came back and gathered up all those who asked Him into their hearts and didn't stray from Him, along with all children.......and took them home, just like the Bible said He would."

"Home?"

Nicole looked up.

Beth shook her head. "You think that's what really happened?"

"I know it is."

"You knew? If you knew, why are you still here?"

"I strayed, Beth," Nicole said, getting choked up. "And I've regretted it every day since."

Beth hugged Nicole, again. "Well, I don't know what to believe, but I'd like a second chance at being a friend. Is that alright with you?"

Nicole squeezed her back. "That would be great."

# CHAPTER 2

Nicole and Beth headed back to Nicole's house. When they pulled up, the front door was open.

"Wait," Nicole said. "Someone broke in." Nicole looked down the street and saw that man's car from the other night.

"What should we do?" Beth asked.

After a moment, Nicole replied, "There's something I have to get in there."

"Are you crazy? He's probably armed."

"There's something in there I can't risk losing."

"What?"

Nicole looked at Beth, then turned back toward the house. "I'll be right back." Nicole got out and quietly closed the car door. She stepped inside the dark foyer and peeked around the corner, down the hallway.

BAM, she heard coming from the master bedroom. BAM. She pulled her head back and leaned up against the open front door. BAM, thump. The banging stopped. She waited a moment, then started down the hall. On the master bedroom floor, in front of the armoire, laid the man who tried to break in before, motionless, with blood on his forehead. The chair was on its side with blood on the corner of its wooden seat. "Chair bounced back to bite you, didn't it," Nicole whispered. "That'll teach you to try and break into this armoire." She walked over to the armoire and felt around on the swing doors. "Not even a dent," she said. "That feather is powerful." She started to pull her necklace up out of her shirt to get the key, but the man started moving.

"Nicole!" Beth whispered loudly from the foyer. "Are you alright?"

Nicole looked down at the man. He sat up on his elbow and touched his hand to his head. Before he came completely to, Nicole ran out of the room and down the hall.

"We gotta go," Nicole said, as she grabbed Beth's arm and pulled her outside. They got in the car and left.

"What happened?" Beth asked. "Was someone there?"

"Yeah, he was passed out on my parents' bedroom floor. Then he started coming to."

"Did you get what you went in for?"

"No."

"What was it that you wanted?"

Nicole hesitated to answer.

"Well?"

"Just......something irreplaceable. I have to try, again, tomorrow. Maybe he'll be gone. Can we stay at your house tonight?"

"Sure."

The next morning, Nicole got up early and put some coffee on. The noises from the kitchen woke Beth.

"Morning," Beth said, as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a coffee cup.

Nicole sat down at the kitchen table with her coffee and toast. "Morning, Beth."

"Are we heading back to your house this morning?"

"We?"

"Yeah, you and me."

Nicole laughed. "I know who we is, it's just......you don't have to come with me. It might be dangerous."

"Well, you might need some help."

Nicole smiled. "OK, then."

They finished their breakfast and headed over to Nicole's house. The man's car was gone. They got out and walked to the front door, which was left ajar. Nicole peeked inside.

"Come on, we've got to hurry."

First, Nicole went into her room, got a duffel bag out of the closet, and started packing some clothes. She grabbed one of the baby's onesies and put it in, then swung the bag over her shoulder. Next, she went to the master bedroom and locked the door. She took the key on her necklace and went to insert it into the lock.

"Nicole!" Beth screamed.

Nicole ran to the kitchen. The man had come back and was holding Beth's arms behind her. He had a snake tattoo running up his neck onto the side of his pale face. His short, blond hair looked like it hadn't been washed in days.

"What are you doing back? This is my house now," he said.

From the corner of her eye, Nicole spotted the pellet rifle lying on the living room floor. She dropped her duffel bag, ran and picked up the rifle, then pointed it at him.

"Let her go," Nicole said, the rifle shaking in her arm.

"Or what? You're gonna shoot me with a pellet rifle?" Then he threw Beth to the ground and began walking toward Nicole.

"Stop!" she yelled. He kept coming. "I said stop!" she yelled, again, as she turned her head and fired.

"Aaaaahhhh!" he screamed, his hands grabbing his side. Then he fell on his knees, and his shirt began to turn red.

Stunned, Beth jumped up and grabbed Nicole by the arm. "Let's go!" she said.

Nicole dropped the rifle and grabbed her duffel bag on the way out. They got in Nicole's car and sped off.

"Oh, my gosh," Beth said, breathless.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm OK. I'll probably have a couple of bruises, but I'm OK."

"Good," said Nicole, pressing harder on the gas pedal.

Beth put her hand on the steering wheel. "Nick, you can slow down now. We're clear."

Nicole shook her head, trying to recompose herself, then slowly eased up on the gas. "You're right."

"I didn't think you'd actually shoot that guy."

"Well, it's just a pellet rifle. I didn't expect it to penetrate the skin."

"Do you think he's gonna die?"

"No, it was too far to the side to hit anything important. It's just a flesh wound."

"Did you get what you went in for?"

"No." Nicole gripped the steering wheel harder.

"Well, I don't think you're going to be able to get it back now."

Nicole kept her eyes forward, clenching her jaw. "I need to find a way."

SCREEEECH. Nicole looked in the rearview mirror and saw a blue car.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," said Nicole.

Beth whipped her head back to look. "Is that him?"

"I think so."

The car got close fast. Nicole mashed in on the gas pedal.

WHAM.

"Oh, my gosh!" Beth yelled. "That guy just rear-ended us."

Nicole sped up to get to the next street, then slammed on the breaks and turned down it. The man couldn't stop his car in time to turn. Nicole quickly turned down off on another street to lose him.

"Can you see him?" Nicole asked.

"No, I think you lost him."

They both took a deep breath, trying to relax. They come up on the next intersection, and there he sat at the stoplight.

"Oh, no," Nicole said.

He pointed at them, then ran his finger across his throat. Nicole slammed the car into reverse and hit the gas. The man blew the red light and went after them.

"Uh, Nicole," Beth said.

"I know."

"He's gaining on us!"

"I know."

They came up on another intersection, and the light was red. Nicole kept the pedal to the floor. Beth put her hands over her face. BEEP, BEEP. Other drivers had to slam on their breaks.

"Sorry!" Nicole yelled.

As the man went to chase them through the red light, he wasn't so lucky. WHAM. Another car plowed into the side of his. The car's rear end spun around and was facing the opposite direction. The man was dazed.

"What happened?" Nicole asked, as she slowed down and backed into another side street.

"Somebody hit him."

"Is he coming?"

"I don't think his car will be going anywhere like that."

Nicole let out a huge breath. Her hands were shaking on the steering wheel.

"Wow," Beth said. "That was some driving. I didn't know you had that in you."

Nicole looked at Beth, exhausted. "Well, never been chased down by a lunatic before. First time for everything."

Beth laughed, then Nicole started to giggle.

"OK, let's get outta here," Nicole said.

# CHAPTER 3

As they headed back to Beth's house, they drove by the community center that Nicole's uncle, Steve, used to run. The parking lot was packed. Nicole stopped in front of the building.

"Whoa, look at how many people are here," said Nicole.

"They're taking in people that were affected by all the vanishings, that either have no one left or don't feel safe."

"Wow. That's really nice of them," Nicole said, then she put her hand on Beth's. "Let's go in to see if we can help."

"Oh. Um, OK."

They found a place to park and went inside. It was full. People filled the bleachers and the floor. Desperation and fear could be seen on the face of many. Nicole looked around for someone who worked there.

"Excuse me," she said to a woman who was handing out water bottles.

"Yes," she replied.

"We were wondering if you could use some help."

The woman's eyes opened wide, as she tucked her salt and pepper hair behind her ears. "Why, yes, we could use some help."

"Great. What can we do?"

"Well, you could continue passing these out. I'll go in the back and bring out more."

Nicole smiled, happy to assist. Beth looked around.

"Hey, there's Jeff!" she said. He was sitting by himself, with his elbows resting on his knees, looking down at the floor. "Jeff!" Beth yelled, waving her arm up in the air. He looked up and half smiled. Then he got up and began walking towards them.

Nicole grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?"

"Well, he looks so alone."

"I don't want to talk to him."

"Come on, Nicole. It looks like he lost his family."

Nicole sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"Hey, guys," Jeff said, as he approached them.

"Hey," Beth said.

Nicole looked away.

"Hey, Nick," Jeff said, softly.

"Jeff," Nicole muttered.

Jeff's eyes grew big. "Nick, you had the baby?"

Nicole looked at him. "No."

"You lost it?"

"I didn't have a miscarriage, if that's what you mean."

"Then what......"

"When I woke up that day that everybody disappeared, she was gone, too, OK?" she snapped.

"Oh," Jeff said, looking confused. "Well......I'm sorry."

"Are you?" Nicole sneered.

Jeff went to put his hand on her arm, but Nicole jerked it back. "Don't touch me, Jeff. You'll never touch me, again."

"OK, I get it," he said, putting both hands in the air. "For what it's worth, though, I am sorry."

Nicole took a deep breath and nodded at him.

"Sooooo, are you here with anyone," Beth asked, trying to break the tension.

"Uh, no. My mom and sister disappeared."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Beth said, stroking Jeff's arm.

Nicole cringed.

"Yeah, I don't know where to go or what to do. Haven't seen the old man in years. I don't even know where he lives anymore. I didn't want to be alone, and I heard this place was taking in people, so....here I am, for now. What do you guys think happened? Do you think it was aliens, or something?"

Beth looked at Nicole, then Jeff did.

Nicole hesitated, knowing Jeff wouldn't believe her. "Well, actually......I do."

"What?" he asked.

"It was the Rapture."

Jeff shook his head and looked down. "My mom believed in that stuff, but I'm not buying it."

"Was she a Christian?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah."

"And your sister, was she?

"Yeah."

"Who else do you know that disappeared? Were they all Christians?"

Jeff thought for a moment, then responded. "Well, yeah."

"So was my family."

"You really think that's what happened?"

"I know it's what happened."

"Well, maybe," Jeff said, unsure. "But what are we supposed to do now?"

"I know what I'm going to do," Nicole said. "Be the person I should have been before, and.....try to survive."

"What do you mean, try to survive? Survive what?" Beth asked.

Nicole looked down, knowing she said too much.

Jeff raised his eyebrows at her. "Well?"

Nicole took a deep breath. "Beth, I gotta get back to passing these bottles out."

"Wait," Jeff said. "Where are you guys staying at?"

"My place," said Beth.

"Well, can I come with you guys? I don't know anyone here, and......I don't want to be alone."

"It's fine with me." Beth looked at Nicole. "Nicole? You?"

Nicole looked up at the ceiling in frustration. "Fine. But when we're done here, OK?"

"OK."

Jeff went and sat down. Beth helped Nicole pass out water bottles for a few minutes, then went and sat down by Jeff. Beth sat close to him, hanging on every word he said. Nicole rolled her eyes and continued assisting where she could. Then, a bit later, all three of them headed out and went back to Beth's house. When they got there, Jeff immediately went to the kitchen cupboards and started looking for something to eat. Nicole plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.

"Tensions between the nations is at an all-time high," the newscaster announced. "The president is urging citizens to begin storing away food and supplies in the event of a nuclear war. In a moment, on the screen, we'll be listing bunkers that are taking people in."

Nicole leaned forward. Beth and Jeff stopped what they were doing and looked at the TV.

"But right now, we're joining an emergency meeting of the U.N. in progress. Frederick Lindholm addresses the cabinet."

Frederick stood at the podium, looking down at his notes. Silence swept through the room. He looked up, took a deep breath, and slowly leaned in toward the microphone. "Fellow leaders, we are heading into a time, I fear, unlike any other we've seen. We're being forced into a resolution that will lead to catastrophic proportions. If only we could work together, work toward a common goal, be of one mind, all of this could be avoided. But such is man, at times, unable to see past our own agenda and do what is right for peace. I hope, if we are able to avoid this terrible outcome, or if we are not, then for the survivors, that we are finally able to bond together as brothers and sisters of humanity with a common cause. Then we will never know this kind of tragedy, again." Frederick cleared his throat and shook his head. "Sometimes we have to learn by lesson. Unfortunately, I believe this is one of those times." He looked into the camera, then turned and stepped down from the podium.

"There you have it," the newscaster said. "It does not sound like negotiations are going well. As promised, here are a list of bunkers in the U.S. People are already beginning to fill them up. I suggest you not wait if you want a spot for you and your family."

All three of them remained quiet for a moment, continuing to stare at the TV.

"We need to look into those bunkers," Jeff said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started typing.

Nicole and Beth looked at each other. Beth put her hands up over her mouth, as her eyes welled up with tears.

"I'm so scared," she said to Nicole.

"It's going to be OK, Beth. Let's start getting your things together." Nicole walked over to Beth and put her arm around her. "Come on."

As the girls were packing Beth's bag, Jeff walked in.

"There's a bunker in Utah with some room."

"Wow, that's a long way away," Nicole said.

"I know, but what choice do we have? The closer ones are full."

Beth wiped her eyes. "OK. Let's go, then."

Jeff went back to the kitchen.

"Beth," Nicole said. "What about your parents? Is there any way you can get a hold of them? What if they come back looking for you?"

Beth continued packing, while sniffing and wiping her nose. "I've tried to call them. It goes right to voice mail. I'm beginning to think.... I don't think I'll be seeing them, again."

They finished packing in silence. They gathered up the remaining food in the kitchen cupboards, then loaded everything up in Beth's SUV. Jeff offered to drive.

"Drive by my house first, OK?" Nicole said, from the back seat.

"OK."

As they pulled up to Nicole's house, she sat forward in her seat. The blue car, smashed in on the rear passenger side, was sitting in the driveway.

"Never mind," Nicole said, and sat back disappointed.

"Who is that?" Jeff asked.

"Someone in the way," Nicole responded.

Jeff looked at Beth. She subtly shook her head and looked away. Jeff continued down the street, and they set out for Utah.

# CHAPTER 4

After two days of driving, only stopping for bathroom breaks and to sleep in the car at rest stops, they arrived at the bunker in Utah. Hundreds of cars were parked around it. The bunker door was in the side of a mountain. It had an arched, concrete doorway with a heavy, steel door.

"Well, this is it," Jeff said.

"There's an awful lot of people here," said Nicole. "I wonder if they'll have room for us."

"The guy on the phone said he'd hold three spots."

They got out of the car and grabbed their things. They walked up to the door, and Jeff banged on it with his fist. There was no response. He banged on it harder. Still, nothing. Beth looked down at the ground and found a sign lying upside down. She picked up and it read, "Bunker full."

She looked at Jeff and Nicole with fear in her eyes. "What are we gonna do now?"

Jeff clenched his jaw and began kicking the door as hard as he could. "Hey! Let us in! You said there was room for us!" He continued kicking and yelling for several minutes. Nicole put her hand on his arm. He stopped and looked at her, breathing heavily.

"Jeff, stop," she said, softly.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "What are we going to do now?"

"I'm hungry," Nicole said, "and we're almost out of food. Let's go get lunch and come up with a plan."

Beth nodded; her eyes filled with tears. Nicole walked over and hugged her.

"It's gonna be OK, Beth. We'll be OK."

Beth latched onto her and buried her head in Nicole's shoulder.

"She's right, Beth," said Jeff. "We'll be fine. There's got to be plenty of other shelters around these mountains. Let's go get a bite and see where to try next."

"OK," Beth said, sniffing and wiping her face.

They all got back in the car and drove to the next small town. They found a diner and stopped to eat. They sat in a booth next to the window. A fit, older gentleman was sitting alone in the booth next to them, sipping his black coffee and reading a newspaper, waiting for his steaming tomato soup to cool. He ran his hand over his short, silver hair, then scratched his tan, wrinkled arm.

"We only have a couple of credit cards between us," Nicole said. "Let's try to make them last."

They all ordered grilled cheese sandwiches and water. The man in the next booth took notice of their order and looked up at them while sipping his coffee.

"OK, so where's the next closest bunker?" Nicole asked Jeff.

"Well," Jeff said, searching on his phone, "there's another one a couple hours north of here."

"That one's full," said the man in the next booth.

Jeff looked up at him, and Nicole and Beth turned around.

"What?" Beth said to him.

"That one's full. So are all the others this side of the country."

Nicole's chest sank, and she looked at Jeff. Jeff looked back down at his phone and kept searching.

"Wasting your time there, son," he said to Jeff. "If you don't live near one, you'll never make it in time to get to another that'll let you in."

"Well, what are we going to do?" Beth panicked, grabbing Nicole's arm.

The man looked at them, then looked back down at the newspaper, and took another sip of his coffee. "I'm not advertising it," he said quietly, "but my home has a built-in bunker. You three are welcome to stay there for a while, if you like."

"Really?" Nicole said.

"Why not? I could use some company. It's just me and Jerry."

"Wow, thank you so much," Nicole said. "I'm Nicole." She sat up on her knees and stretched her arm over the booth to shake his hand.

"I'm Roger," he responded, shaking hers.

"And this is Beth and Jeff."

They both said hi, and Roger nodded. About that time, the waitress brought them their grilled cheese sandwiches and water. They ate fast, not wanting Roger to leave without them. Roger took his time, slurping his tomato soup from the spoon. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth with the napkin, laid some money on the table, and stood up.

"Well, kids, ready to go?"

"Ready, Roger," Nicole said.

They all went outside and got in their cars, then they followed him to his house. He lived in a remote area; only a dirt road led to it. It was surrounded by beautiful, tall trees, had a pond in front, and mountains were nearby. His home was a quaint log cabin. They parked in front of the house and got out of their car. A black lab came running out from behind the house and headed toward Roger. He bent down and greeted him, as the dog put his paws on Roger's shoulders, rapidly licking his face.

"OK, OK. There boy," Roger said, as he tried to stand back up. "This is Jerry."

Jerry ran over to Nicole and licked her hand. "Hey there, Jerry," she said, petting his head.

Then he ran to Jeff. Jeff jerked his hand up and looked at Jerry with disgust.

Nicole's eyebrows crinkled, and she whispered to Beth, "What did I ever see in him?"

Beth acted like she thought it was funny, but then gazed at Jeff.

"Why don't you grab your stuff and come on in," Roger said to them, heading toward the door. They grabbed all of their bags out of the back of the car and headed inside.

"Wow, Roger. You have a really nice place," Nicole said. Beautifully stained logs made up the walls, the floors were made of slate, there was a river rock fireplace, and animal heads were hung all over the living room. "You're a hunter, huh?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah, it was something me and my sons could do together. Quality time, you know?"

Nicole picked up a picture on the mantle. "This is your family?"

Roger walked over and took the picture in his hand. "It was." Then he placed it back on the mantle.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

He gave her a half smile. "Your rooms are this way," he said, heading down the hallway.

It was a three-bedroom house. He showed Jeff to one room, and Nicole and Beth to another that had bunk beds. "After you all get settled, I can show you the bunker."

"Thank you, Roger," Nicole said.

Roger smiled and headed back toward the living room. The room the girls stayed in had been a boys' room at one point. Baseball and basketball trophies were on a shelf. Father/son tournament ribbons were hanging on the walls. Nicole gently stroked one of the ribbons, knowing how Roger must be hurting.

"I get top bunk," Beth said, climbing up the stairs to it.

"I guess I forgot to call dibs," Nicole joked, putting down the bags. "It's sure nice of Roger to let us stay here. We owe him a lot."

"Yeah," Beth said, flopping on the mattress.

"No, really. I saw fishing poles leaning against the house. Maybe tomorrow we can catch some fish at the pond and make him a nice lunch! I think I remember how my dad taught me to fillet a fish from a camping trip we all took."

"You mean I'd have to touch a fish?"

Nicole looked at her with a smirk.

"Well, I'll fish, but you'll have to take it off the hook."

"Fine. Deal," Nicole said.

When they were done getting settled, Roger showed them all the bunker around back. The entrance was inside of a shed, then down some stairs. The upright door was solid metal. Inside, there was a landing, then more stairs. Once inside, there were shelves of canned food, water bottles, toiletries, a couple of small couches, a bathroom, and some cots. It was very plain looking. The walls and floors were concrete.

"We'll be safe in here," Roger said.

"Yeah, it's hard to imagine anything getting through these walls," Jeff said, slapping the concrete. Then he looked over at the girls and smiled, looking relieved.

"No, nothing's getting through," Roger said. "There's more than concrete in these walls. We've got a generator down here for power, too."

"It's, uh, not very big, though," Jeff said.

"Big enough," Roger replied.

Jeff pulled at his shirt collar. "I think I'm gonna go back up," he said, then headed up the stairs.

After the girls finished looking around, they all went back into the house.

"I put some coffee on. Help yourself," Roger said, getting coffee mugs out of the cupboard and setting them on the black, granite counter tops.

"I'd like to take a shower," Jeff said.

"Sure, there are towels in the linen closet," Roger replied.

"Thanks," Jeff said, and headed down the hall.

"I'm going to lay down for a bit," Beth said. "I haven't slept much lately."

"OK," said Nicole. She sat down at the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. Roger sat down with her.

"So," Nicole said, wrapping her hands around the mug, "your family..... did they disappear when the others did?"

Roger looked at his coffee mug. "My wife and younger son did. Well, not so young. He was in his twenties."

"And your other son?"

"Last I knew, he was over in Europe. But that was before the disappearings. He's a military man, like his old man."

"You were in the military?"

"Yep, career veteran. Retired quite a while back, though."

"Well, I'm sorry about your wife and son."

"Yeah," he said, "thank you. How about you? Did you lose anyone?"

"My whole family, even my baby."

Roger looked strangely at her. "A baby? At your age?"

Nicole looked down. "Yeah, she hadn't been born yet."

Roger looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Wow, you mean...."

Nicole nodded.

He looked back at his mug and shook his head. "I just don't understand. Wished I knew what happened to them all. Some crazy things are going on in the world. I've seen a lot of strange things in my time......but people disappearing into thin air with no explanation to be found, that ranks pretty high up there. It leaves you feeling helpless and desperate."

"It does."

"Maybe we'll never know why."

She went to say something, then hesitated. They both sat there and finished their coffee in silence.

# CHAPTER 5

The next morning, Nicole woke up and followed the smell of bacon. Roger was in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Morning'," he said.

"Morning. Breakfast smells great," she said, sitting down at the counter.

He slid over a cup of coffee to her. She smiled and added creamer and sugar.

"Your friends are late sleepers, huh?"

Nicole looked at the clock. "It's only nine."

"I've been up since five. Hard to shake the early morning wakeups," he said, scraping scrambled eggs onto a plate for her.

Nicole laughed. "I'm a teenager, so this is what I consider waking up early."

Roger smiled. "So, where are you all from?"

"Wisconsin."

"That's quite a ways away."

"Well, all the other bunkers that were closer were full."

"So, those kids back there are your friends?" he said, angling his head toward the hallway.

Nicole looked back down the hall. "Tell you the truth, I don't know what we really are."

"Oh?" Roger said, turning the bacon in the pan. "I figured that boy was one of you girls' boyfriend."

"Well, he is my ex-boyfriend....and was the father of my baby." Roger looked over at her. "Long story," she continued. "And I'm getting the feeling he's Beth's want-to-be boyfriend."

"Well, that's a bit of a situation there."

"Yeah, not ideal. Not that I care about him like that, anymore, but I don't think she realizes what she'd be getting herself into." She let out a deep breath. "Things don't always work out the way you think they will."

Roger huffed. "No, they sure don't, do they?"

"Roger, thank you, again, for letting us stay here a while. Hopefully, things will settle down, and there won't be a war." She took a sip of her coffee.

"I've witnessed many a man in power go down paths that led to destruction. But it seems like this Frederick Lindholm guy would make a good leader. Seems like he's trying to avoid war."

Nicole set her coffee down and looked up at Roger.

"He seems to have big plans for world peace. Maybe he can do it."

"Roger, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said, cleaning the pans in the sink.

"Do you read the Bible?"

"I have now and again."

"Does all that's happening now seem......like you've heard it somewhere before?"

He stopped and looked at her for a moment. "You mean like in Revelation?"

"Yeah."

He looked back at the pan, scrubbing slower than before. "Some things."

Just then, Beth walked in the kitchen. "Oooh, bacon and eggs!"

"Mornin'. Help yourself," Roger said, angling his head at the platters of food on the counter.

"Thanks." She sat down and made herself a plate.

Jeff walked out a few moments later. He walked up behind Beth and put his hands on her shoulders. "Boy, that looks tasty," he said, admiring her breakfast.

"I'll get you a plate," she said and jumped up to get another plate and fork.

Nicole turned her head the other way and stuck her tongue out. She looked back and saw Roger looking at her with a smirk on his face. Nicole grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"So, Roger, how much of this land is yours?" Nicole asked.

"Twenty acres."

"Nice. Maybe I'll go for a walk. It's beautiful out this morning."

"Sure, just don't go too deep into the woods. Where do you think I got those from?" he said, looking over at the stuffed animal heads.

Nicole chuckled. "OK, I'll stay close."

Roger finished up the dishes. "I'm going to head to the store this mornin'. Anyone need anything?"

"Oh, I'll go with you," Jeff said. "I need a couple of things."

"OK."

Everybody finished up breakfast, and Jeff and Roger left for the store.

Nicole leaned over to Beth, "Hey, wanna go for a walk with me?"

"Yeah, OK," Beth said.

They got ready and started to head out. Jerry was standing at the door wagging his tail.

"You wanna go, boy?" Nicole asked.

Arf, Arf.

Nicole grabbed his leash that was hanging on a hook by the door. "Let me leave Roger a note that Jerry's with us in case they get back first." She wrote a note, and they went on their way. Jerry pulled the leash toward a path that followed along the edge of the woods. "Where are you takin' us, boy?" The terrain began to get steep. Beth was having a hard time keeping up, wearing her boots with two-inch heels.

"Wait up," she said, grabbing onto trees to help her up the path.

Nicole was able to slow Jerry down a bit, and they continued upward. They reached a level part of the path, and Nicole stopped and looked around. "Wow, look at this." They were able to see more of the mountains off in the distance from that height. "It's beautiful."

Beth, out of breath, responded, "Yeah, looks great. Uh, can we head back down now?"

Nicole chuckled, shaking her head. "You're really not the outdoorsy type, are you?"

Just then, they heard a siren, and their phones began to beep. It was an emergency alert message. War was about to begin. Nicole grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her back down the path. "Come on, we gotta get to that bunker," Nicole said.

They tried to make it down the path as fast as they could. Beth lost her footing and fell, rolling down several feet.

"Aahhh!" she yelled.

"Beth! Are you OK?" Nicole asked, kneeling down by her.

Beth grabbed her foot. "My ankle. I twisted it."

Nicole sat her up. "Come on, put your arm around me." She was able to get her to stand up, but Beth couldn't put weight on her foot. They limped along, all the while, the sirens still blaring. Just then, Roger's car came speeding down the dirt road path.

"Roger!" Nicole yelled. "Roger! Up here!"

The men got out of the car and saw Nicole and Beth struggling on the path. "Hang on, I'm coming!" Roger yelled back. He darted right up the path, as if he'd done it a thousand times before. "What happened?" he asked.

"Beth hurt her ankle. She can't walk on it."

"It's OK," he said to Beth, "I got ya." He swept her up off the ground and ran with her back toward the house. Nicole and Jerry were right behind. "Get to the shed!" he yelled to Jeff, as they got closer to the house.

Jeff got there first, opening the shed door for the rest of them. Roger put Beth down to open the steel door.

"Come on, Roger," Jeff said, breathing heavily.

"Got it," Roger said, pushing it open. "Get in, get in!"

Jeff slipped through and ran in first, then Nicole helped Beth down the stairs. After Jerry ran in, Roger stepped inside and locked the door, sealing them in. He ran downstairs and immediately turned on the radio.

"We hope everyone has found a safe haven," the newscaster said. "God help us a....." Then the station cut out, and there was only static. Rumblings began to come from outside.

"Brace yourselves, everybody," Roger said, crouching to the floor. The rest of them did the same. Everything began to shake and rattle. The shelves fell over, and the canned goods rolled all around. Jerry barked without ceasing, trembling all the while. It sounded like a tornado was just outside the door. Nicole wrapped her arms around her head, tears squeezing from her eyes. Jeff and Beth were huddled together, Beth holding her ankle. After a just a few moments, things began to die down. The shaking stopped, and there was an eerie calm. No one said anything, listening to see if it was all over. After a moment, Roger stood up. Jerry was whimpering, shaking still.

"There boy," Roger said, stroking Jerry's head. "I think it's over. Everyone OK?" One by one, they responded that they were. They all slowly sat up.

Then more rumbling began. Everyone braced themselves. Again, it was over after a few moments. They all laid still, waiting. Then the rumbling began once more. After that, it was done.

"What now?" Nicole asked Roger.

"Well, I'd say we need to wait in here at least a week. Give the radiation time to dissipate, especially since it sounded like there was more than one bomb. Hopefully we can get some radio reception and find out how bad it was and how far away they were. We'll know more then."

"A week?" Jeff said, panicked. "That's a long time to stay cooped up."

"It's that or die from radiation poisoning," Roger responded. "I promise you, that is not a death you want."

Jeff looked worried. Beth stroked his arm. "Jeff, it's not that long. It'll be worth it to make sure it's safe."

Jeff looked at her, nodding his head. "Yeah, I guess."

# CHAPTER 6

Several hours went by. Roger had stored away things like playing cards, pens, and paper. Roger and the girls had a competition going.

"Won, again," Roger boasted after a game of cards.

"Not fair," Nicole said, tossing her cards down and folding her arms. "How did you get so good?"

"Years of practice, young lady, years of practice," he said, shuffling the cards.

Nicole smiled at him, shaking her head. Jeff was by the radio, trying to find a station with reception.

"Why don't you play cards with us?" Beth asked him.

"Uh, maybe later," he said, continuing to turn the dial.

Beth looked at me and leaned in. "I wish he'd calm down a little. It's not so bad staying here for a few days."

Nicole looked over at Jeff with concern. "Yeah, it's not like there's much choice. Oh, not that we don't like hanging out with you, Roger."

Roger smiled, passing out the cards. "No offense taken. I know being stuck in a bunker isn't the most ideal place to be."

"Well, we wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. I can't begin to tell you how grateful we are."

Roger smiled while dealing the cards. "Happy to, Nicole."

Jeff banged his fist on the radio. "Nothing, I get nothing," he said. He stood up and paced the room.

"Jeff, chill," Nicole said, arranging her cards in her hand.

"I can't chill! I have to know if it's safe to go outside. Staying cooped up is driving me crazy."

"Jeff," Beth said, "so we need to wait a few days. It's not that bad. Ow!" Beth grabbed her ankle.

"Here, let me see that," Roger said.

Beth stretched out her leg toward Roger. He gently took her foot and touched her ankle. "Your ankle's swollen pretty tight. We need to get the swelling down." Roger went to the mini-fridge and grabbed a cold pack out of it, then picked up a roll of gauze from the shelf next to it. He sat back down, placed the cold pack on her ankle, and wrapped it up. "There, let's leave that on for a while."

"Thank you," Beth said, wincing.

"Once we get that swelling down, that'll curb the pain some."

"OK."

"That's it!" Jeff said. "I can't take it anymore." He headed for the stairs.

"Jeff, no!" Nicole screamed.

Roger jumped up to catch him. Jeff sped up to reach the door before Roger could get to him.

"Oh, no, you don't," Roger said, as he grabbed Jeff's foot, causing Jeff to fall onto the stairs.

"Let me go! I've got to get outta here!" Jeff said, trying to wriggle his foot free.

"You're going to kill us all. You need to calm down, Jeff."

Jeff continued trying to free his foot.

"You need to stop," Roger said, "or you're going to make me do something I don't want to."

"Yeah? What's that?" His foot broke free from Roger's hold.

"This." Roger grabbed both of Jeff's legs, pulled him down the stairs and put him in a choke hold. Nicole and Beth sat there, wide-eyed, watching the commotion. Jeff kept hitting Roger's arms, trying to knock them loose, then he slowly began to lose consciousness. "There, there," Roger said. "You just take a little nap now." Roger eased him to the floor, then looked over at the girls. "We're gonna have to keep him tied up."

Beth shook her head and looked down.

"He's right," Nicole said to Beth. "He's gonna flip out, again." Nicole placed her hand on Beth's. "It's just for one week. Maybe sooner, if we hear good news on the radio."

Beth let out a deep breath, and she nodded once. Her eyes were pulled toward Jeff.

"Hey, Nicole, can you help me grab some rope and more supplies out of the closet?" Roger asked.

"Sure." Nicole got up and followed Roger around the corner, where the closet was.

"Hey," Roger said, quietly, "keep an eye on Beth, if you could. She seems to have a soft spot for Jeff, and I have a feeling she's not going to want to leave him tied up."

"Yeah, I think you're right. I'll keep an eye on her."

"OK, good. Maybe you and I should take turns keeping watch for the next couple of nights. So far, we've survived a nuclear war. I'd hate to see us come to ruins now."

"I agree."

Roger smiled and nodded. He got some rope out of the closet, and Nicole grabbed more water bottles for everyone.

Roger tied Jeff's arms behind his back and his ankles together while he was still unconscious. An hour later, Jeff woke up. He tried to sit up but couldn't use his arms. Then he looked down and saw the rope around his ankles.

"Hey! What's this? You tied me up?"

"You gave us no choice, Jeff," Roger said.

"Let me out of these things now!"

Roger walked over to him and knelt down. He put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't you want us all to come out of this alive? I'm trying to make sure that happens. This is for your own good."

Jeff gave Roger the death stare, clenching his teeth.

Roger stood back up, looking down at Jeff. "I'm sorry it had to come to this," he said, then walked away.

Jeff looked over at Beth. She looked away, but couldn't help but look back at him.

"Please," Jeff mouthed to her.

Beth, looking confused, got up and hobbled over to the shelf to grab a snack. That night, Nicole volunteered to take the first watch.

"You sure you're up to it? You look kinda tired," Roger whispered to Nicole.

"I'm fine. You go ahead and get some sleep."

"OK. Wake me in a bit."

Nicole smiled and nodded. Everyone else was in their cots. Jeff already appeared asleep. Nicole lit the oil lamp and turned out the lights. Then she grabbed the cards, sat on the floor, and began playing solitaire.

"Not tired?" Beth asked.

"Not yet. Think I'll play a game or two," she said.

"Well, I am. See you in the morning, Nick."

"Night, Beth."

After a couple of hours of playing solitaire, Nicole was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

"Come on, Nicole," she said to herself, shaking her head. "Stay awake." She leaned back against the wall. After a few moments, her eyes closed, and her head drooped. Just then, Jeff opened his eyes and saw that Nicole had fallen asleep.

"Beth," Jeff whispered. "Beth!"

Beth jerked awake and looked over at Jeff. "What?" she whispered back.

"You've gotta untie me."

"Jeff, no. I can't."

"Come on. You can't leave me like this. This is insane. We're being kept here as prisoners."

"No, Jeff. Roger's trying to help us."

"That's what he wants you to think. Don't you think it's odd for a man to invite people he doesn't even know in his bomb shelter? Who would do that?"

"A nice man."

"Yeah, a nice man with a motive. Come on, let me out, and we'll head out together."

"Together?"

"Yeah, just me and you. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Well, yeah, but what about the radiation?"

"It's had to have cleared up by now. He just wants to keep us in here."

"I don't know."

"Come on."

Beth sat up. "Well......"

Jeff gave her his best smile and nodded his head.

"OK," she said, hesitantly. She got up and began untying his hands.

He quickly untied his feet, then grabbed an empty duffel bag that was lying next to the shelves. "Come on, let's put some food and water in here," he whispered, quietly emptying some of the shelves.

"Wait!" she loudly whispered, putting her hand on his arm. "We can't leave them with nothing."

"Look, we won't take everything. They'll only be in here a few days. We'll be on the road. We'll need it more than them."

Beth shook her head. "No. This doesn't feel right."

Jeff stopped and put down the bag. He turned to Beth, put his finger under her chin and lifted her head up toward his. He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her in for a kiss. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. After a moment, he pulled away and put his forehead to hers. "Now, don't you want it to just be me and you?"

Beth nodded, giddy. "Yeah. Yeah, OK. Me and you."

Jeff grinned. "Yeah. Now let's get outta here."

They grabbed their things and headed up the stairs. Just then, Jerry woke up and walked over the bottom of the stairs. Jeff turned around to see Jerry standing with one paw on the bottom step, and his teeth were bared. He began to growl.

"Shoot," Jeff whispered, then he started digging inside of his bag. He opened a bag of beef jerky and threw some down on the floor. Jerry took the bait. Jeff quickly and quietly opened the door, got he and Beth out, then sealed it back closed.

A couple of hours later, Roger woke up. He saw Nicole sleeping and the ropes that bound Jeff lying on the ground. "Oh, no," he said, slowly sitting up. He reached over and shook Nicole.

She jerked awake. "What?" she said. She looked around and saw what had happened. "Oh, no, no, no. Beth? Beth!"

"She's gone, too," Roger said.

"What have I done? They're gonna die out there?"

"It wasn't your fault. They were the ones who wanted to leave."

"I know, but it was my job to stop them."

"It was a matter of time. Jeff was getting ready to snap."

Nicole sat there, disappointed in herself. "Well, what do we do now?"

"Stick to the plan," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Right," she said. "OK."

Neither one of them could go back to sleep. Roger made some coffee for the two of them, then Jerry laid on his feet.

"So, after we are able to go outside, again," Nicole said, "where are you gonna go?"

"Well, I've got a son that was stationed overseas. I'm gonna try to get a hold of him, see if he's still here."

"Communications are still down. What if you can't?"

"Then I'm gonna have to go find him."

Nicole's eyes opened wide. "Um, how? I mean, I'm sure the airport's not booking any flights right now."

Roger took a sip of his coffee and stretched his chin forward. "I know a guy. What about you? What are your plans?"

"Well," she said, letting out a deep breath. "I don't know, anymore. Everything's happening so fast, there wasn't much time for planning."

"You have any family or friends left?"

Nicole shook her head, gripping her coffee cup tight.

Roger lowered his head. "Sorry, Nicole."

She looked up at him and half smiled.

"I guess you're just gonna have to come with Jerry and me, then."

"What? Really?"

"'Course. Jerry, here, was telling me he really liked you, so I wouldn't want him mad at me now, would I?"

Nicole sat up on her knees and crawled over to him. Roger sat up straight. When she got there, she reached down, picked up Jerry's head and kissed him on the nose. "I really like you, too, Jerry."

Roger laughed, and Jerry licked Nicole's face. "Ah, yes," Roger said, "you two will get along just fine."

The next afternoon, there was a knock on the door. Nicole and Roger looked at each other, confused. Roger got up and cautiously walked up the stairs.

"Who is it?" he yelled.

There was no response, only more faint knocking.

"Who is it, I said."

"It's Beth," she said, breathless.

Nicole stood up. "Roger, we can open the door, right?"

Roger ran back down and grabbed a garbage bag and a doctor's mask. He quickly tore some holes in the bag for his head and arms and put it all on. "It has to be quick. You stay down here, and hold Jerry."

"Are you gonna be OK?"

"Hope so," he said, while jogging up the stairs.

"Hurry, then, please!" Nicole went over and grabbed Jerry's collar, then pulled him back down the stairs with her.

Roger opened the door, and Beth fell into his arms. He quickly closed the door back. "Is she OK?" Nicole asked.

Roger looked up at her, then back down at Beth, speechless.

# CHAPTER 7

"Beth! Beth, are you OK?" Nicole yelled.

When Roger got to the bottom of the stairs with her, Nicole gasped. Her skin was very pale and her lips were chapped. She laid limp in Roger's arms. He carried her to a cot and laid her on it. Beth opened her eyes slightly, and put her hand on her stomach. She then rolled on her side and began dry heaving. Nicole let go of Jerry's collar and put her hands over her mouth, watching her friend suffer.

"Radiation poisoning," Roger whispered to Nicole. He grabbed a bottle of water close by. "Here, Beth. Try and drink this." She slowly sat up on one elbow and took a couple of sips. She let out a big sigh and laid back down. "Can you tell us what happened? Where's Jeff?"

She looked at Roger with tear filled eyes and just shook her head.

"Why did you guys leave?" Nicole asked.

"Jeff didn't want to wait," Beth squeaked out. "He was convinced it was fine to go out."

Nicole kneeled beside her cot and put her hand on Beth's cheek. "I'm so sorry he talked you into it." She removed her hand, looking concerned. "It feels like you have a fever."

"How long have you been feeling like this?" Roger asked.

"About three hours. I'm so hungry, but I know it won't stay down."

"Well, one thing at a time," Roger said. "Let's work on fluids first. And we're going to need to get you into a change of clothes."

Beth nodded, looking weary. Roger got up and walked to the closet. Roger returned with the water and a change of clothes. He sat it down on the table next to the cot.

"Nicole, can you help her get changed into these? They'll be a little big, but she needs to get out of the clothes she wore outside."

Nicole nodded, then looked at Beth for approval. Beth sat up, while Roger walked into the bathroom. After a few minutes, Nicole yelled to Roger it was OK to come out. Roger bagged up her old clothes along with the bag and mask he was wearing when he let her in, and tied it up tight.

"So, how did it look out there?" Nicole asked.

"Not much is left standing, but not everything's burned like I imagined it would be. It must have been farther away than it sounded."

"It's possible some of what we heard was earthquakes it caused, instead of the blast itself. Maybe there weren't three bombs after all," Roger said.

"Well, that would be some good news," Nicole said.

"We need to find out what direction from us it hit, so when we leave, we go the other way. Less radiation exposure. Beth, could you tell which way it came from?" Roger asked.

"More damage was done beyond the pond."

"OK, then," Roger said. He turned the radio on, trying to get reception. "The more we know: how big it was, how far away it was, and how much devastation it caused, the better we can prepare."

Nicole nodded, looking nervous, and then she turned her focus back on Beth. "Can I get you anything? Are you cold?"

"A blanket," she said. When Nicole got up, Beth grabbed her wrist.

"Nick, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I put you and Roger in danger. I never should have listened to Jeff. I never should have even let him come with us. I knew the kind of person he really was.....how he treated you."

Nicole put her hand on Beth's. "Beth, it's OK. I think we'll be fine. We all have things we're sorry about, trust me. Let's just focus on getting to the next step, OK?"

"What is the next step?"

"For now, it's getting to tomorrow."

Nicole and Roger spent the next couple of days tending to Beth. She was eventually able to keep some food and water down and began to feel a little better. Roger was finally able to get reception on the radio.

"I got something here," he said. Both of the girls stopped to listen. They learned that two bombs hit to the west of them, and the nearest bomb was dropped a few miles out. They tried to hear more, but the radio cut out, again.

"OK," Roger said, "so, we'll wait out the week and look to head east. Our supplies here will run out soon. In the meantime, I'm going to see if I can get a hold of my son."

"OK," Nicole said. She turned to Beth and grinned. "That's not so bad."

"Yeah," Beth said, coughing.

"You're looking better."

"I feel a little better."

Beth's fever was tapering down a bit, and her ankle was healing. Day six came, and that evening, they packed up the remaining supplies to take with them the next morning. Roger had tried to reach his son several times, to no avail.

"OK, I think we got everything," Roger said.

"Great. So, where will we be off to?" Nicole asked.

"If conditions allow, I need to see if my son is alright."

"So, Europe, huh?"

Roger raised his eyebrows. "You up for it?"

Nicole shrugged. "Why not? I've got nowhere else to be. But, since we're heading east anyway, I do need something from home first."

"Why didn't you bring it if it was that important?"

"I tried, but couldn't get it. It is really important to me that I have it."

Roger pursed his lips and nodded. "OK, if it means that much to you." Then he looked over at Beth. "How about you?"

"Since we're going back to Wisconsin, I'd like to see if my family came back. I'm not holding my breath, though."

"OK, then," Roger said. "Let's get some sleep, and we'll head out first thing in the morning."

None of them slept well that night, unsure of all that awaited them outside. Morning came quick, and they got ready to go.

"OK, ladies, let's move." Roger headed up the stairs first, carrying a bag. He opened the door and stepped outside. Jerry ran up the stairs to join him.

"Well? Is it safe to come out?" Nicole asked.

"Goodness sakes," Roger said under his breath, as his eyes slowly panned around the devastation.

Nicole came up behind Roger, then Beth. Nicole's jaw fell open. "Oh, my gosh."

The sky was grey, and the air was cool. Roger's shed and house were no longer standing. Only a couple of walls remained upright. The trees in the woods around his house had taken a beating. Some of them were broken, while others were missing branches and leaves. Looking out beyond the pond, they could see much more damage. The land was blackened.

"Which way did you and Jeff go?" Roger asked Beth.

"Back towards town," she said, which was in the direction of the nearest bomb strike. "Do you think your car still works?" Cough, cough.

His car, a beige station wagon, was in the driveway, covered in debris. "Let's go find out." They all stepped out and headed to the car. They began pulling broken tree limbs off of it. The passenger side rear window was broken, but besides that, and a few dents, the car was in decent shape. Roger got in and tried starting it. Much to everyone's surprise, it fired right up. Everyone loaded the bags into the back, and Roger dusted the glass off of the back seat. "We need to tape up this window," he said. He went through the bags and found some masking tape and garbage bags. "This will have to do." He sealed up the window the best he could, and they all got in the car. Jerry shared the back seat with Beth, and Nicole sat up front with Roger. They had to head toward town to get to the highway. As they drove past people's homes, witnessing the damage, no one spoke. Wildlife lie dead, scattered about, and some people, as well. Nicole's eyes teared up, then she closed them.

"Roger, tell me when we get to the highway," she said.

He looked over at her sympathetically. "OK."

"Wait," Beth said.

Roger stopped the car. "What?"

Beth, looking out the driver's side window, put her hand up on the glass. "It's Jeff."

Everyone turned to see. It was, indeed, Jeff, lying lifeless on the side of the road.

"He tried coming back," Beth said, as her eyes teared up. "When I left him, he was still in town."

Nicole reached back and put her hand on Beth's shoulder.

"I should've made him come with me when we started feeling sick."

"He wasn't going to do anything he didn't want to. You know that," Nicole said.

"Maybe I should've tried harder, though. Shouldn't we do something?" Beth asked.

After a pause, Roger replied, "Beth, I'm sorry about Jeff....... but there's nothing we can do for him now. I'm not sure what we're going to encounter trying to get further away from here, but the longer we wait, the worse off we'll be." Beth and Nicole were both silent, trying to deal with the reality that they were now living in. After a moment, Roger opened his car door. "I'll be right back." He went to the back of the car and got out a blanket. He walked across the road and placed it over Jeff, then grabbed some stones to lie on its corners to hold it down. Nicole and Beth both got out of the car and stood beside Roger. They remained still and quiet, looking down at Jeff's covered body. Beth began to cough hard. Nicole put her hand on her back and gently patted it. Roger pulled out a tissue from his pocket and handed it to Beth. She took it and covered her mouth, continuing to cough. When she finally stopped, she pulled the tissue away and looked down at it. It was soaked in blood. Beth's body began to tremble, then she burst out crying. Nicole put her arms around her, while Roger closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Am I going to end up like Jeff?" Beth asked, after she caught her breath.

"We're going to take care of you," Roger said. "Don't you worry, now."

Beth nodded at Roger, and then buried her head into Nicole's shoulder. Nicole looked at Roger. He looked away and took a deep breath, shaking his head slightly. Nicole looked down, continuing to comfort Beth.

"OK, ladies. We should get moving," Roger said.

They all got back in the car and headed toward town. When they got there, there wasn't much remaining. They got on the exit to the highway that would take them east. It was a mess. Some cars had been tossed, while others were sitting in the middle of the road with the passengers still in them, lifeless from large amounts of radiation exposure. There were some other people driving on the road headed in the same direction. Roger navigated slowly around the stopped vehicles, and they finally hit a clearing.

"So, your son," Nicole said to Roger, "whereabouts in Europe is he?"

"England."

"What's his name?"

"Bryce."

# CHAPTER 8

Roger turned on the car radio.

"The U.N.'s remaining members will be meeting tomorrow to decide on, what they're calling, a 'One World Government'. Frederick Lindholm has been a very vocal proponent of this. Many of the other members are beginning to see its benefits and are coming around to the idea. If this is put into place, they will need to elect a leader. In essence, this will be the leader of the entire world. This will be an unprecedented move by the U.N."

"Robin," another newscaster asked, "will this be giving one man too much power?"

"Jared, I think that's what many of us are wondering. I guess it really depends on the kind of person they elect."

"Have you learned of potential candidates?"

"I've heard mention of three, but the one being talked about the most is Frederick Lindholm."

"Do you think he would make a good leader for our world? That sounds so strange to say – leader for our world."

"Indeed, it does, Jared. But, yes, I do. What he's been saying about the nations coming together really makes sense, especially at this point and time in history. We've had some very disturbing events happen recently, and if someone can step in and have the power to restore peace and order, and build a pathway for a better tomorrow for all of us, that's someone I know I would want as a leader. I believe him negotiating a peace treaty with Israel and having their temple rebuild finished showed his resolve for peace and protection of others. This is a trait that we want our future leader to have."

"I would agree. Thank you, Robin."

"Thank you, Jared. Back to you."

"Wow," Roger said. "Sounds like some good changes are coming." He looked over at Nicole. She was staring at the radio. "Nicole? You OK?"

Nicole looked over at Roger. "No, Roger. These won't be good changes. They only seem like it."

"What do you mean?"

"The Bible talks about a one world government coming to fruition in the tribulation period, and its leader will be the devil incarnate."

"Lindholm? He seems like a responsible, stand-up guy just trying to help us."

"Yes, he does seem that way. That's how so many will people buy into his ideas. He's slick, but he's a liar."

Roger raised his eyebrows and shook his head, while continuing to drive.

"Roger, you've got to believe me."

"I want to, Nicole, it just seems a bit far-fetched."

"I know, but please trust me. OK, listen. A while after Lindholm becomes the world leader, and he will, Christians will begin to be martyred."

Roger crinkled his eyebrows. "That sounds like something out of a movie."

"When that happens, you have to promise you'll listen to me."

After a moment, he looked over at Nicole and nodded. "OK, that's fair."

"OK."

Cough, cough, came from the backseat.

"How are you feeling?" Nicole asked Beth.

"Eh," Beth said. "Do you have any more tissues up there?"

Nicole looked down at the floor of the backseat. It was littered with red tissue. "Sure, Beth, I have more." She handed her back some tissues.

"I think I'm going to take a nap. Really feeling out of energy," Beth said. She laid down, and Jerry laid on her feet with his head propped up on her leg.

Nicole smiled and turned back around. She laid her head back on the headrest and remained quiet for a while, looking out the window. They drove for several hours.

"Hungry?" Roger asked Nicole.

"Sure."

They stopped at a truck stop in Colorado.

"Beth?" Nicole said, gently shaking her.

Beth opened her eyes. "Yeah?"

"We're stopping for something to eat. Feeling up to coming in and eating?"

"I probably should," she said, trying to sit up. "I'm starving."

They got out and went in. A few other cars were in the parking lot. A waitress seated them and handed them some menus.

"This area looks pretty unaffected by the bombs," Roger said to the waitress.

"We were lucky, but southern Colorado got hit hard. How about you all? Where did you come in from?"

"Utah."

"Was it bad there?"

"Parts of it was," Roger replied.

"Where you all headin'?"

"Wisconsin," Nicole said.

"Oh, you got some people there?"

Nicole looked down. "Naw, not anymore. Just left something there I need."

"Oh. Well, I hope get it, honey. Coffee anyone?"

Roger and Nicole nodded, and the waitress went to grab the coffee pot. They all opened their menus. When the waitress got back, she poured their coffee and waters, then took their orders. Beth looked pale, and her lips were chapped.

"Beth, you need to drink something," Nicole said, pushing her glass in front of her.

Beth wearily looked at her and nodded. She lifted her glass to her mouth and took a sip. Nicole took a deep breath and looked at Roger. He looked at her, concerned. When their food came, Beth only took a few little bites.

"You don't like your sandwich?" Nicole asked.

"It's fine. My stomach's just feeling a little weird."

"Well, we can take your sandwich with, in case you want more later."

"Yeah, OK."

After they finished dinner, they bagged up their leftovers and got a doggie bag for Jerry. They got back in the car and headed out again. After an hour, Beth started groaning.

"Are you OK?" Nicole asked.

Beth was bent over, holding her stomach, wincing in pain. "I don't think so."

"Roger?" Nicole said.

"I know. We're going to have to find somewhere to stay for the night and get her out of the car. I think the motion's making it worse."

In a couple of miles, they drove into a town that appeared abandoned. The only lights on were Roger's headlights. The blast damage there was minimal. Some debris was scattered about, but most houses were still standing. They pulled in front of a house, and Roger got out. He walked up to the door and knocked. No one came. He knocked once more, but there was still no response. He grabbed the door handle to find that it was unlocked. He looked back at Nicole and Beth and nodded. He went on in to investigate. Nicole got out and helped Beth out of the car. Jerry jumped out and ran into the house. When Nicole and Beth got into the house, they saw that Roger had found a flashlight.

"There's a bed back here for you to lie down on, Beth," Roger said. "This way." He headed down the hall, and the girls followed. Nicole helped Beth into bed. Just as she laid down, she vomited on the floor next to the bed. Roger pointed his flashlight on it, and it was mostly blood. Nicole put her hand over her mouth and tears filled her eyes. Beth took a deep breath.

"I feel better," Beth said. "I think that sandwich didn't agree with me."

Nicole just looked at her, unable to put together any words. Roger grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and placed it over the vomit.

"I think I'm going to take a little nap. Kinda tired."

Nicole nodded and put her hand on Beth's shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything."

Beth smiled, then laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

Roger and Nicole left the room, closing the door behind. Nicole put her hands over her face and began to cry. Roger pulled her over to him and let her cry on his shoulder, patting her back.

"We'd better get some sleep ourselves," Roger said. "You take the bed in the master bedroom. I'll take the couch."

The next morning, Roger woke Nicole. "Mornin'. It's seven. We should head out soon."

Nicole rubbed her eyes and looked at Roger with a squint. "K. I'm gettin' up." She got cleaned up in the master bathroom, then knocked on Beth's door. When there was no answer, she slowly opened the door and stuck her head in. "Beth?" There was no response. Beth was in the same position she was in when she laid down the night before. Nicole walked over and sat on the bed. "Beth? Come on, we're gonna need to leave soon." She placed her hand on Beth's hand, then lifted it off. She put it back on her hand and tears began falling from her eyes. Roger walked in.

"How's she doing this mornin'?" Roger asked.

Nicole looked up, shaking her head. "She's cold. Roger, she's gone."

Jerry ran in, just then, and placed his front paws on the bed. He began licking Beth's face. When she wouldn't respond, he began to whimper.

Nicole looked up at Roger. He stood there for a moment, looking at Nicole with sympathy, then held out his hand. "Come on. Let's go."Nicole took his hand, and they left the room. "I'm gonna see if there's anything here we'd need before we go." Nicole nodded and sat down on the couch. Jerry jumped up next to her and licked the tears from her cheek. After a few minutes, Roger came back into the room. "We may need this," he said, showing Nicole a hand gun, then putting it in his jacket pocket. "I found some bullets for it, too." Then he went into the kitchen and began tossing any food left in the cabinets into some paper bags he found. When he was done, he carried the bags and sat them down by the door. "OK. Ready, Nicole?"

"Yeah," she squeaked out, wiping her face.

Roger tilted his head and smiled, then opened the door for her. They carried the bags out and loaded them into the back of the car. Just then, Jerry began barking. They looked over and saw two young men in the yard next door, standing there watching them. They were scruffy looking, and one of them whispered something to the other, while grinning.

"Hey," one of them said to Roger, and nodded.

"Hey," Roger said, suspicious. "Get in the car," Roger whispered to Nicole. She got in and locked the door. "Jerry!" Roger hollered, holding the backseat door open. Jerry hopped in, and Roger shut the door behind him. Roger got in the car and started it up. As they backed out of the driveway, the men were still looking at them. Roger threw up his hand. One of them nodded. Roger looked in the rearview mirror as they headed down the street and saw the men run and get in an old Camaro. "Uh, oh. We're going to have company."

Nicole's head whipped around to look. "Yeah, they're coming."

Roger stopped at the stop sign, and the other car pulled up beside them. Roger looked over at them, and the one in the passenger seat motioned for him to roll down his window, so he did.

"So, where you two from?"

"Utah," Roger replied.

"That your daughter," he said, looking at Nicole.

"Yeah, something like that."

"I see you packed a lot of stuff."

"Just a few things."

"Yeah," he nodded. Then he pulled out a gun and pointed it at them. "We'll take that off your hands for you." Then he tilted his head and looked at Nicole. "And we'll take her off your hands, too."

Roger went for the gun in his jacket pocket, but Nicole reached in and grabbed it first. She pointed it at them, while her hands shook.

"No, you won't," she said to them. "Leave us alone."

The man laughed and cocked his gun. "I don't think so."

Roger hit the gas and took off. Nicole slammed back in her seat, and the gun fell out of her hand. The men in the car sped after them.

"What did you do that for?" Nicole asked.

"The gun's not loaded, and he was about to use his. Here," he said, pulling a box of bullets from his jacket pocket. "Do you know how to load a clip?"

"No," Nicole said, fishing around the backseat floor for the gun, "but I'm a fast learner." She found and picked up the gun. "OK, now what?"

The car behind them began to fire at them. They both ducked.

"Hurry, how do I do this?" Nicole yelled.

"Press that button to release the clip and push the bullets down into it until you can't fit any more in. Face the bullets toward the front."

Nicole fumbled around, trying to hold on to the box and load the gun, while Roger was making evasive moves. "OK, I got it!" she said.

"OK, now pull the top of the gun all the way back and let it go, to get one in the chamber."

"OK."

"Now shoot!"

Nicole turned around and sat on her knees. "Jerry, get down!" she yelled, then she pointed the gun at the other car and fired a shot near their car to scare them. The car behind them swerved, then continued chasing them.

"Again!" Roger yelled. "We need to get them off of our tail."

"OK, OK." Nicole went to aim, but the Camaro slammed into them. Nicole fell backwards into the dashboard.

"You OK?" Roger asked.

Before Nicole could answer, they slammed into them, again. Then they drove up beside them and began pushing them off the road.

"Uh, Nicole," Roger said.

"Yeah," she said, trying to turn around and face forward in her seat.

"Brace yourself."

Just over the bend was a bridge over water, and they were driving next to the embankment.

"Oh, no," Nicole said, scrambling to buckle her seat belt.

The men in the car gave Roger's car one final slam, and that sent them down the steep embankment, right into the water.

"Aaaah!" Nicole yelled, as the front of their car hit the water. It began to sink fast. Roger quickly unbuckled them both. The water had covered almost the entire car and was pouring in the back window that had been taped shut. Jerry moved to the other side of the back seat, whimpering.

"OK, we gotta go," Roger yelled to Nicole. They grabbed their door handles, and Roger looked at Nicole. "One, two, three!"

They both opened their doors at the same time and water rushed into the car. When Roger got out, he pulled out Jerry. All three of them headed up to the surface as Roger's car sank to the bottom. They swam to the shore and crawled up onto it. Nicole looked up at the road. The men in the car were gone. They sat there a moment, catching their breath.

"What are we gonna do now?" Nicole asked.

Roger was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Let's start walking. We'll figure it out along the way."

They hiked up the embankment and headed over the bridge. Roger pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Ah, my phone's ruined. How about yours?"

She pulled it out of her pocket and pressed the power button, only to see a blank screen. "Nope."

After walking for a mile or so, they came upon a gas station.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is," Roger said.

It was the Camaro the two men were driving. It was sitting at a pump and no one was in the car. Roger smiled and tugged Nicole's sleeve. They jogged over to the car, and Roger looked inside. He looked back at Nicole with a devilish smile.

"These bozos left the keys in the ignition. Get in."

Nicole smiled and ran around the other side. Jerry hopped in first, then she quickly got in and closed the door. Roger started up the car. When he did, he heard yelling.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" one of the two men yelled from the gas station store.

Roger quickly took off, ripping the handle off of the pump on the way out. Nicole looked back, as they took off. The guys ran toward the car for a bit, then stopped.

"Woo hoo!" she yelled.

Roger smiled, keeping the pedal to the metal for a while. "Check the glove compartment. See what's in there."

Nicole did, then shrugged her shoulders. "Just a bunch of trash."

"Oh."

"What were you hoping to find?"

"A gun would come in handy against guys like that."

"Oh, why didn't you say so," she said, and pulled the gun he gave her from her jacket pocket. "Managed to grab it before I swam away of the car."

Roger grinned. "Good girl."

# CHAPTER 9

Roger and Nicole drove for another couple of days until, one morning, they reached Nicole's house. Her town was in shambles: everything was broken, tossed, and burned. She placed her hand on the passenger window as they drove by the devastation. Most of the streets were covered in debris. A street sign here and there remained, albeit, bent and banged up.

"There!" Nicole said, pointing to a standing armoire in the middle of a pile of rubble.

"What the...," Roger said. "How can that still be standing?"

She looked over at him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Roger, I need to show you something."

They got out of the car and climbed over the debris to get to the armoire.

"Not a scratch on it," Roger said, running his hand over the wood. "How can that be?" He looked at Nicole, confused.

She pulled the necklace up out from her shirt and took it off of her neck. She put the key in the lock and opened it up. "Give me a boost, will ya?"

Roger bent down on one knee, and Nicole stood on his other bent leg to reach the top shelf. She reached inside and grabbed the feather. When she stepped down, she held it in front of him.

"This is what I came back for."

His lips separated, and he slowly stood up. "What does it belong to? I've never seen an animal with feathers like that." Just then, he looked up and saw Abia standing behind Nicole. He quickly began to back up, then fell backwards. He sat there with widened eyes, breathing rapidly. Abia hovered over to him and reached his hand out. Roger sat still for a moment, looking down at Abia's feet, only to see them not touching the ground. He looked over at Nicole.

"It's OK, Roger."

Roger reached up and took Abia's hand. Abia pulled him up. When he did, Roger's breathing slowed, and he had the look of peace on his face. Abia let go of his hand and nodded once at him.

"The feather belongs to him."

"Yeah, I can see that," Roger said, admiring Abia's sparkling wings.

Abia turned to Nicole. "It's good to see you, again."

"It's good to see you, too, Abia. How......how is my family?"

"Very good, Nicole." He turned to Roger. "Yours is well, also."

"What?" Roger said, then looked at Nicole.

"Your family is in heaven," she said.

"He's....he's from heaven? There really is a heaven?"

Nicole nodded and smiled. Roger began to stagger backwards. Abia caught him before he fell and sat him down, gently.

"I'm glad you came back for the feather," Abia said to Nicole.

"Abia," Nicole said, shaking her head, "it's a mess here. Everything's in chaos. We can't do this alone."

"You don't have to, Nicole. The Father is always with you. You're never alone."

"I know. But....are you going to stay with us? Protect us?"

Abia tilted his head, sympathetically. "I will be there as I am needed." He reached out and touched the side of her head. "You have a great purpose, Nicole. I was not sent to help just your mother, alone."

"What do you mean?"

Abia turned to the armoire and drew his fist back. Pushing his body toward it, he punched through it with such power, it had the effect of an explosion. Roger and Nicole covered their heads. Abia faced Nicole.

"You are the last person that will receive this feather. You will need it more than any before you. All that has happened leading to this, has been a means to an end."

She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"You will. Keep it with you, and don't hesitate to use it."

"It will protect me?"

Abia looked at her for a moment, silent. "What needs to be done, will be."

She looked at him, confused.

"I must go."

"Wait! What am I supposed to do?"

"You were headed to Europe. Stay the course." Then he was gone.

Nicole stood silent for a moment, grasping the feather. She glanced down at Roger, who looked overwhelmed. She smiled at him and reached her hands down to help him up.

When he got up, he looked at her, speechless.

"I know," she said, tucking the feather inside of her long jacket. "Let's get going."

They headed back to the car and started driving. On the way, Roger had a lot of questions about Abia and what had just happened. Nicole answered them all the best she could.

"So, are you open to believing me now about Frederick Lindholm?"

He kept looking ahead and nodded. "Yeah, I'd say I'm more open now." He looked at her, and they both started laughing.

"So, where to now?" Nicole asked.

"I've got a buddy in Michigan with a plane. He owes me a favor."

By that night, they reached Detroit, where his friend lived. The area wasn't badly affected by the war. They pulled up to the hangar and saw a light on inside. Roger opened his car door.

"Why don't you and Jerry stay here. I want to make sure it's safe first."

Nicole nodded.

Roger walked inside the hangar and looked around. "Hello?" He heard a clang from the other side of the hangar. "Uh, Hello?" Roger walked towards the noise, around the plane parked inside. He came upon a man rifling through a standing toolbox. "Sid? Is that you?"

The man turned around, startled. "Roger? Wow, it's great to see you!" He walked over to Roger and grabbed his shoulders. "Man, it's been such a long time."

Roger grabbed Sid's shoulders. "It really has. How've you been?"

He let go of Roger and stepped back. "Well, I've been better. Nancy went missing with all the other folks."

"I'm sorry, Sid."

"Thanks. How about you?"

"Jean and Donnie went missing, too."

"How about Bryce?"

"Don't know. Haven't been able to get a hold of him. He was last stationed in England."

"Wow. The war knocked out a ton of cell towers. I hope you can get in touch with him soon."

"Well, Sid, that's where you come in."

"Hey, anything. What do you need?"

"I need a plane that can make it over there non-stop."

"Got just the plane for ya."

Sid walked through the back door of the hangar and took Roger to a small plane.

"Uh, you sure this will make it? It's pretty small?"

"Take a look," Sid said, as he opened the door and climbed in.

Roger climbed in behind him and looked inside. "You removed seats and installed extra gas tanks?"

"Yep. Before the world went crazy, I was planning on Nancy and me doin' some traveling, but I won't be needing it now. It's all yours."

"Yeah," Roger said, nodding his head. "This will do." Roger softly punched Sid in the arm and laughed. Sid stepped back and laughed with him.

"You got a place to stay tonight?"

"As a matter of fact, we don't," Roger replied.

"We?"

"Yeah. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Roger walked Sid out to the car and opened Nicole's door. "Nicole, I'd like you to meet my friend, Sid."

Nicole got out and shook Sid's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, Nicole."

Jerry jumped out of the car and started pacing around Sid.

"Brought your watch dog, too, huh?" Sid asked.

"Ah, yeah. Couldn't leave him behind."

"Since when do you drive a Camaro?"

"Since I stole it."

Sid looked at him with wide eyes. "I don't want to know, do I?"

"No, I don't think you do."

They both laughed.

"My house is just behind the hangar. You can park around back," Sid said.

Roger and Nicole got back in the car and pulled up to the house. Sid let them in and showed them to their rooms. Nicole took off her jacket, laid the feather on the bed, and covered it up. She headed back out to the kitchen.

"Hungry?" Sid asked them.

"I could use some coffee," Roger said.

"Well, I'm hungry!" Nicole responded.

It was a beautiful brick ranch home with all of the upgrades. Roger and Nicole sat down at the marble kitchen table while Sid made coffee and warmed up some chili for Nicole.

"Your home is beautiful," Nicole said.

Sid smiled. "Nancy was the decorator."

She looked at Roger. He gently shook his head.

"So, Sid, you heard anything from the old platoon?"

"Not much. I heard from Jasper a year or so ago."

"Oh, how's he doing?"

"Well, it's hard for him to keep a job. Things have never been the same for him since he lost his leg. He asked about you, though."

"Really?"

"Of course. No one in that platoon could forget you."

"Why is that?" Nicole asked.

"He was the best sharpshooter anyone knew."

Nicole looked at Roger and smiled. "Oh, really?"

"Oh, yeah," Sid said. "He could hit a target a mile and a half out."

"Whoa."

"Ah, he's exaggerating," Roger said.

"Nope. You can quit being humble, now."

Roger looked over at Nicole and shrugged.

They talked for another two hours. Roger and Sid talked about old times, and Nicole hung on every word.

"Well, Sid, we'd better catch some shut eye," Roger said. "We'd like to head out early tomorrow."

"Sure. There's plenty of extra pillows and blankets in your closets."

"Thanks, friend," Roger said, putting his hand on Sid's shoulder.

"Anytime, Rog."

Roger and Nicole woke up early the next morning to head out. Sid got up made them some breakfast first. He gave them some luggage, a large backpack, and spare clothes to take with them. The feather fit perfectly inside the backpack, slightly curved. Sid walked them out to the plane and shook Roger's hand.

"Hey, be safe. You don't know what it's like over there right now."

"Thanks, we will."

"Wait," Nicole said to Roger. "Isn't Sid flying us there?"

"Nope. I'm the pilot."

Nicole shook her head. "Is there anything you can't do?"

Roger bent down and whispered in her ear. "Apparently I can't stay standing when I see an angel."

Nicole snickered. "True." She held out her hand to Sid. "Thanks for all your hospitality."

"My pleasure, Nicole. Best of luck to you both."

Roger, Nicole, and Jerry got in the plane to head to England.

"Last chance to stay in the U.S.," Roger said to Nicole.

"I'll take my chances with my new friends," Nicole said, scratching Jerry's neck. She looked at Roger and took a deep breath. "OK, let's go."

# CHAPTER 10

Seven and a half hours later, Roger and Nicole landed on a small airstrip in London, England. It was about 8:30pm there. The runway lights were on, but the building next to it was empty. They all got out of the plane.

"Wow," Nicole said. "This place hasn't been affected at all."

Roger looked around with a crinkled brow. "That seems odd."

"Why?"

"There are nuclear weapons sites near here. If they fired, retaliation would have been sure."

"Maybe they didn't fire?"

"Hmm."

Down the road a bit, they saw some lights and buildings. They grabbed their bags and started walking.

"Hey, that sign says motel," Nicole said.

"Yeah, let's grab a room. I'm not tired yet, but there won't be much we can do while it's dark here."

They got a room and got settled in. Roger sat down on the side of the bed and picked up the phone on the nightstand. He began making calls to people who may know the whereabouts of Bryce. Nicole flipped on the television and sat on the couch. Jerry jumped up next to her and laid his head in her lap. The news was on.

"Frederick Lindholm has been unanimously voted as the new world leader, effective immediately. Here are a few words from our new leader," the anchorwoman said.

"Roger," Nicole whispered loudly. He turned toward the television.

"Fellow peers, I'm humbled by your decision to appoint me your leader, as well as the world's. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to bring us all together as one people so we can work toward the same desires and goals: unity, peace, and a better tomorrow. I will work, with all of your help, to safeguard our future. To start, we will focus on safety, technological advances, and rebuilding our lives. Friends, there is light ahead for us. You may not all be able to see it now, and I know it's difficult to, but I promise you, when you see what I have envisioned, there'll be no going back to the way things were. The future is ours, and we're taking it!"

With that, Frederick raised his fist in the air, and the cabinet jumped to their feet, applauding.

"In other breaking news, in Jerusalem, two men dressed in sackcloth were reported preaching the gospel to all who walk by. Let's take a look at the live feed."

It showed two men with beards, one with brown hair, the other with black, dressed in sackcloth, standing in the town square shouting Bible verses and warning people of the consequences of not following Jesus. People were gathered around them, recording them with their phones, and shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Can't you see?" one of the men yelled. "Can't you see the signs? God has given you another chance. Before long, time will run out, and you'll be cast into the Abyss forever. Don't be fools!"

"I'm not sure what to make of this, Ted," the anchorwoman said.

"Me either, Renee. How long have they been there?"

"At least two weeks."

"We've, undoubtedly, had a lot of strange things happen lately. I wonder if those are the signs they're talking about."

Renee was silent for a moment, staring at her cards on the desk. "Maybe, Ted, maybe."

Roger just stared at the TV.

"Hello? Hello?" the person on the phone said.

"Uh, yes. Sorry," Roger said.

After he got off the phone, they turned in for the night. Roger took the pullout sofa couch, and Nicole and Jerry took the bed.

"Those two men on TV. That was strange, huh?" Roger asked.

"Revelation calls them the two witnesses. They're here solely to convince people to turn to God before it's too late."

"Where did they come from?"

"God sent them. And they're not like us. They have powers."

"Powers?"

"Yeah."

"What can they do?"

"Well, they can kill those who try to harm them by breathing fire onto them."

"Breathing fire?" he said, skeptical.

"Mmm hmm."

Nicole awaited more questions, hoping to talk to Roger more about God, but none came.

"Night, Nicole."

"Goodnight, Roger."

Morning came, and Roger got up early to get ready.

"Nicole?" Roger said, gently shaking her shoulder.

Nicole rolled over with matted hair and opened one eye. "Hmm?"

"Why don't you get ready. We need to get some cell phones and a car. I got a lead on Bryce last night."

She rolled back over, and Jerry licked her face. "K," she squeaked out. She reached out and petted Jerry on the head. His tail rapidly slapped the bed, and then he buried his nose under her ribs. "You excited to go for a ride today, boy?"

Nicole got ready, and they grabbed some breakfast at the diner across the street. Afterwards, they walked over to the car rental place next door to it. They were greeted by a hefty salesclerk behind the counter.

"Welcome, sir! Oh, and ma'am," he said, smiling and nodding at Nicole.

"Hi there," Roger said. "We're in need of a car."

"Wonderful!" he said in his English accent. He and Roger began discussing what was available, then Roger paid. The clerk handed him the keys and shook his hand. "Pleasure doing business, sir. Drive safe!"

Roger nodded, then he and Nicole headed out to their car, a four-door maroon sedan, and got in.

"OK, we need some cell phones."

"Roger?"

He looked at Nicole. "Yeah?"

"What did you think of what you heard last night on the news....about the two men?"

He placed his hands on the steering wheel, shaking his head. "I really don't know." He started the car, and they pulled out of the parking lot. A few miles down the road, they found a cell phone store. They picked out a couple of phones and went on their way.

"So, where are we headed?" Nicole asked.

"I got a hold of a buddy of mine. He directed me to someone in Cambridge that may be able to help us. He used to be in Bryce's troop."

They drove for about an hour to reach Cambridge. Unfortunately, the town didn't escape the war. Trees were broken in half, cars had been tossed, and debris from wrecked homes was lying about.

"How are we going to get to that man's house?" Nicole asked.

"By just keepin' going." Roger drove over debris and around what he couldn't. He even drove through people's yards and around houses. A few blocks in, they reached the house. It was still standing, but had sustained roof damage. They got out and walked up to the door. The door was ajar.

Knock, knock, knock.

There was no response.

Knock, knock, knock. "Hello?" Roger said. "Anybody home?" After a moment, he pushed open the door. No lights were on inside, only some light from the holes in the roof shone in. They stepped inside. "Hello? Anyone here? I mean you no harm." No one responded. They walked down the hall, looking in each room. Then they came to the master bedroom. The door was closed, and there were scratch marks on it. They looked at each, not sure what to make of it. Nicole knocked on the door, but there was no response. She grabbed the handle and opened it. Someone was lying in the bed under a blanket, facing the other way. Roger slowly walked over to the bed. "Hello. I'm sorry to wake you." He placed his hand on his shoulder. He pulled his shoulder toward him, then quickly stepped back.

"What is it?" Nicole asked.

"He's dead." Roger pulled off the covers. The side of the man's shirt was covered in dry blood. Roger slowly grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it up. He had a large, infected bite mark on his side.

"What did that to him?"

"I don't know. I see four large puncture wounds, though."

"I'm sorry, Roger."

Roger stood there, with the look of helplessness and disappointment on his face.

"Maybe we can find something here to help find Bryce," Nicole said.

"Yeah. Yeah, maybe we can."

They began looking through the house, trying to find some information that might lead them to Bryce. Nicole found a cardboard box in one of the bedroom closets. She pulled it out, then sat down on the floor and started going through it.

"Hey, look at this," Nicole hollered, holding a picture of a group of men wearing fatigues.

Roger came in and took the picture. He squinted and brought the picture closer. "That's Bryce! That man there," he pointed.

Nicole took the picture to look. "How can you tell? I can't see his face."

"The leather bracelet he's wearing. His mother gave that to him."

She turned the picture over. "It says Manchester."

Roger smiled and took a deep breath. "OK, to Manchester we go."

"I wonder how old the picture is. Do you think he's still there?"

"I'm not sure. But if there's a chance..."

Nicole nodded and smiled, seeing the desperation in Roger's face. "Then let's go!"

Nicole got up and put the picture in her jacket pocket. They headed toward the front door. Nicole took one step outside and stopped. Standing ten feet away was a lynx with its head lowered and its eyes locked onto her. It was so skinny that its ribs could be seen through its skin. It kept its eyes on Nicole, as it licked its lips. It took a step toward her. Roger yanked her back into the house and, just as he did, the lynx lunged toward her. Roger quickly flung the door closed. The lynx slammed against it before the door could latch, and it fell back onto the porch. Roger quickly closed the door and locked it before it rammed the door, again. They heard barking outside. Roger went to the window and pulled the curtains back. It was Jerry, barking like crazy in the car. The lynx walked over to the car and jumped onto the hood. Jerry's barking didn't seem to faze it. It put its paw on the glass, feeling the windshield. Then it jumped up on the roof, sniffing around.

"What's it doing?" Nicole asked.

"Looking for a way in," Roger said, breathing heavily.

"What is a lynx doing out here?"

"The war must have displaced it. Probably destroyed its home."

It jumped off the car and walked around it. Then it crawled under it, coming out the other side.

"What are we gonna do? How are we gonna get to the car?"

"We've got to wait it out."

Roger pulled up a chair to the window and sat down. He pulled the curtain back slightly so he could see out. The lynx paced back and forth on the porch, not seeing him by the window. Then he stood up on his back paws, placing his front paws on the door. After that, he walked over to the window. That's when he saw Roger. He backed up toward the front of the porch, then lunged at the glass.

"Whoa!" Roger said, jumping out of his chair.

The lynx shook its head, then backed up and tried it again, this time putting a crack in the glass.

"Roger! What are we gonna do? It's going to break that glass!" Nicole said.

Roger looked around the room for something to push in front of the window. He saw a half empty bookshelf.

"Come on, help me push this in front of the window."

They pulled the shelf to the window, as the lynx kept lunging at it. After a moment, it stopped. Nicole and Roger stood there, quiet, waiting.

"Isn't that odd for a wild cat to purposely slam a glass window?" Nicole whispered.

Roger nodded. "It's starving, though. It may have cubs it's trying to bring food back for, too."

"Well, now we know what happened to Bryce's friend."

"Yeah," Roger said, hanging his head in worry. He looked up and walked quickly to one of the bedrooms. Nicole followed. He drew back the curtain. "Now he's gone back to the car." Nicole peeked out the window and saw the lynx back on the hood of the car. Jerry was barking non-stop.

"How long do you think it will take for it to leave?" Nicole asked.

Roger let out a big breath, shaking his head. "I don't know, but I hope it's not too long. Jerry doesn't have any food or water, and I don't imagine we have much in here."

# CHAPTER 11

Two days went by. The lynx kept a close watch on the house.

"I don't hear Jerry bark anymore," Roger said, looking out a bedroom window at his car. The lynx was lying in the yard beside it. "I can't even see him."

"Maybe he's just sleeping," Nicole said, standing in the doorway.

Roger stepped back from the window. He was silent, as his eyes darted around. "OK. I'm going to go to the backyard and make some noise to draw it back there. As soon as it comes, we're going to run through the house, out the front door, and try to get to the car before it does."

Nicole, looking worried, agreed.

"It'll be OK," Roger said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We can't stay here. There's no more food. It's not going away, so we have to try something."

"I know. You're right," she said, nodding.

Roger went to the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. Nicole's eyes widened.

"Just in case it's faster than we are," he said. He stuck the knife through a belt loop on the side of his jeans, and pulled his jacket over it. "You have the gun, right? I know we're low on ammo, but just in case."

"It's in my jacket." She ran to the bedroom and grabbed the jacket.

Roger walked to the patio door and looked around outside. "OK, make sure the front door is unlocked so we can get out quick. I'm going to go make some noise."

"OK. Be careful." She unlocked the front door, and then pulled back the window curtain slightly. When the lynx saw the curtains move, it looked up from its rest on the front lawn.

Roger opened the patio door, looked side to side, and then stepped out. The lynx looked toward the side of the house. A metal garbage can was setting next to the patio door. Roger grabbed the lid and began slamming it down hard on the can. Wham, wham, wham.

"It's coming!" Nicole yelled from the living room, as she watched it dart toward the back yard.

It sailed over the fence and tore around the corner. Roger waited until he saw it before he ran.

"Now!" he yelled. He quickly got in the house, slammed the patio door closed behind him, and ran for the front door. The lynx couldn't stop in time and slammed its head into the patio door. Nicole got to the car, but it was locked. Roger had the keys. He was close behind, fumbling in his jacket pocket for them.

"Got it!" he yelled.

"Hurry!" Nicole screamed. "It's coming back!"

He quickly opened his door with the key, then hit the unlock button so Nicole could get in. Before he could get in, Jerry jumped out.

"No! Get back here!" Roger yelled.

Jerry lunged at the lynx, and they're fangs bit into each other's shoulders.

Nicole got in and locked her door. "Roger! Get in now!"

As Roger watched Jerry fight to defend them, he begrudgingly got in the car and shut the door.

"Honk your horn," Nicole said. "Maybe that will startle it."

"OK."

Roger laid on the horn and both Jerry and the lynx jumped. The lynx hopped up on the hood of the car again, pouncing the windshield. Jerry got up slowly, bleeding badly from his shoulder, and began barking. The lynx stopped for a moment to look at Jerry, then continued. Jerry limped over and put his front paws on the hood, stretching his head forward trying to bite its paw. The lynx turned around and swiped at Jerry, causing several cuts across his face. He squealed and fell to the ground.

"Jerry!" Roger yelled. "That's it!" Roger started the car and slammed it into reverse. The lynx fell off of the hood and landed on its side. Roger quickly put the car into drive and hit the gas. By that time, the lynx got up. The car hit it, throwing it several feet. When it got up, it was disoriented and injured, but it took a run at the car, again, jumping onto the hood. "Are you kidding me?" Roger said.

"Roger, we should go."

"I can't leave Jerry."

They looked over at Jerry, lying still on the ground, except for a single foot twitch. The brown grass around him was turning red.

Nicole placed her hand on Roger's shoulder. "Roger, it's too late."

Roger clenched his jaw and looked at the lynx staring him in the eye. Roger put the car in reverse again, peeling out of the driveway. The lynx toppled to the ground, then stood there watching them. Roger put the car in drive and began to head down the street. A moment later, they heard a final squeal from Jerry. Roger's eyes teared up, and his jaw clenched. He squeezed the steering wheel, twisting his hands around it. He began breathing heavier through his nose.

"I'm sorry," Nicole said.

Roger raised his chin as a tear ran down his cheek. The car ride was a quiet one for the next half hour.

Nicole pulled the photo out. "Do you know where in Manchester we should go?"

Roger pulled his phone out of his pocket and started dialing. He put it on speakerphone.

"Scott? It's Roger."

"Hey Rog. Did you find out anything in Cambridge?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Ned couldn't help you out?"

"Sorry, Scott. Ned...he was...."

"Oh."

"But we did find a picture of Bryce with his troop. It had Manchester written on the back. Do you know whereabouts in Manchester his troop might be?"

"Well, there is a U.S. base out there. I could text you the address."

"I'd appreciate it."

"No problem. I really hope you find your boy."

"Thanks. Me, too."

A couple of hours later, they arrived at the base. They pulled up to it and sat there.

"No vehicles," Roger said. "Not a good sign."

"Let's go in."

They got out and went to the door. Knock, knock, knock. Roger waited a minute, then tried again. After no answer still, he grabbed the door handle. It was unlocked. They stepped inside and looked around. It was completely deserted and looked like it had been tossed.

"What went on here?" Nicole asked.

Roger shook his head, looking around. "I don't know. There was a war, so it's likely it was the U.S.'s enemy."

Nicole saw some offices lined up against a wall. She walked into one and stopped. Desk drawers were pulled out and emptied. Files were lying all over the floor. She knelt down and started looking through them.

"Hey, Roger?"

"Yeah?"

"What's your last name?"

He laughed. "Nelson."

"Ah, OK," she said. "Having a last name would definitely help," she whispered to herself, as she searched.

Roger began looking in the other offices. Unable to find anything, Nicole went to find him.

"Anything?" she said, leaning on the doorway of the office Roger was in.

"No. Nothing." He stood up, crumpled up some paper in his fist and threw them across the room. "Nothing!" he yelled. He put his hands on his head and sat back down in the chair. "I don't know what else to do, Nicole. I have no one else to turn to, no one else to call."

Nicole sat on the edge of the desk. "Don't give up. Maybe he's trying to get a hold of you."

Roger sat back in the chair and let out a big sigh. "Maybe."

"What do you want to do?"

"I guess.... go home."

They left the base and headed back to the airstrip. By the time they got back, it was dark out.

"Where's the plane?" Roger said.

The runway where they left the plane was empty. They got out of the car, unable to believe what they were seeing. Roger looked at Nicole and shook his head with his mouth open.

"How do we get home now?" he asked. "Airports aren't exactly operating as usual right now."

"I don't know, Roger. I think.......... we might be stuck here."

Since it was late, they went back to the hotel to get some sleep. The next day, Roger tried calling anyone he knew that may be able to help he and Nicole get back to the States, but they either weren't able to help or weren't there to. They stayed at the hotel for a few more days, then one day, Roger's credit cards stopped working. Turns out, his identity was stolen, and the accounts were locked down due to suspicious activity. Theft, of every kind, had become a lot more commonplace. Realizing they'd have to make the best of things with very limited funds, they moved around, temporarily staying in abandoned homes, and looking for the next one when resources ran out. Nicole and Roger moved from place to place, as many others were forced to, as well. They happened upon a home that still had electricity and stayed there for a while.

During this time, more war broke out. Frederick took to the airwaves to address the world.

"Citizens, I come to you tonight with a heavy heart. The price of this war is high. Instead of paying for it with our lives, we should unite and come together as the single nation we had envisioned. Resistance isn't logical. As one, we will be strong. There's no need to fight a life of peace and safety. This is what I'm promising. To all of you citizens who see the future as I do, who believe in peace, as I do, I don't want you to fear. I vow to you that I will restore order from the chaos. I will see our plans through, for all to be united in the cause. To be as one, and let love lead us. I care too much for you to allow for any less. So, as of today, any who are opposed to our way of life are now considered terrorists. The penalty is death. There will be no trial, just judgement. I know it may sound harsh, but for mankind to have finally reached the point of being of one mind and one heart, well, it's been a long time coming. I'm not about to let that dream for humanity die. Those who are not with us are against us. I've instructed my military to seek them out and remove them from our way to paradise. I promise to watch over my people and will continue to be the light that guides you. Good night."

Nicole got up and turned off the TV. "I'm gonna be sick."

"Well, he seems like he wants to end the war."

"This is his excuse to kill off Christians and anyone else who isn't a zombie for him."

"Really? You think he's going to have Christians killed? I don't think that's what he meant, Nicole."

She looked at Roger, shaking her head. "Trust me. That's part of the plan."

The next day, they were out scavenging for more food at the surrounding, abandoned houses. While walking to the next house, Nicole saw a black military vehicle at the end of the street. She stopped and put her hand Roger's arm.

"What?"

"Over there."

"The military? What are they doing there?"

Just then, two men in military gear dragged a man out from the house on the corner. They sat him up on his knees and put a pistol to his head. Nicole and Roger ran and hid behind a parked car, peaking over the trunk.

"Where does your allegiance lie?" yelled one of the soldiers to the man.

When the man wouldn't answer, the soldier hit him on the head with the gun.  
"Answer me!"

"Not with Frederick! Jesus was a million times the man Frederick...."

With that, Nicole lowered her head so she wouldn't see what was to come. She heard a gunshot, and the man's body hit the ground. Roger fell back, in shock. He looked at Nicole, as she turned toward him.

"See?" she said.

"We gotta go."

He took her arm and got her back to the house they were staying at. They quickly grabbed their things and took off for the next town.

As war died down, it was replaced with devastating earthquakes. They were so powerful and caused so much damage that it sent people running to the mountains for shelter in caves. This made moving around more of a challenge. Some areas were completely destroyed, while others remained untouched. Along the way, Roger and Nicole met some others seeking shelter like they were. They got along so well with a particular family that they began travelling together. They kept each other company and felt they had some safety in numbers. Caleb, the husband, was a fifty-year-old plumber from Manchester, and his wife, Sue, was a homemaker. They had a nineteen-year-old son, Steven. He had long, black hair down past shoulders and was tall and thin. He was a nice young man, but was shy and awkward. They were Christians, like Nicole, and had Bible study every night. Roger often went back to his bedroom during that time, but he would occasionally stay and listen. One morning, Nicole got up to get ready for the day and headed to the bathroom. When she turned on the lights and looked in the mirror, she noticed something on her forehead. She pulled her bangs back and gasped. She ran into the bedroom where Sue and Caleb were sleeping and began shaking Sue.

"Sue! Sue!"

"What? What's wrong, honey?"

"Look!" she said, pulling back her bangs.

Sue sat up on her elbows. "What is that?"

Nicole brushed Sue's hair away from her forehead and saw that she had the same thing. "You have it, too."

"What?" She jumped up and ran to the bathroom mirror.

Caleb turned over. "What's going on?"

Sue pulled her hair back and saw it. She turned and looked at Nicole. "It's the mark. The mark of God!"

They grabbed each other's shoulders and jumped up and down.

"What's going on?" Caleb said.

Sue ran back in the bedroom, climbed on the bed, and grabbed Caleb's face. "He has it, too!"

"What? What do I have?" Caleb got up and looked in the bathroom mirror. He rubbed his finger over the insignia on his forehead.

"It's the mark, honey," Sue said to him. "The mark of God." Caleb stepped back, in awe. Sue grabbed his arm. "Steven!" They all ran into Steven's room. Sue flipped him over and moved his hair back from his face.

"Mom! What's going on?"

She looked at Caleb, smiling. "He has it, too."

"Huh?" Steven said.

"Go look," Sue said.  
Steven slowly got out of bed to look in the bathroom mirror. Everyone followed. He moved his hair from his face and saw the mark.

"The mark of God," Steven said.

Caleb put his hand on Steven's shoulder, smiling at him. Steven looked at him and put his hand on Caleb's. Just then, Roger came out of his bedroom and saw everyone in the bathroom.

"Uh, what's going on? Should I take a number?" Then he saw they all had something on foreheads. "What is that on your faces?"

"It's the mark of God," Nicole said.

"What?"

"God marks his people to protect them from the upcoming judgements."

Roger stood there, not sure what to make of it. "Are you messing with me? Are those temporary tattoos or something?"

"No, my friend," Caleb said. "She's telling you the truth."

Roger turned his head to look in the mirror. There was no mark on him. After a moment of silence, he turned to go to the kitchen. "I'm going to put some coffee on."

The rest of them looked at each other.

"We really need to work on him," Caleb said.

Everyone nodded. When they had their Bible studies, they tried to include Roger more by asking him to read and having more discussion time afterwards. He started to become more open to it, but would still have days of hesitation.

The next place they stayed at had electricity. It wasn't in complete shambles, but had sustained some damage. The roof over the garage was gone, and a couple of windows were busted out, but had been taped up with plastic garbage bags. Some food was left in the kitchen, so the house had been more recently abandoned. One night, they all sat down in the living room and turned on the TV to the news station.

"In Israel, police have been receiving complaints about the two, seemingly supernatural, men, referred to as the 'two witnesses', by some. They are in the town square and continue to preach the gospel day and night, pleading with people to accept Jesus as their savior. Authorities are on the scene, trying to stop them, but are having no success. Let's take a look. You'll have to see it to believe it."

The video showed several police officers encircling them with their guns drawn.

"Turn from your wicked ways!" one of them yelled at police officers. "Jesus is returning soon. When that happens, you won't have another chance. It will mean eternity in the lake of fire! Eternal damnation! Jesus can save you! Let Him save you."

A police officer walked up to him. "I order you to stop this. You're scaring people."

"As they should be! Better to be scared by the truth and turn to Jesus than be comfortable in sin."

"If you don't stop, we'll have to take you in."

"We were sent here for a purpose until an appointed time. You won't be able to stop it."

"OK, let's go," the officer said. He placed his hand on the witness and was thrown back on the ground, but the witness never moved. The crowd that had gathered in the square, gasped.

The rest of the officers raised their guns. "Stand down!" one of them yelled.

"Heed the Word of God," the other witness said.

"Get in the car, or we'll shoot!"

"You leave us no choice," he said, as they both opened their mouths, and fire blew out on the police officers.

The crowd screamed and ran. The officers fell on the ground, yelling and rolling around.

"Man cannot stop the Word of God from being told."

Roger stood up with the look of terror on his face. "How is that possible?"

Nicole looked him and raised her eyebrows. "You know how."

"This is just unbelievable," the newscaster said. "Now we take you an emergency message from our leader, Frederick Lindholm."

"Friends," he said, letting out a deep breath, "today we witnessed something, not miraculous, not divine, but sinister. These two men in Jerusalem who took the lives of fifteen officers will not go unpunished. They're using trickery to lure people into believing in their so called 'cause'. They're trying to cloud minds, trying to bend you to their will. They say they are sent on behalf of Jesus Christ, a man who many have believed was God's son. Let me ask you, if you believe that is the case, do you think Jesus would send messengers with the agenda of setting people on fire? No, my friends, the answer is no. These are evil men doing evil deeds, and they will be stopped. Please do not be drawn in by them. They are dangerous. We will be taking steps to put an end to their deceit. I wish you safety and prosperity. Thank you."

"He is the master manipulator. Jesus is the very one who sent those men," Sue said.

Roger turned to her. "So, you believe that, too?"

"Of course! When the Rapture happened, I was asleep – spiritually. But not anymore."

Roger looked over at Caleb and Steven. He raised his eyebrows at them, and they nodded.

"No doubt in my mind, Roger," Caleb said. "What about you?"

Roger looked at Nicole with tears in his eyes. He sniffed and clenched his jaw. He stood there for a moment, looking at the floor.

"I need some air," he said and walked out the front door.

"What's it going to take?" Nicole asked.

"He's gonna have to learn the hard way," Steven said. "There's still so much to come."

# CHAPTER 12

Caleb walked outside to find Roger standing on the porch.

"I know someone that's working under Frederick's regime. He said that they're working on implants to put under a person's skin," Caleb said.

"Yeah, they've been working on that technology for years. It's supposed to make it easier to buy things," Roger replied.

"It will be the only way to buy things. I mean, like, food, medical care, houses, cars, you name it."

Roger looked at him with a crinkled brow. "Really? How do you know?"

"The Bible talks about the mark of the beast that will be placed in your right hand or on your forehead, and you won't be able to buy or sell without it. It appears these things are what it's referring to. But taking it also means swearing allegiance to the antichrist, ultimately dooming yourself."

Roger took a deep breath.

"It gets worse. He'll force everyone to worship him."

"Good luck getting people to comply with that."

"Those who don't will be martyred."

Roger swallowed and closed his eyes.

"Roger, that's the tip of the iceberg of the events set in motion to happen."

"I probably should've listened to my wife when I had the chance."

"We're all wishing we would have listened about God earlier, but you can change that now."

Roger looked off into the distance. "Yeah, maybe I should. But there's one thing I can't figure out. If there's a God that loves us like you claim he does, why bring all of this chaos onto his people? That doesn't sound like the acts of someone who loves us."

"Roger, it's mercy."

Roger shook his head. "I don't see that."

"Though part of the reason for these events is punishment for the wicked, they're also to help open the eyes of unbelievers – to show them that there is a God. He's giving people another chance to choose him before it's too late."

"Too late? Too late for what? It can't get much worse than this."

"Oh, brother, as bad as all this seems, this is nothing. Those that turn their back on God will end up in the lake of fire for eternity. They'll wish for such times as this. Just......think about it. OK?"

Roger nodded and gave Caleb a half-smile. "I will."

They all spent the next few years traveling from place to place, sometimes finding another uninhabited house with electricity. Food became harder to come by. It hadn't rained since the two witnesses came onto the scene. Crops were a thing of the past.

During that time, more judgements were doled out. Judgements such as hail, fire, and blood being poured down from the heavens occurred. A third of the trees were burned up. A massive meteor hit the ocean and killed a third of all ocean life. The sun, stars, and moon were darkened by a third, and daylight became scarce. It became harder and harder for them, and most, to survive.

One morning, Caleb and Roger were sitting outside on the porch of a house they were staying at.

"Do you hear that?" Roger asked.

"Yeah. What is that? It's like a buzzing noise."

They both stood up and looked around.

"It's getting louder," Roger said.

It got so loud that Caleb threw his hands over his hears. They looked up and saw the sky turning black. It wasn't clouds, though. It was moving in an 'S' shaped pattern. Caleb's eyes opened wide, and he grabbed Roger's arm.

"We've got to get inside. Now!"

They ran inside of the house and locked the door.

"Shut all of the windows and doors! Any way in - close it!" Caleb yelled.

Everyone was in the living room when they heard the commotion.

"What? What is it?" Nicole stood up and asked.

"What's going on?" asked Sue.

"I think it's the locusts," Caleb said.

"Oh, no," Sue said.

"Locusts? What locusts?" Roger asked.

Nicole looked at Roger, worried.

"What?" he asked.

"Roger, you need to stay away from the windows. You can't let them see you."

Sue, Caleb, and Steven began covering up the windows with blankets and pushing furniture up against any holes in the walls.

"What do you mean I can't let them see me? Let what not see me? Will someone give me some answers?" Roger yelled.

Just then, they heard noise on the roof. It sounded like a thousand feet were walking on it.

"Shhhh!" Nicole said.

Steven slowly pulled back the window curtain, then quickly let it go.

"Well?" Sue whispered.

With terror on his face, he replied, "It's them."

"What?" Roger asked. While everyone tried to remain quiet, he became impatient. "Fine, I'll look for myself." He walked over to the curtain and pulled it back. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened. He quickly let it go and fell backwards, pushing himself back against the wall.

Nicole bent down and put her hand on his shoulder. "Did they see you?"

Still in shock, he looked at her, taking deep breaths. "Uh....no. No, I don't think so." Nicole went to get up, and Roger grabbed her arm. "What are those things? I've never seen anything like them."

"The Bible calls them locusts," Nicole said. "They're one of the judgments. They have the power to cause mankind terrible pain that lasts for five months......if..."

"If what?"

"If they don't have the mark of God on them."

Roger looked forward, in a daze.

Nicole put her hand on his arm. "Roger? Are you OK?"

He shook his head. "This can't be. I mean, we've seen some crazy stuff happen, but those things!" he said, pointing to the window. "They have a face like a man and the body of a horse, not to mention its scorpion tail."

Caleb knelt down and took Roger's shoulders. "Roger, we all see them. They're as real as you and me, and if they find you, you're going to be in a world of hurt."

Roger finally got a grip, then they all got him into the bedroom and shut the door.

"OK, there doesn't seem to be any way to get in here. This is the safest place for you," Caleb said.

"How long do I have to stay here?"

"Until we're sure they're gone, OK?" Sue said, nodding at him.

Roger let out a deep breath. "OK. Umm, thank you."

After a few hours, the noise outside began to die down. Everyone stayed as quiet as possible. That night, during their Bible study, Roger wanted to know more about them. Steven read from the book of Revelation.

"And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days, men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails."

Roger laid his head back against the wall, looking distraught. Nicole, sitting next to him, placed her head on his shoulder. Steven looked at Nicole and smiled, sympathetically.

"Should I keep going?" Steven asked.

"I think we're good for tonight," Caleb said. "Maybe we should all get some sleep."

They all got up to head to their rooms. Nicole was the last to leave. She stepped out and pulled the door mostly closed.

"Good night, Roger."

He rolled his head toward her. "'Night, Nicole."

She closed the door and placed a blanket along the bottom of it to cover the space. Steven waited for Nicole in the hall.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"I'm just so worried for him. I wish he'd stop being so stubborn."

"It takes some people longer than others to admit they were wrong. With him, I think it's a matter of pride."

"That pride's going to cause him a lot of pain if he doesn't open his eyes soon."

He looked down and shook his head. "Yeah, it is." Then he reached out and took her hand, stroking the top of it with his thumb. "I'm here for you, you know, if you need to talk."

Looking at her hand, she opened her eyes wide, then looked up at him. "Oh. OK. I appreciate that. Thanks, Steven."

He smiled and let go of her hand.

"Um, well, I should head on to bed. Tired, you know."

He nodded. "Sleep good."

"Yeah, you, too." She walked into her bedroom and turned around to close the door. He was still there, looking at her. "Night."

He smiled, then walked to his room and closed the door.

She closed hers, then laid down on the bed. "Hmm."

The house was quiet, except for the noise from the locusts' wings outside. Barricades had been placed over the holes in the walls, but some were only pillows or blankets jammed into them. In the living room, one of the pillows stuffed in a hole in the wall began to move.

Roger sat awake in his room, listening to the noise outside. "God? If you're really there.... Wait, I'm being ridiculous," he said, as he got up and laid in bed. He flipped onto his stomach and propped a pillow under his chin, staring at the headboard in contemplation.

Caleb always fell asleep quickly. Sue had gotten up early that morning, so it didn't take long for her to drift off, either. They had left their door ajar. It began to slowly open. Squeak. The sound from the door caused Sue to turn over. Facing the door, she briefly opened her eyes, then closed them, again, seeing no one. Within a couple of minutes, she let out a snore. After that, a faint, repeated clip-clop sound on the wood floor could be heard. The sheet that hung off the side of the bed, down to the floor, began to tighten. The locust climbed its way up the sheet, knowing the noise from its wings would awaken them. It stood there at the foot of the bed with its mouth, full of sharp teeth, gaped open. Its long, brown hair covered half of its face. It wore a maniacal smile and panted as it looked back and forth at Sue and Caleb. It moved its long, black scorpion tail forward and back. It tucked its wings back tight and began walking toward the headboard. Caleb's leg was stretched across the bed, touching Sue's leg. The locust carefully placed its front two hooves on Caleb's leg and waited to see if he felt it. After no movement from him, it hopped over his leg and continued onward. Caleb was facing the middle of the bed. The locust crept up onto his pillow, salivating and slightly trembling. The look on its face was one of anticipation and joy. It curled its tail in and angled the stinger for a straight shot. The sheets were covering part of Caleb's face. It grabbed the sheet and pulled it up to see his forehead. The smile immediately left its face. It let go of the sheet and stared at Caleb with hatred. It turned its head toward Sue. As she was facing the other way, it had to climb up on her pillow to see her face. Just as it did, Sue flipped onto her back and flopped her arm over the top of her head. Her arm hit the locust, knocking it off of the pillow and caused its armor to hit the brass headboard. Clink. Sue sat up on her elbows.

"Caleb, did you hear that?"

"Huh?" he said, with is eyes still closed.

Sue reached over to the nightstand and turned on the light. When she looked back, the locust was back up on top of her pillow, and its tail was standing tall.

"Aaaahhhh!" she screamed.

Caleb sat up quickly and saw the locust. He pushed her out of the bed, and he jumped up off the other side.

Steven and Nicole came running in.

"What?" Nicole asked.

"Oh, my gosh!" Steven yelled.

"Aaahhh!" Nicole screamed.

Then Roger came in. "What's going on?"

When the locust saw Roger, the smile came back across its face, and it began to quiver. It stretched out its wings and took flight. Roger's face turned pale.

"Oh, no, you don't," Caleb said. He grabbed a pillow and swatted at it. He hit it a couple of times, but it continued to make a direct line for Roger.

Nicole grabbed Roger's arm and pulled him out of the room.

"Shut the door!" Sue yelled, hoping to contain it in their bedroom.

Steven grabbed the door to slam it shut, but not before the locust made it out.

"It's coming!" Steven yelled to Roger and Nicole.

Nicole pulled Roger back into his bedroom and slammed the door. The locust was flying toward them so fast, it smacked right into it.

"Oh, my gosh," Roger said. He stood there, breathing heavily.

Nicole grabbed Roger's blanket and jammed it under the door. They could hear the others throwing things at the locust. It continued taking runs at Roger's door, slamming into it as hard as it could. After a few minutes, it got quiet. Nicole stood there next to the door, listening.

"Guys?" she said. "What's going on?" After no response, she looked at Roger. "Stay here. Under no circumstance do you come out of this room, OK?"

He tilted his down and looked at her, then nodded.

She cracked the door open and looked out. "Be right back." She stepped out and pulled the door closed. She walked into the living room and found all three of them looking around.

"Where is it?" Nicole asked.

Sue looked at her, worried. "I don't know, hon. It flew out here, but we can't find it."

"Oh, no. Do you think it might have gone back outside?"

"Maybe," Steven said. "But if it did, it'll come back now that it's seen Roger."

Nicole looked over at Caleb and Sue. "What are we gonna do?" she said, in tears.

Sue walked over and hugged Nicole. "Protect him the best that we can, honey."

Just then, they heard noise coming from outside. It sounded like an army. Steven opened the curtains to see a huge swarm of locusts outside. They began banging into the windows. Their breastplates and hooves caused the glass to crack. The locust that had been in their house was in the front of the swarm, smiling at them. Steven pulled the curtains closed, and he and Caleb pushed all the furniture they could in front of the window. Crash. Once the window broke, the locusts poured in. They all headed straight back to Roger's room.

"Roger!" Nicole shouted. "Watch out!"

But it was too late. Nicole didn't latch the door when she left the room, and they all heard his door slam open.

"No!" she yelled.

They all ran back to Roger's room to see him standing in the middle of the room. His head hung down, as tears fell from his face. The locusts were flying all around him. His friends all stood there, watching helplessly.

"Roger!" Nicole yelled.

The locusts began to leave the room.

"What's going on?" Steven said. "Why are they leaving?"

Roger looked up at them. Nicole put her hands over her mouth and tears squeezed out of her eyes. He had the seal of God on his forehead.

Just like the Bible said, the torment of the locusts' victims went on for 5 months. News coverage showed them writhing in pain, attempting suicide, to no avail, and screaming for help. There was no help anyone could give that would stop their pain. Only God would lift it after its due time.

Soon after that, another war broke out. The army was made up of two hundred million soldiers. One third of what remained of mankind was killed. The world population was rapidly shrinking. Nicole and her friends went on the move, again.

# CHAPTER 13

One morning, Sue turned on the television to the news. It was more coverage on the witnesses. Frederick ordered all sorts of havoc on them since they arrived. They continued to be supernaturally spared and were able to retaliate, often with fire. Needless to say, it got dangerous for anyone nearby, and Frederick's men had to be more careful with what they tried.

"Soldiers in Jerusalem are attempting, yet again, to silence the two witnesses. So, far, everything they've tried has failed, often leaving casualties. This time, they are attempting to use tear gas on the men. Let's watch the latest coverage."

The video showed three police vans surrounding the two witnesses. Several officers were standing outside. Some of them tossed canisters toward the men, while the others had their guns drawn on them.

Roger stood up. "Bryce?"

"He's there?" Nicole asked.

"That man on the end there, holding the gun."

"How can you tell? They're all wearing gas masks."

"That tattoo on his forearm, and that's his build."

A huge cloud of smoke surrounded the witnesses. After a moment, the smoke blew back onto the officers. With their gas masks on, however, they were unaffected.

"Fire!" one of the officers yelled.

The officers that were holding rifles opened fire on the witnesses, all except one. Bryce held the rifle up to his face, looked through the scope, but never pulled the trigger. He watched as the bullets fired by the other officers turned into dust, then the witnesses blew fire at them. They walked toward the officers that threw the canisters, and breathed fire onto them, as well. The officers ran, yelling, as the flames engulfed them. The only officer left untouched was Bryce. One of the witnesses walked over to him. Bryce, shaking, lowered his rifle. The witness placed his hand on Bryce's shoulder and whispered in his ear. Bryce, facing away from the camera, pulled off his mask and dropped his weapon. He nodded at the witness and ran in the other direction.

Roger fell on his knees and covered his face with his hands. "Thank you, God, for sparing him."

Nicole and the others wrapped their arms around him. "He's alive, Roger, he's alive," Nicole said.

Roger wiped his face and caught his breath. "And now I know where he is. Let me make some calls. We'll need a plane." Roger went to one of the bedrooms and closed the door. An hour later he came out.

"Any luck?" Caleb asked.

Looking at the floor, he shook his head. "No. I don't know what else to do."

"Breaking news," the anchorwoman said. "The military is back in Jerusalem's town square. This time they brought tanks. Let's go to the feed."

All eyes in the room turned toward the television. Two tanks rolled into the square, pointing their guns at the witnesses. Once the tanks stopped, they opened fire. The ammunition used was explosive on contact, so fire engulfed the two men. Much to everyone's surprise, there was no retaliation from the witnesses. Instead, the powerful guns decimated them, just as they would have done to any normal human being. When the smoke cleared, the two men laid lifeless on the ground, burned and full of holes. The room was silent. The news anchor was silent. The crowd in Jerusalem was silent. The soldiers climbed out of the tank, stood on top and raised their hands in victory. Slowly, people around them began to clap.

"The evil is finally dead!" a soldier yelled. Then the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Indeed, the witnesses appears to have been killed," the anchorwoman said. "I'm getting word that we have a message from our world leader, Frederick Lindholm, from his London headquarters. Let's take you there."

Frederick was standing at a podium, with a backdrop of the new world flag; Frederick's profile centered on it with the globe behind him.

"Friends, I am happy to announce that we have finally rid ourselves of the men referred to as the 'two witnesses'. These so-called men of God, have murdered many of my men over the last several years and have been a public nuisance for far too long. Why they came to harm us, I do not know. We've only tried to rebuild our lives after the horrendous loss and suffering we've endured. But now that they're dead, we have cause for rejoice. And to celebrate their extermination, we will leave their bodies lie in Jerusalem's town square for all to see. This will serve as a warning for any trying to take away our way of life. No one will be permitted to tell us how to live, what's right and what's wrong, or try to scare us with nonsense theories of what we'll encounter in some afterlife. These are fear tactics to take our freedom. These are meant to control us and try to brainwash us to live life the way someone else thinks is right. I don't know about you, but I believe we've come too far to let anyone tells us what to do. They don't have the right. And to anyone that tries to do so again, think about the two witnesses, as they lie on the street with birds feasting on their bodies. Is this what you want your future to be? If you do, I can make it so.

As a proclamation of our victory and celebration of freedom, I pronounce this day a holiday. Let us exchange gifts with one another and spend time with those you love. Wishing you peace and safety on this joyous occasion, and always."

"Sick, lying monster," Sue said.

Roger shook his head. "How long is he going to let them lie there like that?"

"Three and a half days," Steven said.

"Why did that attack kill them when all other attempts failed?" Roger asked.

"It's been exactly three and a half years. Their assigned time here has elapsed."

"How do you know all this, Steven?" Roger asked.

"All right here," he said, holding up the Bible.

"OK, I've got a lot of catching up to do. Will you all help me?"

Caleb laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "Of course, my friend. Let's start right now with Revelation."

They all sat down on the floor in the living room, and Caleb read to the group. Roger had so many questions, not only about what was to come, but about Jesus and creation. That Bible study lasted for five hours. Roger drank in everything, eager to learn even more.

"OK, so can you explain the Trinity to me one more time? I think I'm starting to get it," Roger said.

Steven looked at Nicole and buried his head in his hands. Nicole giggled. Sue put her hand on Caleb's knee and dug her nails in. Caleb's eyes grew wide, as he got the message.

"Roger, my friend, I think we've had a wonderful Bible study for the day. As fulfilling as this has been, our bellies need some food. How about we get back at this tomorrow? You're more than welcome to take my Bible and read it in the meantime?"

Roger grabbed it and held it tight to his chest. "Thanks, Caleb." He got up, took it back to the bedroom, and shut the door.

Nicole sat there, looking down the hallway, with a big smile on her face.

"He's like a father to you, isn't he, Nicole?" Sue asked.

She looked at Sue and nodded. "I'm so happy his eyes were opened."

Sue crawled over to her and gave her a hug. "Me, too, sweetheart." After a moment, she sat back and took Nicole's hands. "How about we rustle up some dinner?"

"OK." Nicole smiled and followed Sue into the kitchen.

There wasn't much variety of food to choose from. Packaged food left at the houses they stayed at were all that they had to survive on.

Steven came in and sat down at the counter. "Can I help you, Nicole?"

"Well, I'm just going to open some cans, but sure, if you want to."

He smiled and nodded.

She handed him a can, and he quickly reached for it, placing his hand on hers. She looked up at him to see him gazing at her. She continued to look at him for a moment, and then her eyes darted elsewhere. "Um, let me get the can opener for you," she said.

Sue, getting some pots out of the cabinet, glanced over to see her love-struck son's eyes follow Nicole around the kitchen.

"Oh, boy," Sue said under her breath.

Steven saw his mother looking at him. "What?" he mouthed to her.

Sue just shook her head.

Nicole handed Steven the can opener. "I'll be right back. I'm going to grab a sweater," she said.

When she left the room, Steven whispered to Sue, "Why are you shaking your head?"

"Steven, she's been through a lot. She lost her parents, her baby, and the last man she was in a relationship with treated her horribly. I don't think she's emotionally ready to get into a relationship, right now."

"Maybe," he said, looking down. "But I am. Why can't I try to be happy?"

Sue took Steven's hands. "I do want you to be happy, dear, but I also don't want to see you get hurt."

Steven nodded and clutched his mother's hands. "I know."

Nicole came back in the room and stopped when she saw them holding hands. "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

"No, sweetheart," Sue said. She let go of Steven's hands and began opening the cans of food. Nicole looked over at Steven. He smiled, then got up and left the room.

Nicole, looking confused, asked Sue, "Is everything alright?"

"Mmm hmm," Sue responded, as she poured the canned beans into the pot.

Over the next couple of days, they all kept a close eye on the news for more coverage on the two witnesses. Just as Frederick promised, the two slain men remained lying in the square. Passerby's spit on them. Gift exchanges were still going on in celebration of their death. Guards were stationed nearby to ensure that no one tried to take the men to give them a proper burial. What once could not have been imagined in a person's mind was now happening. Decency and respect for another human being was no more. It was becoming clear that Frederick was going to change what was. The rules would all be rewritten. Only what he deemed as good and right would be considered so, and God help those who didn't go along with it. Midday on the fourth day of the two witnesses' death, something began to happen.

"Screaming is erupting in the Jerusalem town square," the anchorman announced. "People are falling over each other to get away. Let's go to the feed."

The blood on the witnesses' sackcloth clothes and the ground around them began to disappear. Their gaping wounds that caused them massive blood loss closed up. Their hair, once matted in dry blood, softened again. People, indeed, were running and screaming in fear, although, some stood and watched in disbelief. The two witnesses slowly stood to their feet. Then a strong, booming voice came out of nowhere.

"Come up here!" it shouted.

A cloud began to form around their feet, and it became larger and larger. The two witnesses began to slowly rise off of the ground, while looking down at the crowd. With that, they were quickly pulled up into heaven. Jerusalem was left in pandemonium. Many of the guards fled, just as the people did, but those that were left, trying to contain the chaos, were trampled on.

"My God," the anchorman said. "My God." He couldn't take his eyes off of the screen. After a moment of silence, another anchorman took over, continuing to cover the event.

Nicole and her friends were in tears, bearing witness to God's supernatural power. A moment later, God fulfilled another prophecy.

# CHAPTER 14

Before the commotion in Jerusalem had a chance to die down, the ground there began to shake. People stumbled and fell. Rumbling began and got louder and louder, until a devastating crack was heard. Aerial footage from a helicopter showed a deep crevice in the ground, straight through the city center, and it continued to grow and widen. It ate anything in its way, sparing nothing and no one. Buildings that were in its path split in half. Cars, people, trees, and houses were also among its victims. The earthquake was so severe, that it caused surrounding buildings to crumble and fall, killing everyone in and around them. The edges of the crack gave way, and those close by, toppled down into it. The intensity of the earthquake was felt for miles, and destruction followed wherever it went.

By the time it was over, seven thousand lives had been claimed. A tenth of Jerusalem had completely collapsed. However, survivors began to have their eyes opened. Many could be heard crying out to God, asking for forgiveness. This caused Frederick to quickly begin to make changes. He became even more hungry for power and overthrew anyone in his way. He couldn't let these events bring about followers of Jesus. He craved to be followed, so much so that he hosted an event at the new temple, and he declared himself a god. Tried as he did to hold back from showing his true colors too soon, they started to bleed through. This turned many against him, but most people were so lost and desperate, they were willing to believe anything.

"He's no god," Nicole said, as she and her friends sat and watched the events unfold on television.

"No, he is not," said Caleb.

Nicole sat there with her fists clenched, bouncing her leg quickly. As she watched people bow down to Frederick, she started shaking her head and breathing faster.

"Are you OK?" Roger asked.

"He can't get away with this. He can't just lead people astray. Someone has to stop him."

"Well, yeah, that would be great, but how would anyone do that? He's got guards with him at all times," Steven said.

Nicole put her elbows on her knees and looked at Caleb. "You said you knew someone working for Frederick?"

He nodded, then squinted his eyes at her. "Why?"

"Do you think he can get us into his headquarters?"

"Why do you want to get into his headquarters?" Roger asked.

"I'm going to kill him."

Sue put her head in her hands, and Steven shook his head.

"What you're talking about is suicide, Nicole," Caleb said.

"Not if we do this right," Nicole said. "I've got a plan."

"Is there any talking you out of this?" Roger asked.

"No."

Roger let out a sigh and put his hand on her shoulder. "Then I'll help. Someone's got to watch out for you."

Together, they all came up with a strategy of taking Frederick out. Caleb contacted his friend in Frederick's regime, who had become a Christian and loathed working for Frederick, but was afraid to leave. He set it all up. There was an abandoned car near the house where they were staying. They were able to hotwire it and get it running. The next morning, they left for London. They had to remember to cover their new seal whenever they went out in public, for fear of what Frederick's men would do to them if they were caught with it. Caleb's contact gave him specific instructions to follow once they arrived. When they got a visual of the headquarters in the distance, Caleb pulled the car over. The headquarters had tall, barbed wire fencing installed along the front and sides of its perimeter. A heavily wooded area was behind it, and several guards were in the back.

"OK, he said he left us uniforms and weapons in the woods," Caleb said.

"Where in the woods?" Nicole asked.

"He gave me land markers to follow. Let's go."

They all got out and followed Caleb's instructions. They found a duffel bag with two uniforms, a rifle, guns, and a sword. Nicole and Caleb grabbed the uniforms. They each stepped away to get changed, then returned.

Sue let out a deep breath. "We're really going to do this, aren't we? We're going to assassinate the world leader?"

"We're going to assassinate the antichrist, Sue. The only leading he's doing is leading people to an eternal hell," Nicole said.

Sue grabbed her shoulders and kissed her on the head. "May God be with you, honey." Then she hugged Caleb tight and gave him a kiss. "I love you. Come back to me."

Caleb wrapped his big arms around her and lifted her off the ground. "I love you." He put her down and placed his hands on her face. "If I don't make it back, I'll see you soon." He placed his forehead on hers, as tears ran down her cheeks. He pulled Steven in for a hug, then looked at Roger. "You got a place picked out?"

Roger had the rifle, loading it with ammunition. "Yep. I gotta tell ya, I never thought I'd be using my marksman skills for something like this."

Caleb slapped him on the back and smiled, then he looked at Nicole. "Ready, dragon slayer?"

Nicole picked up the sword, put it in the holster on her hip, and took a deep breath. "Ready."

Caleb grabbed two guns. "Steven, you're up."

"OK, Dad." Inside the duffel bag was some dynamite and matches. Caleb's contact couldn't get them IDs made in time, so they needed a diversion. Steven ran with the bag to the other side of the woods. Caleb and Nicole waited until they heard the explosion, then headed to the gate. All of the guards had gone to investigate the noise, and they were able to walk right through. However, the two guards stationed at the doorway of the building didn't budge.

"Where's your ID?" a guard asked.

"Oh, I have it here somewhere," Caleb said, as he began searching his pockets. "Give me just a minute." He and Nicole stepped off to the side. Nicole looked toward the woods and nodded once. Two shots were fired, both hitting the guards in the calves.

They both fell to the ground, grabbing their legs, and groaning.

"I'll take these," Caleb said, relieving the guards of their weapons. He gave Nicole a gun and tucked the other one in waist of his pants. They stepped inside and locked the doors behind. Caleb and Nicole took off their belts, wrapping them around the handles of the double doors to give them some more time. The headquarters was more of a palace inside. It had high ceilings, large pillars, and shiny marble floors. There were several paths to take off of the main entry way. There were two large hallways and multiple doors. Due to the commotion outside, the place looked empty.

"Let's try this way," Nicole said, as they took the hall to the left. At the end of the hallway was two large double doors with fancy, gold handles. By that time, banging could be heard on the front doors. They ran down the hall. With her gun drawn, she placed her hand on the door handle. "Ready?" she asked Caleb.

He had a pistol in each hand. "It's now or never."

Nicole flung the door open, and there sat Frederick at a large desk with two guards standing on each side of him. The guards drew their guns. But before they could get shots off, Caleb shot each of them in the shoulder, as he walked toward the desk. One of them dropped their gun. Caleb was able to reach down and picked it up, but the other guard fired at Caleb. It hit him in the side, and he went down.

"No!" Nicole screamed. She pointed her gun at the guard. "Drop it! Drop it, now!"

"No, you drop it," he said, as blood streamed down his arm, and the gun shook in his hand.

"I'm not here to kill you, so don't make me."

With that, Frederick opened a desk drawer and pulled out a hand gun. Nicole saw the guard begin to squeeze the trigger, so she fired, aiming at his other shoulder. The bullet tore through his shoulder muscle, and he fell to the ground. His gun slid across the floor to the other side of the room. Frederick stood to his feet, pointing the gun at Nicole. She had her gun aimed at Frederick. He smiled devilishly at her.

"What did you think would happen, child? That you'd just come in here and assassinate me? Do you know who you're dealing with?" Frederick walked out from behind the desk and took a few steps toward her.

"I know exactly who you are."

"Do you, now? Do you have any idea how much power I can wield?"

"You don't scare me."

"That's your naivety talking. Tell me, why aren't you afraid?"

"Because my God is bigger than you."

"Oh, your god?" he chuckled. "Do you think he's going to save you from my wrath?"

Just then, a bullet went through Frederick's hand, and he dropped the gun and bent down, clutching his hand.

"Yes, I do," Caleb said, lowering his gun.

With the gun pointed at Frederick's head, she pulled the trigger, but the clip was empty. She threw the gun down and grabbed her sword. She quickly lifted it up over her head, then swung it down hard, dealing him a blow to the head that made him fall to his knees. He placed his hands on the floor as the blood pouring from the gash quickly turned the marble floor red. He slowly looked up at her, as streams of blood ran down his face.

"I'm....not.....finished.....with you," he said, then he fell over dead.

Nicole dropped her sword and ran over to Caleb. "Caleb, Caleb, can you get up?"

Caleb's eyes were starting to gloss over. "Sorry, little one, you'll have to go without me."

Nicole's eyes filled with tears. "No, come on. Get up. I'll help you." Just then, they could hear that the guards broke through the front doors.

"Go," Caleb said. "I'll....see you soon." Then he was gone.

Nicole kissed his forehead, while her tears dropped onto his face. "I'll see you soon, friend." She grabbed one of his guns and ran out the door. Guards were headed down the hallway and began to fire, so she took off down another connected hall. That one led to the second main hall. Caleb's contact on the inside had told them about a side exit. Nicole could only hope she could get to it in time. When she came to the end of that hallway, guards were standing on each side of the opening with their guns drawn.

"Fire!" one of them yelled, and six guards began to unload their ammunition on her.

When she heard the first shot, she crouched on the ground, covered her face with her hands and squeezed her eyes closed. She waited to feel the pain of the bullets, but never did. She opened her eyes and looked up. Abia was crouched over her with his large wings wrapped all the way around her. He looked different this time. He was translucent. The guards didn't appear to see him, as they just kept firing, but all of the bullets bounced off his wings like they were hitting solid steel. Nicole smiled at him and reached up and put her hand on his cheek.

He looked at her and smiled ever so gently. "It's not your time yet," he said.

Her expression went cold. "Yet?"

When the guards ran out of bullets, they stood there puzzled by what just happened. Abia used one of his mighty wings to knock some of the guards out of the way so Nicole had a way out.

"Godspeed, Nicole," he said, then he disappeared.

Nicole got up and bolted for the front doors. The guards that remained standing chased her. She was able to get outside and made a break for the gate. Three guards were there, waiting for her. She knew Roger was watching, so she continued to run full speed. One guard went down, then another. The third guard turned toward the woods.

"The woods! A sniper's in the woods!" he yelled.

Roger saw guards beginning to run their way. Roger looked at Sue and Steven. "You two get to the car."

"I'm not going anywhere without Nicole and Caleb," Sue said.

"Me, either," said Steven.

Roger looked back through the gun sight to take down third guard, but by that time, two other guards were dragging Nicole back into the palace.

"No, no, no," Roger said, seeing if he could get a clear shot. He fired once and hit one of the guards holding her in the leg, but the other quickly ushered her inside. He could hear the guards in the woods getting closer.

"We gotta go, now!" Roger said. He took the rifle and ammo with him, and they all ran back to the car. Roger tried to get the car started, but it wouldn't start.

"Uh, Roger, they're coming," Steven said.

"I know, I know," Roger said, trying to get it started. Finally, it fired up.

"Hey! Stop!" one of the guards yelled, and he began to fire.

"Get down, everyone," Roger said. The tires spun, as he turned the car around and took off. Fortunately, the bullets missed them. They got a couple of miles down the road, then decided they needed to ditch their ride and find a new one. They drove around a few blocks looking for another abandoned car.

"Could you see Caleb through the scope?" Sue asked. "I didn't see him."

"No, Sue, I didn't, but let's not jump to conclusions, OK? We need to keep our heads about us and figure out a way to get them out."

Sue looked down at her wedding ring, as tears fell onto her shirt. "You're right. I'm sure he's OK." She looked over at Roger, wiping her face. "We will get them out, won't we?"

Roger nodded. "We will."

They found an old, black Chevy with a flat tire along a side street. Roger pulled up behind it and got out to take a look. He looked inside and reached his arm in. He pulled out the keys and held it up to Sue and Steven. He opened the trunk and got the spare tire out. There was a car cover in the trunk, also. He switched out the tire and covered up their old car. They all got in and searched for a place to stay to lay low for a bit and come up with a plan to get Nicole and Caleb out of the palace.

# CHAPTER 15

Roger, Sue, and Steven found a temporary hideout, and changed into some different clothes that were there. The guards in the woods weren't close enough to have gotten a good look at their faces, but their clothes may have given them away. There was very little food at the hideout and no electricity. Since they'd been traveling together for such a long time, they had pooled what little money they had together. It was running low, but they needed to eat. They waited until lunchtime the next day and stopped at a local diner.

"Hello there," the waitress said in her English accent. "How is everyone today?"

"Oh, OK," Roger said.

"Good. What can I get you?"

"We'll take three ham sandwiches, two coffees, and a cola."

"OK. Keeping it simple, huh?" she said and smiled.

"Simple. That's us," Roger said. He looked out the window next to their booth and saw a police car slowly driving by.

The waitress finished writing and looked up to see the police car. "They must be looking for those people."

"Who?" Steven asked.

"Oh, didn't you hear? There was an attack on Frederick Lindholm in his palace. He's dead. They have the people that did it in custody, but there were some accomplices that got away. I feel sorry for them if they're caught. Everyone hates them right now." She shook her head and put her notepad in her apron. "Taking part in killing the best leader any country's ever had. What were they thinking? Well, I'll get this order out to you straight away."

They all looked at each other with wide eyes.

"They did it," Sue whispered. "They killed him."

All three of them reached out and held each other's hands, trying to hold back the joy in knowing that they helped rid the world of the antichrist.

"Not everyone hates them," a man in the booth behind Roger said.

Roger turned around and looked at him. He was an African American man in his fifties, with short, black and grey hair, wearing a long, navy blue trench coat.

"I noticed you all didn't seem too broken up about hearing he was dead. The way you all held hands, I'd say you were downright joyful."

Roger didn't know what to say. He knew it was dangerous to say anything against the new regime. The man looked at him and took a sip of his coffee. He got up out of his seat and walked in front of their booth. He reached in his coat pocket, pulled out a small paper bag, and laid it on their table. Roger noticed a cross tattoo on his hand.

"There's strength in numbers," he said to Roger. Then he bent over, put his hands on the table, and whispered, "Redemption is mine." He stood back up, nodded at Sue and Steven, then walked out of the diner.

All three of them looked at each other confused, but intrigued. Sue took the bag and opened it up. In it was a cell phone and charger. A piece of tape was stuck to the back of the phone with a phone number and website URL written on it. By that time, the waitress brought out their order. Sue quickly put the phone back in the bag and put the bag in her purse.

"Um, I'm sorry, ma'am," Roger said. "Can we get this to go?"

"Oh, no problem," the waitress said, and she went and got some carry out boxes for them.

After they boxed up their food and paid, they quickly walked to the car and took off to their hideout. When they got there, they all sat down at the kitchen table and got the bag out of Sue's purse.

"Do you think we should call it?" Steven asked.

Roger picked up the phone and turned it on. He went to the website that was written on the piece of tape. "It's asking for a password."

Sue and Steven scooted their chairs on either side of Roger so they could see.

They all sat there for a moment, perplexed why that man would give them the website address without a password.

"Oooo," Steven said, "try redemption is mine."

Roger smiled. "Right." He entered it in and was granted access to the website. "Wow," he said, scanning over several web pages. "It looks like an underground website."

"It's all about God and warning about the beast," Sue said.

"Look," Steven said. "Even maps to hideouts. They must have special encryption on this site to be brave enough to post this kind of stuff."

Roger kept paging through the site, learning more and more about what was coming and how to prepare. "OK, let's call him." He dialed the number and put it on speakerphone. The man from the diner picked up.

"I had a feeling I'd hear from you soon."

"You did?" Roger said.

"Mmm hmm."

An awkward silence followed.

"Soooo," Roger said, "you mentioned at the diner that there's strength in numbers. What did you mean?"

"Who is your father?"

Taken aback, Roger replied, "My father? Wha..." Then he realized what he really meant. "God. God is my father, and Jesus my savior."

"Right answer," the man said. "My name is Jordan."

"I'm Roger. I have Sue and Steven with me....friends of mine."

"Hello," Jordan said.

"Hello," Sue replied.

"Hi," Steven said.

"Why did you give me this phone?" Roger asked.

"I saw your reaction to Frederick's death. We're a group of people against the new regime, against the antichrist. We band together, help each other, and try to stay alive until the day of Armageddon."

"But.......the antichrist is dead," Roger said.

"My friend, in Revelation, it tells us he won't stay that way."

"The head of the beast with the fatal wound," Sue said. "The fatal wound heals. That's what it meant? That the antichrist would be resurrected?"

"Just like Christ," Steven said.

"Just like Christ," Jordan replied. "Once that happens, worship of the beast will kick into high gear. He'll be revered as a true god, and he'll come for people like us that won't bow to him. That's why we all need to stick together."

"Wow," Roger said, as he sat back in his chair. "Look, we could use your help."

"With what?" Jordan asked.

"We have friends being held captive in his palace."

"Why are they being held there?"

"They're.......they're the ones who killed him, and we helped them plan it."

After a moment of silence, Roger wondered if Jordan was still there. "Hello? Jordan?"

"Sorry," Jordan said. "I just can't believe I know the people responsible for assassinating him."

"Does that change your mind about us?" Steven asked.

Jordan laughed. "Are you kidding? Your resolve for trying to stop the antichrist himself from taking over the world, is, let me think of the word.....inspiring, to say the least."

"Good. Then we need your help. We need to get Nicole and Caleb out of there, especially before Frederick heals himself."

"OK. We're going to need more people for this. Let me gather up some of my people with special talents."

"We know someone on the inside," Sue said.

"Phillip?"

"Yes! You know him?"

"Oh, yes. He'll need to be part of this effort, for sure. We'll call you all tonight at seven to put together a plan."

Roger let out a deep breath. "OK, Jordan. Thank you."

"Yes, thank you so much," Sue said.

"OK. I'll talk to you tonight. Oh, and you may want to stay indoors. They're looking for two men and a woman who were accomplices in Frederick's assassination."

Sue, Roger, and Steven all looked at each other, nervous.

"We will," Steven said.

That night, Jordan and his team called back, and between everyone's tactical and technical expertise, they devised a plan to infiltrate the palace and get Nicole and Caleb out.

Early the next morning, a delivery truck arrived at the palace gates. Phillip was manning the gates, as planned. He opened them up and directed the truck to drive around back. Jordan was driving, and in the back was Roger, Sue, Steven, and two of Jordan's associates, Todd and Lacey. This time, Phillip was able to get them key cards with full access to the palace. A guard was at the back entrance, but was radioed to be expecting the truck and to direct them to the kitchen. The truck pulled up, and the guard let them in. They were all wearing white catering uniforms. They wheeled in a cart with boxes, supposedly filled with food. They headed down the hall that the guard directed them to. After a minute, the guard went back outside and shut the door behind him. When he did, Todd pushed the cart against the wall, opened one of the boxes, and pulled out a small duffel bag carrying tools and two more white uniforms.

"Phillip said they'd be keeping them downstairs," Jordan said.

They found the door to the stairwell and headed down it. Their keycard was required to open the door. When they opened it, it was completely dark.

"Where's the light switches?" Lacey said, feeling on the wall by the door.

Todd reached in the duffel bag and pulled out a flashlight. He shone it around on the wall until they found a switch. When they flipped it, dim lighting came on, and they couldn't believe what they saw. It was a cellar full of cages. There must have been a hundred, and what was even more disturbing, at least half of them were full - of people. The cages resembled metal dog crates. They were only four feet tall, and three feet wide and deep. Those trapped in them had a hard time opening their eyes from being in darkness for so long. Those that could open them, saw that they weren't guards and cried out to them for help. There were some in cages, however, that were motionless.

"Oh, my gosh," Lacey said, in disbelief.

Roger's eyes filled with tears. "Nicole?" he whispered loudly. "Nicole?"

"Caleb," Sue said, looking around for him.

A lady in a cage right next to Jordan grabbed its doors and shook them violently. "You've got to get me out of here!"

Jordan jumped. "Shhhh, you need to stay quiet. We'll get you out."

Todd pulled out his phone and called Phillip. "Phillip, there's a bunch of people down here. How can we get this many out without being noticed?" Todd paused for his reply. "OK. Got it," he said, and hung up.

"What did he say?" Jordan asked.

"At the back of the cellar, there's a locked door in the floor. It leads out into the woods. Must have been an escape route they built for Frederick."

Todd handed out flashlights to those he came with, then pulled out a couple pairs of bolt cutters from his duffel bag and gave them to Jordan and Lacey. They began cutting locks, while Todd went and worked on the locked door in the floor. Some of these prisoners had been there for a while. They were malnourished and some had been beaten. As Roger and Sue saw this, they couldn't hold back their tears, fearing the worst for their loved ones.

"Caleb? Caleb, darling? Where are you?" Sue whispered loudly.

"Roger?" Nicole said. "Over here!" She was in a cage three rows over.

"Nicole!" Roger said.

Roger, Sue, and Steven ran over to her and knelt down.

"Jordan! Bring the bolt cutters over here," Steven said, putting his hands on her fingers sticking out of the cage.

Jordan ran over and cut the lock off of her cage. She flung the door open, and quickly crawled into Roger's arms, crying. Roger grabbed her and hugged her tight. "Daughter," he said, kissing her head.

Next, Sue grabbed her and hugged her. Steven joined in.

"What about Caleb?" Sue asked. "Where is he down here?"

Nicole looked at Sue with her mouth slightly open, unable to find the words. Finally, she responded, "Over there." Nicole looked to her right. Steven pointed his flashlight over there. In the corner, several body bags were stacked up.

"No," Sue said, as she broke down. She dropped her head in her hands and began to wail.

Steven held her, as he wept for his father. Nicole and Roger put their arms around them.

"Got it!" Todd said. He opened up the door in the floor and shone the flashlight down it. There were stairs heading down and a path leading toward the woods, just like Phillip said. "OK, let's get them rounded up and head out."

As the people were let out of their cages, not all of them could walk. Some of them were so starved, they were barely hanging on. Those that were strong enough offered to carry them. Eventually, all of the locks were cut. Fifteen of the people in those cages were dead. Jordan and his team made sure everyone got out that could. Jordan, Nicole, Sue, Caleb, and Steven were among the last to leave.

"OK," Jordan said. "Let's get out of here."

"Gladly," said Nicole.

Just then, the stairwell door flung open, and a man stepped in.

Nicole's eyes widened. "Frederick," she whispered.

# CHAPTER 16

"There you are," Frederick said to Nicole. The gash on his head had miraculously healed, but left a scar. Dried blood was still matted in his hair. Four guards were standing behind him. Roger stepped in front of Nicole.

Frederick laughed. "Don't you worry. I'm not going to kill her – just yet."

Sue stood there shaking with anger. Steven grabbed her arm. She reached down in her boot and pulled out a knife.

"Mom, no," Steven whispered to her.

Sue yanked her arm out of Steven's hand and went running for Frederick. "Aaaaaaahhh," she yelled, as she raised the knife. One of Frederick's guards stepped out from the stairwell and gunned Sue down.

"Mom!" Steven yelled. He ran to her and picked her head up in his hands. Blood began to run out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she said, choking on the blood for a moment, then her body went limp.

Frederick rolled his eyes and walked around them toward Nicole. Jordan pulled his pistol out of his pocket and pointed it at Frederick. Three more guards stepped in from the stairwell and all of them aimed their guns at Jordan.

"Not very wise," Frederick said.

"You're not taking us," Jordan said.

"It's not you that I want. It's her."

"Well, you'll have to go through me," Roger said.

"I can do that," Frederick said. He turned his head sideways to signal a guard. As one of them stepped forward to take the shot, Jordan fired at him. The other guards fired back. Nicole squatted down and covered her head. When the gunfire stopped, she opened her eyes and looked around. Jordan and Roger were on the ground, along with one of the guards.

Nicole crawled over to Roger and shook him. "Roger? Roger, please wake up. Please!"

Frederick walked over and knelt down in front of Roger's body. He shook his head. "Wherever you go, death follows, doesn't it?"

She glared at Frederick with her jaws clenched and tears running down her cheeks. "Well, you're not dead. Maybe I'll give it another go." She reached for the gun that Jordan dropped. Frederick quickly stood up and kicked her in the head. She fell backwards, smacking her head on the concrete floor. He walked over and stepped on her neck.

"Stop!" Steven yelled and got up to run to Nicole. One of the guards grabbed and restrained him.

"Oh, make no mistake," Frederick said to Nicole, "I was dead. My funeral was even being planned, but you can't kill me." He bent over and looked at her face turning red. "And remember," he said, pushing his foot harder into her neck, "I told you I wasn't done with you, yet."

"Why don't you just kill me now?" she said, gasping for air.

He smiled. "Child, you're going to be an integral part of my plan. You're going to be an example to the world. You'll show everyone what happens to someone who betrays me."

"What? That you throw them in a cage."

Frederick laughed and shook his head. "No, no. You lose your head."

Nicole began to struggle to get free. He took his foot off of her neck. When he did, the guard near her pointed his gun at her. Frederick walked over and picked up the knife that Sue dropped. He came back and knelt down by Nicole. He forced her head against the floor and placed the tip of the knife on the side of her forehead. He pressed it in and pulled it down the side of her face. Nicole gritted her teeth and whimpered.

"Shhhh. I just thought we could have matching scars."

"You're a monster."

"You have no idea," Frederick said with a sly grin.

"You won't win, you know. I know who you really are, and in the end, God will beat you."

Frederick lowered his head, looking at her as though he wanted to kill her, then and there. "Wait outside," he said to the guards.

"Sir?"

"Now."

The guards waited in the stairwell, taking Jordan's gun and Steven with them. Nicole started breathing heavier, nervous to be alone with Frederick.

"You really have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?"

"You have many names, but let's go with the one that your father gave you: Lucifer."

His jaws clenched. and he spoke in a dark, sinister voice that wasn't a man's. "My father cast me out. Everyone of you were made in His image, and it constantly reminds me of Him. I live sickened at the sight of humanity........but you do have your qualities. You're all looking for a shepherd, and I want revenge. So, for centuries, I've caused powerful men to bow to my will, altered the shape of society and have given it more...choices, you might say, for what shepherd to follow. I made God look so rigid and restrictive. I told them all they had to do was just be good people, or at least balance the good with the bad. You see, doing good without God still keeps people out of heaven. Then I told them there wasn't a god at all. This comforted people even more. They can be free to live as they choose, without guilt or worry. That won more people over than I could have imaged. I've caused chaos of every kind in the world so people would be desperate for any solution you put in front of them, as long as they believed the lies that it was good for them, for instance, like a single world leader. I've even influenced many religious leaders, who might I add, will be of great help to me very soon. You're all weak minded, and I need an army."

Nicole squinted her eyes and shook her head. "You really do think you'll win against God, don't you?"

He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "It will be a glorious victory. At my disposal is all of you expendable sheep, nuclear weapons, aerial attacks, robot armies, and that's just what you can wrap your mind around. Then, when we have won, this earth will truly be mine. The other fallen ones and I will reign here forever and be able to bask in victorious glory."

"The only basking you'll be doing is in the lake of fire."

"Why do you think I've been plotting for so long!" he yelled. "I know He made that place for me and the others He cast out. It was never intended for your kind; man is just naive enough to choose it."

"You winning is impossible. You've been lying to people for so long that you believe your own lies."

He began laughing and picked up a section of her hair, running his fingers through it. "Oh, little, noble one. I can't wait to see the look of fear frozen on your face when your head falls off of your body."

"Like to kill women, do you?"

"Like I said, His image sickens me. And I've never been above killing women, or children, for that matter."

A chill ran throughout Nicole's entire body. Frederick stood up, walked back to the door, and opened it for the guards. Nicole rolled on to her side and scooted over to Roger. She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around him. Before the guards came and picked her up, she was able to slip Roger's dog tags off of his neck and put them in her pants pocket. They picked up Nicole and headed to the door. Frederick looked around at the mostly empty cages and saw the door in the floor open.

As she came closer to him, he said in his normal voice, "You've been a busy bee, haven't you?"

Nicole spit in his face.

Frederick calmly wiped his face with his sleeve. "It's all in vain. They'll be dead soon enough." He looked at guards. "Send the dogs."

As the guards radioed in the command, Nicole screamed, "Ruuuuunn!"

The people in the tunnel heard her and got out as fast as they could.

"Keep going!" Todd said, pulling the people up out of the tunnel and into the woods.

Lacey had called someone to have vans ready on the other side of the woods. They were there waiting. The guards had quickly gotten the dogs downstairs and sent them into the tunnel. The dogs drew close to the prisoners, but since they had such a big head start, they were able to pile into the vans and close the doors before the dogs reached them.

"Did you see Jordan and the others?" Todd asked Lacey.

"No, did you?"

Todd called Jordan's phone. "No answer." He looked at Lacey and clenched his jaw. "I'm going in after them." Just as he went to open the door, the dogs closed in on the vans.

"Go, go, go!" Lacey yelled to the driver. The driver floored it, and the other vans followed.

Back at the palace, the guards took Nicole to a small building outside. It was more of a fancy shed. They were instructed to chain her up, have a guard stationed outside the door, and setup a surveillance camera on the inside so they could keep an eye on her at all times.

"You behave now," the guard said, as he finished chaining her hands to the legs of the metal shelving attached to the wall.

She sat on the floor, looking at him with disdain. "How can you work for someone like that? Doesn't it bother you?"

He looked at her, then looked at the camera. "Just behave." He pulled the door closed and locked it.

Nicole leaned back against the wall and laid her head back. A couple of hours later, a different guard came in with a food tray. He looked around the room for the camera. When he located it, he turned his back to it.

"He wants me to eat?" Nicole said. "I thought for sure he'd starve me."

"He said he needs you alive when he has you beheaded."

"Oh, of course. What was I thinking?"

The guard sat the tray down on the floor next to her. He lifted the napkin up to show her two paperclips and a pen, and then covered them back up. Her eyebrows crinkled, and she looked up at him.

"Use them in a few minutes when you hear the guard outside leave. I'm going to loop the feed from earlier, so no one will know you escaped. Todd has a car waiting for you at the edge of the woods. Run straight back from this building."

"Phillip?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Thank you. Where's Steven?"

"I don't know. I'll keep looking for him."

Nicole lowered her head. "He'll be dead soon, if he's not already."

"Yeah, he will. I'll get in contact with you guys as soon as I find him. I promise."

"OK," Nicole nodded.

"What happened to your face?"

"Oh, Frederick thought we should have matching scars."

He shook his head and pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket for her to wipe her face.

"Here. I gotta go. Be ready."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Phillip radioed the guard away from the shed. When Nicole heard that, she quickly grabbed her tools and went to work on the chains. She freed herself of those, then began working on the door. She was able to unlock it, then peeked out to make sure no other guards were around. She stepped out, quietly closed the door behind her, then took off running behind the shed into the woods. She ran for what felt like forever, then finally, she saw a road. A silver car was there waiting. Todd stepped out of the car and waved his arms up in the air to signal her. She ran as fast as her feet could take her, with her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. She tripped over a branch and fell to the ground. She grabbed her ankle and gritted her teeth. She heard rustling. She looked up and saw Todd running toward her. Just then, she heard a dog bark.

Nicole stood up and tried to walk, then fell, again. Todd finally reached her, then picked her up and carried her.

"You OK?" he asked between huffs, as he ran.

"I think I sprained my ankle."

Bark, bark, bark. The sound of the dogs coming from the palace was closing in.

Todd finally reached the car. He opened the door to the backseat and laid Nicole in it. As he closed the door and went to grab the handle of the driver side door, a guard dog reached him. He felt the weight of the Doberman slam into his back, and it sunk its teeth into his shoulder.

"Aaaahhh!"

"Todd!"

He couldn't get the dog off of him, so he pulled a knife from his belt and plunged it into its stomach. It squealed and fell to the ground. Todd got into the car and shut the door fast.

"Are you alright?"

Todd's shoulder was red with blood. "I'll be OK," he said, taking deep breaths, as they peeled away. "Well, I can guess, but I'll ask anyway. What about the others?"

"They're all dead, except for, maybe, Steven. Phillip is looking for him and said he'd get in contact when he found him."

"I'm sorry about Roger."

"I'm sorry about Jordan. Thank you for coming back for me."

"That's what we do."

"Todd, I need to go back to the house we were staying at."

"Why? We need to get to the safe house."

"There's something there I have to get."

"Nicole, we really need to..."

"Todd! Please. It's important."

"You're willing to risk our lives for this?"

"Trust me, we're better off with it than without it."

# CHAPTER 17

They got to the house, and Todd helped Nicole out of the car. Holding on to him, she limped inside. She grabbed the phone off of the table, then went back to a bedroom and got her backpack.

"So, what's so special about the backpack?" Todd yelled out.

Nicole came back with the it over her shoulder. She smiled at Todd. "Let's go."

Todd grabbed her arm. "Hang on. I risked us getting caught for this. You're not even going to tell me what's in there?"

Nicole looked at him, pondering whether or not she should reveal its divine contents. "Come on. We need to get going. They'll be looking for us." She limped toward the door.

Todd let out a sigh, then followed her. He drove them to the safe house, which was about fifteen minutes away. It was a large home, tucked away in the woods. Several vehicles were parked around it.

"Whoa, this place is hoppin'," said Nicole.

"This is our headquarters. We handle communications from here."

"Communications?"

"Updates to our website that we make accessible only through our secure connection. We keep people in the know as to what's going on, what's to come, places to lay low, things like that. Soon, Frederick will be enforcing the mark. Any who takes it is pledging eternal allegiance to the beast. People like us, that refuse it, will be hunted down. They'll need places to hide."

Nicole laid her head back against the headrest. Her eyes filled with tears.

Todd went to get out, then saw the look on her face. "I know you've been through a lot, and this is all overwhelming."

Tears ran down her face. "Why did I have to stray from God? Why didn't I listen?"

Todd looked down, then nodded. "Every one of us asks ourselves that every day."

They looked at each other.

"Ready to head inside? People are anxious to meet you."

"Why?"

"You're a legend now. You slayed the dragon." Todd grabbed the door handle.

Nicole grabbed his arm. "Wait. He didn't stay dead, though. Don't they know that?"

"Yeah, they do, but they still look up to someone who had the courage to do what you did and your friend did." He looked down and huffed. "What it could have meant for the world if he'd stayed that way." Todd looked at her and smiled. "Thank you for trying. You risked everything."

Nicole swallowed and looked forward. "And that's exactly what I lost."

Todd took her hand and squeezed it, then he got out and went around the car to help her out. She grabbed her backpack, put her arm around his good shoulder, and they went inside. It was busy. In the large living room, several computer stations were setup with people stationed at every one of them. Several people were in the kitchen. Some of them were on their phones and some were having meetings. One of them looked and saw Nicole standing there.

"It's her," a woman whispered. She stood up and started clapping. Others took notice, and within a few seconds, everyone in those rooms were standing in applause.

"Whoa," Nicole muttered.

Todd looked at her and smiled. "All for you."

She stood there, feeling uncomfortable with all of the attention. "Um, thank you, but....."

A man walked up to her and shook her hand. "Hi. I'm Arnold."

She nodded. "Hello."

"I'm the communications coordinator here. It's a real pleasure to have you with us."

"Uh, thank you."

"I can't begin to tell you what an impact you've had."

"What do you mean?"

"When we heard about what you did, we put the story out on our website, that a girl named Nicole took down a monster, at least for a while. We got an insane amount of response."

Nicole lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, that's the reporter in me. I love a good story, and yours is so inspiring. It really got people riled up against the regime, and opened a lot of other people's eyes to what Frederick really is. And when the next story came out about how he came back to life and gave you a matching scar...."

Nicole looked off in the distance. "How did you know about the scar?"

"Phillip. I'm sorry. Just, it's such an incredible story, and it's doing so much good. We got right on it, as soon as we heard. Are you OK?"

"I just don't know how comfortable I am being praised for killing. That's not really who I am."

"No one looks at you like that," Todd chimed in. "This was no man. You knew it, we know it, and now, so do they."

She half smiled and nodded.

"OK, I'm going to get her settled in," Todd said, and put his arm around her.

"Well, again, it's such a pleasure to meet you," Arnold said. "Let us know if you need anything at all."

Todd helped her to one of the spare bedrooms. She sat down on the bed and laid her backpack beside her.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you. I just need some time alone. Go take care of your shoulder."

Todd nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him. She laid down, pulled a pillow up to her face, and began to cry. She squeezed it, as she cried harder. After a few minutes, she composed herself enough to open her backpack and take out the feather. She laid back down and placed it across her chest, clutching it tight. She squeezed her eyes closed, expelling the remaining tears. She laid there with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths.

"Hello, Nicole," she heard from a strong, familiar voice.

Opening her eyes and looking up at the ceiling, she responded, "Hello, Abia."

"You look troubled and weary."

"Yes, and yes."

"I'm sorry, Nicole."

She continued to stare at the ceiling, expressionless. After a moment, she sat up on the bed and faced him.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Can I come home now?"

He lowered his head and pursed his lips. "Not just yet."

Her eyes filled with tears, once again. He tilted his head in sympathy.

"I know it's difficult."

She looked down, as tears fell on her pant legs. "I've done things I never thought I'd do. I've lost even more people that I loved. I've seen more evil than I ever wanted to see. I just want it to be over. I just want to come home."

"He works all things for the good of those who love Him. He wants you to come home, too, as do I," he said, as he smiled at her. "But he still has plans for you, yet."

A scream came from the living room. Nicole's eyes widened.

"Go, now, Nicole," Abia said.

"What? What's happening?"

"The window. Now!" Then Abia was gone.

She jammed the feather in the backpack, flung it over her shoulder, and opened up the window. Seeing no one, she jumped out, and winced in pain. She hobbled as fast as she could through the trees behind the house. Looking back, she could see several black SUVs parked at the front of the house. Gunfire began and went on for several minutes. She went faster, crying in pain along the way. She kept going until she couldn't anymore. She collapsed on the ground, trying to catch her breath. She rolled over and pulled the feather out of her backpack. Abia appeared. Nicole sat up on her elbows.

"What now, Abia? The one place I had to stay.....well, I got them all killed."

He lowered his head, while shaking it.

"Well, I did! Frederick was right. Wherever I go, death follows. No one's safe to know me or be around me. It should be me that's dead right now."

"Look at your phone."

Nicole reached in her bag and pulled it out. It was open to the underground web page. "It's an article about me."

"Mmm hmm. What does it say?"

"It says a mystery woman named Nicole, killed the antichrist, Frederick Lindholm. As predicted, he rose again. When he did, he gave her a matching scar, but she managed to escape his clutches. Her courage and defiance against the evil one has prompted an uprising in rebel groups against him and his regime. This has caused many to turn to Christ." Nicole slowly looked up at Abia. "This was my purpose."

"Remember what your name means? Victory of the people."

She began laughing and crying at the same time. She nodded her head. "OK. Now I see. But if this was my purpose, why can't I come home?"

"You're not done, yet."

"Abia, I'm so tired. I have no one. I don't know what to do next or where to go."

"You have me. Keep going. There's a place nearby."

Abia stayed with her for a while. She found an abandoned cabin where she stayed until her ankle healed. Someone had left a gun there. She put it in her bag to keep for protection, praying she'd never have to use it. She kept on the move so she wouldn't be discovered, using the website to help guide her to safe houses. Communications was taken over by another group of Christians that had been helping out with the website. Nicole moved around for over two years. She never stayed long at any safehouse, not wanting to put those living there in danger.

During this time, Frederick made the announcement of implementing a system where people receive a mark on their foreheads, under the ruse of eliminating terrorism. They would need to present this mark in order to buy or sell anything. What he didn't tell people was that if they didn't receive it, they would be tracked down and killed, and killing there was. Guillotines were erected all over, and martyring turned into a public display. He also demanded to be worshipped, and abolished any other religion. This new religion was led by a man known as the false prophet in the Bible. They even erected an image of Frederick at the palace where he was slain. Between his resurrection and perceived miracles that the false prophet performed, lost souls were sucked right in.

The seven bowl judgements began to occur. Painful, ugly sores plagued those that didn't have the mark of God. The sea became polluted and all life in it was killed. All fresh water turned to blood.

After all that time, Frederick's men still continued to try and track her down. One day, she found a hunter's trap in the ground. It was deep in the woods where no one would have any business going. She dug it out further to create a hiding place, then found a piece of weathered plywood, among some debris, that was easily disguised against the ground. She used it to fashion a door over the hole, scattering leaves and debris on it to disguise it. During the day, she went out scavenging. A little ways off was the palace. It was no longer Frederick's headquarters. He made that the newly rebuilt temple his new headquarters, but he did come back to the palace on business from time to time. Nicole remembered that the guards kept supplies in the sheds outside, like the one she had been locked up in. She was tired of running, and this made it easy for her to get food and water. Sometimes the guards would forget to lock a shed, so at night, she would sneak into it and take what she needed. She never took too much, so as not to cause any suspicion. She would also take other items she needed like flashlights, batteries, a radio, and oil for an oil lamp she had acquired. They had plenty of water, as Frederick demanded that remaining bottled water be shipped to his locations.

A few months later, while walking through the woods, she saw a woman and two children. The woman was sitting on the ground with a young boy laid across her lap. A little girl with long, blonde hair was kneeling beside her, with her arms wrapped around her mothers' arm, and her head resting on her shoulder. They all had God's mark on them. The woman looked up and saw Nicole.

"Please don't hurt us."

Nicole put her hands up. "I'm not going to hurt you. Can I help?"

The woman's head dropped, and she began sobbing. "My son. He's so sick. We haven't eaten in over week."

Nicole bent down in front of them and looked at the thin, little boy. There were dark circles around his eyes, and his lips were parched.

"How old is he?"

"Five. They both are. Fraternal twins."

Nicole looked at the little girl and smiled. She shyly buried her face into her mother's arm.

"What are their names?"

"Dylan and Suzy."

"And yours?"

"Jane."

"I'm Nicole. Nice to meet all of you. I have food and water not too far from here. Let me take you there."

Jane nodded. Nicole stood up and picked Dylan up off of her lap. Jane got up and took Suzy's hand. They all walked back to Nicole's hideout and climbed inside. Over the next few days, they tried giving Dylan water and food, but he wasn't getting better.

"Why isn't this working?" Nicole asked. Dylan was curled up in the corner with a blanket over him, sleeping. He slept a lot.

"We've had to try and live off of whatever garbage we could find. Maybe something he ate made him sick like this."

Nicole took Jane's hand. "We'll keep trying. Don't give up yet."

Jane nodded, and wiped the tears off of her cheek. They went to sleep that night on makeshift beds, made up of blankets that Nicole had found. A week and a half went by, and Dylan hadn't improved. Jane and Nicole did everything they could to try to get him to eat, but what little he would try, it wouldn't stay down. One morning, Jane crawled over to Dylan and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Dylan? Wake up, honey." She gently shook him, but there was no response. "Dylan? Sweetheart, wake up." She shook a little harder, but still no response. She felt his face, and it was ice cold. She put her fingers on his neck to feel for his pulse, but there was none. She sat back and clutched her hair in her fists, as she began to cry. Nicole woke up and saw what was happening. She quickly crawled over to Dylan and felt for a pulse. She looked over at Jane, as she rocked back and forth, crying harder. Nicole crawled over to her and held her.

"I'm so sorry, Jane. I'm so sorry."

Jane grabbed on to her and held her tight, as she screamed in emotional anguish. Then Suzy woke up.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Then she looked over at Dylan. "Dylan! Wake up!" She crawled over to him and shook him. "Mommy's upset, Dylan. Get up!" Then she stopped. After a moment, she looked at Jane. "He's not sleeping, is he, Mommy?"

"No, baby. He's not."

"He's with Jesus, isn't he?"

"He is, pumpkin."

Suzy kissed him on the head. She grabbed her stuffed bear from her bed and placed it next to his face.

"I'll find a nice spot to bury him, Jane."

She nodded, unable to speak. Nicole sat with her in silence, being there for her grieving friend. Shortly after, they covered Dylan's body with a blanket. Suzy fell back asleep.

"Want a pop?" Nicole whispered to Jane.

"Sure. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, the guards donated it," she said, as she winked.

Jane smiled and took it. She opened it up and took a sip. She let out a sigh and leaned her head back against the dirt wall, brushing her brown hair from her face. "Wow. It's been a long time since I had one of these."

Nicole opened hers and sat back. "Yeah. Reminds me of what life used to be like."

Jane nodded. "What I wouldn't give...."

"Me, too. So, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to their dad?"

Jane looked off to the side. "Um, I don't know."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...."

"That's OK." She took a deep breath. "I didn't really know him enough to be able to tell the kids who their father was."

Nicole sat in silence, waiting to hear more.

"I was staying in this shack. I'd lost my parents. I was all alone. One day, these three guys found the place and decided to stay there, too. One of them was really nice. He gave me some food and let me wear his coat when I was cold. One night, I went into one of the bedrooms to sleep. I was woken up by one of them holding me down, while the nice one....."

"Oh, Jane."

"Yeah, anyway, they left right after, and nine months later, these two came along," she said, looking at her kids. "After I was a few months along I met this really nice lady, Alice. She was this little Jamaican woman in her sixties. She was here visiting a friend when the first war began after the Rapture, and she couldn't get back home. She took me in. When it came time, she delivered these two. Her friend's house wasn't affected by all that was going on, so we were able to stay there for a few years. We had to barricade doors sometimes to keep pillagers out, but we managed. We had a few holes in the roof from her firing off warning shots from her friend's rifle when people were trying to break in," Jane said, as she laughed, then the smile left her face. "She died a couple months ago." She looked down and took a deep breath. "We ran out of food and water, so we left the house and have been trying to live off the land or find places that would help us, ever since. Haven't found too many of the latter, until you."

"Jane, I'm so sorry."

"Having these two really....well, really helped me get through things. The way it happened wasn't the way I would have chosen, but these two loved me unconditionally. They loved me when I couldn't feed them. They loved me when they were sick, and I couldn't help them. I wish I could have done more," she said, with tears running down her face, as she looked over at Dylan. "But I got to experience what a mother's love feels like and that, in itself, is a huge blessing."

Nicole crawled over to Jane and hugged her. "They know you did everything you could, Jane. You are a wonderful mother." Nicole let her go, and Jane wiped the tears from her face.

"Thanks, Nick. I really needed to hear that."

Nicole put her hand on the side of Jane's head. "OK, now I have a small stash of chocolate that I was saving for a rainy day. What do you say I break it out?"

"Oh, yes," Jane said, smiling.

Two days later, Nicole sat out one morning to find a nice burial spot for Dylan. She had to be careful, as they'd been hearing rustling, now and again, around the area. While she was gone, Jane put together some things for Suzy's breakfast.

"Suze?" Jane said, gently shaking her. "I made breakfast."

"OK, Mommy," Suzy muttered. She rolled onto her back with her eyes still closed.

Jane smiled. "You little sleepy head."

Suzy began to snore. Jane eventually got her up, and they ate a little something. Jane brushed Suzy's hair, and Suzy wanted to brush Jane's. It had been an hour since Nicole had been gone, and Jane was staring to worry.

"When is Nicole coming back?" Suzy asked.

"I don't know, sweetie. I hope soon."

They heard rustling outside. Jane looked at Suzy and put her finger over her mouth. It got louder and closer. Then she heard a dog barking off in the distance. Jane looked around to see if there was anything that she could defend them with. Nicole had left her gun behind, and Jane saw it sticking out from under her covers. She quickly crawled over and grabbed it. She turned off the safety, crawled underneath the opening and pointed it upwards, waiting.

"Suzy, get to the back. Cover yourself up with a blanket and stay still until I say so."

"But, Mommy...."

"Do it now, honey!"

"OK." Suzy grabbed a blanket, crawled over by Dylan and covered herself up.

Just then, the door was pushed back. It was one of Frederick's men. When he saw Jane pointing a gun, he quickly grabbed for his. She fired off a shot that hit him in the chest. He dropped to his knees, then fired at her. They both fell. Suzy screamed and crawled out from under the blanket and over to her mother. Jane had been shot in the neck and the dirt floor around her turned red. She laid on her mother's chest with her arms wrapped around her as Jane gasped for air. The sound of the barking dog grew closer. A moment later, Nicole dropped through the hole.

"Are you guys OK," she said, out of breath. Then she saw Jane. She quickly grabbed a blanket and pressed it on her neck.

Jane, gasping for breath, told Nicole, "Take Suzy, go. Go!"

Hearing the barking upon them, Nicole grabbed the gun out of Jane's hand, stood under the opening, and pointed it up.

"Suzy," Nicole said, "look away, honey. Look away."

But then she heard a dog squeal, and it became quiet. She continued to stay there, unsure of what happened. Then a man in tattered jeans, a brown jacket, and a baseball cap walked up to the opening and knelt down.

"Show me your forehead," he said her.

After a moment, she lowered her gun and pulled back her hair. He pulled off his hat. She could see the mark of God on him.

"We can help you. Come on," he said.

Nicole looked over at Jane. Life had left her body. Suzy still had a grip on her. Nicole gently pulled Suzy away from Jane, who didn't want to leave her mother. The man reached down and helped them climb out. When Nicole got out, she saw some guards and the dog lying on the ground.

"You killed them?"

"Naw, they're sedated. We've got to go before they wake up."

"Who are you?"

"Bryce."

Nicole's eyes widened.

# CHAPTER 18

He tossed Suzy onto his back and grabbed Nicole's bag. "Come on, let's go." He took them to a hideout two miles south. It was small factory building. There were several other people there. The place had food and water, and everyone had the mark of God on them. They all introduced themselves and were very welcoming.

"Hungry?" Bryce asked.

"Mmm hmm," Suzy said.

"Well, let's take care of that, shall we?" Bryce scooped her up and took her and Nicole into the kitchen.

"This place is great. How long have you guys been here?" Nicole asked, sitting down at a table.

"About six months," Bryce said, grabbing some crackers out of the cabinet for Suzy.

"Thank you.... for saving us."

He turned and smiled at Nicole, then came and sat down at the table. Suzy sat on his lap, eating her crackers. Nicole looked at the tattoo on his forearm, and it matched the one she saw on the man on TV who refused to fire at the two witnesses.

"Are you in the military?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"The chain you're wearing. It's the kind that dog tags are on."

"Oh." She looked down and pulled the tags up out of her shirt. "No, I'm not."

"Who's are they?"

Nicole paused, not sure how to tell Bryce about Roger. "Well, I guess they're rightfully yours." She took them off, laid them on the table, and pushed them over to him.

He looked confused and picked up the tags. When he saw the name on them, his expression went cold. "Where did you get this?"

She took a deep breath. "Your dad took me in after the Rapture. We came over to this part of the world.....looking for you."

"Where is he?"

Nicole lowered her head. Bryce looked at her for a moment, then he sat Suzy on the chair next to him. He stood up and began to pace the room.

"I'm sorry, Bryce."

"Did he suffer?"

"It was quick."

"What about his soul? He was always so stubborn, like me."

"He came around."

Bryce stopped pacing and looked at her. "He did?"

She smiled and nodded.

Bryce closed his eyes. "Thank God."

Just then, a little boy came running in the room, with his mother trailing behind. "Hi!" he said to Suzy, climbing up on the chair next to her.

"I'm sorry," the mother said. "He doesn't have any other kids to play with. He just got so excited when he heard she was here."

"Oh, that's OK," Nicole said. "She could use a playmate, too."

Suzy offered the little boy some crackers.

"We made a swing out back. Do you mind if they play back there together? I'll keep an eye on them."

Nicole looked over at Suzy. She enthusiastically nodded her head. Nicole laughed. "I think she would like that. Thanks."

"OK, come on you two," she said. The kids hopped out of the chairs and ran outside.

When everyone was gone, Nicole got up and walked over to Bryce, who was looking out the window. "If there's anything I can do you for you, let me know. Your father was one of the kindest people I've ever met. He became a father figure to me, and I was devastated when he.... He loved you very much." She placed her hand on his arm. "We'll see him, again, soon, Bryce."

His eyes wandered over to hers. "Thank you." He looked down at the dog tags in his hand, then he put them on.

The next morning, Bryce found Nicole in the kitchen, having breakfast.

"Morning," he said.

"Good morning."

"Where's the rugrat?"

"Oh, she's with her new playmate. Those two are inseparable."

"Well, since you're on your own, you up for a walk? This week's my turn to look for an alternate shelter."

"Sure, sounds fun."

Nicole grabbed her jacket, and they headed out. A wooded area surrounded the place and went on for miles. They stayed within the woods, hidden.

"So, Suzy. That was her mother she was clinging to when I found you guys?"

"Yes. A guard shot her shortly before you got there."

"Wow. I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner."

She looked at him with a crinkled brow. "It's not your fault. We'd be dead, too, if it wasn't for you."

"Well, I'm just glad I found you guys when I did."

They came upon some rocky terrain. Bryce was able to scale it with no problem, but Nicole wasn't able to by herself. He took her hands and helped her.

"Thanks. You're pretty strong."

"Well, I have the military to thank for that."

"Bryce, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"We saw you on TV with the two witnesses. One of them talked to you. Do you mind if I ask what he said?"

"Um, sure. He said that he saw that I wasn't like the others. He said that there is evil in this world masquerading as good. There has been since the garden, but it's getting ready to truly take over, and I was working for the one to lead it. He told me to keep my eyes on the true light, not the false one. So, I knew it was time to get as far away from Frederick as I could. I couldn't go back to the base, so a buddy of mine, who decided to leave the regime, too, flew us out of there, and here I am."

"Wow."

"Yeah. It was a game changer for me. I'd always fought going to church. Drove my mom crazy. Well, like all of us who know the truth now, I have a lot of regrets."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. I gave both of my parents a hard time. They were only looking out for me."

"Looks like we have that in common."

"Yeah. So, you think the regime is looking for you?"

"Oh, definitely. They'd love to get a hold of me. I think it's my head, specifically, that they want," he laughed. "They don't take deserters lightly. And with all of the guillotines they've erected all over the place, they're pretty thirsty for blood. Hardly anyone goes to prison, anymore. They've got sort of a do or die policy happening, literally."

"So, I've heard."

"So, a hole in the ground......what made you choose a place like that to stay?"

"Let's just say, Frederick would like to get a hold of my head, too."

"Ah, I'm in good company, then. Do tell."

She stopped, so he did. She pulled her hair away from her face and turned to the side.

"That's quite a scar. How did you get.... Wait, you're that Nicole?"

She let her hair back down. "I'm that Nicole."

"Wow, so, all of those guards that were shot outside of the palace, was that my dad, wasn't it?"

"It was. He also helped get me out after they captured me." She looked down and swallowed. "He died saving me."

He stood there in silence. She looked up at him, then back down.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault," she said.

He took a deep breath. "No. He didn't do anything didn't want to. Whether you knew it or not, you guys fulfilled prophecy, and the world saw it. It opened a lot of peoples' eyes."

She slowly looked up at him. "I'm really sorry, Bryce."

He shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder. "Nicole, it's OK."

They continued to hike until lunchtime, then they stopped for a break. They sat down, and Bryce pulled some food out of his backpack. They talked for a couple of hours, telling each other their stories.

"Wow, you've had a really amazing life," Nicole said. "It must've been pretty cool traveling around to all those countries."

"Sometimes. It got old, though. I missed my friends and family."

"Yeah, I definitely get that. So......how did your girlfriend feel about all the traveling?"

Bryce shook his head. "No. No girlfriend. Well, how about you? Do you have someone special in your life? Maybe hiding in another hole in the ground?" They both laughed.

"Uh, no. No one special like that," Nicole said, looking down.

"Good."

Nicole looked up at Bryce. His eyes opened wide for a moment, then he smiled at her.

"I'm not sure it makes sense to even pursue something like that now."

He nodded and looked off to the side. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But, then again, we're still alive, you know. Love is a gift, and I don't think there's a time where God doesn't want us to feel it."

"Yeah, I suppose your right."

He looked at her, as she shyly looked at him, then back down.

"Well, we should probably head back. It gets dark early."

He stood up and reached his hands down to her. She placed her hands in his, and he pulled her up. They headed back to the hideout, and when they got there, everyone was in the lunch room watching the TV.

"What's going on?" Bryce asked.

"They're televising beheadings now," someone said.

They couldn't believe what they were seeing. At a stadium, a huge crowd watched, like in the days of the coliseums. About thirty guillotines were in a line. There was a large group of prisoners, with their hands tied behind their backs, waiting for their turn. The guards would make sure all of the guillotines were full, then all thirty blades were released at the same time. It drew both screams and cheers from the crowd. Nicole looked around the room, and everyone's reaction was that of shock or disgust. Then Frederick stepped up on a podium and began to speak.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to our first event televising the result of rebellion. And now, to someone special out there who I hope is watching, this beheading is dedicated to you."

From the group of prisoners, a guard emerged, pulling Steven along. Nicole threw her hands up over her mouth.

"You know him?" Bryce asked.

Tears welled up in Nicole's eyes, as she nodded. Steven was skin and bones. The guard pulled his arm so hard, it caused Steven to fall.

"Get up!" the guard yelled. With his arms tied behind his back, it was hard for him to stand.

"Now, I said!" the guard hauled off and kicked him in the ribs.

"Aaaaahh!" Steven yelled and pulled his legs up to his chest.

Another guard ran over, and they picked him up and dragged him to a guillotine. They secured his head inside, then looked at Frederick. With a big smile, Frederick nodded back. The guard released the blade. Nicole closed her eyes and turned around.

Bryce put his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Nicole."

She ran to the room where she was staying, crying along the way. Bryce followed her. She sat down on the bed, clutching her hair in her hands, wailing. Bryce came in and closed the door. He sat on the bed next to her and held her. She cried on his shoulder for several minutes, then it dialed down to whimpering. He leaned his head on hers. She wiped her face off and let out a deep breath. She pulled back and looked at his shirt.

"I made a mess on you."

"Don't worry about it."

She looked down, picking at one of her nails. "He was a friend. We traveled around together for years, his family, me, and your dad. Steven was captured trying to save me. There was a guard that helped us and was supposed to have gotten him out. I guess he couldn't."

"I'm so sorry."

She looked over at his hand on his knee, and she put her hands on his. "Thanks for being there for me. I'm kind of a mess."

"I'm happy to," he said, putting a finger on top of hers. Then he leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. She closed her eyes and her shoulders fell. Just then, they heard noise outside.

"What's that?" Bryce said.

The door flung open and two of Frederick's guards stood in the doorway.

# CHAPTER 19

"Ah, Bryce. Frederick will be happy to see you," one of the guards said.

Bryce stood up and stepped in front of Nicole. The guard smiled and pointed his gun at him.

"That's sweet, but I wouldn't if I were you."

He cuffed Bryce's hands behind his back. The other guard did the same to Nicole. She struggled to get free, and the guard saw the scar on her face.

"Oh, ho, look who we have here. I may get a promotion for this."

They took them to one of the black SUVs they had parked outside. Other people from the safehouse were in it, as well. When the guards shut the doors, Nicole turned around to the people behind her.

"Where's Suzy?"

"The kids are safe. Three others escaped with them."

Nicole nodded. "Good." She let out a deep breath and looked at Bryce.

The guards got in the car and started to drive.

"Where are you taking us?" Nicole asked.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked. To Frederick's old headquarters. I radioed in that we found you, and they're preparing quite a celebration on your behalf."

She looked out the window. "I'm sure they are."

When they got there, they put Nicole and the rest of them in the sheds that Nicole had become familiar with. They could hear people outside, and the noise kept getting louder. Two hours later, the guards opened the doors and led them out. As it had begun to get dark, stadium lighting lit up the area. Guillotines were set up. A crowd had been assembled and cameras were everywhere. A cameraman walked up to Nicole and zoomed in on her face, as the guards walked them toward the guillotines.

"Back off!" Bryce yelled at him.

A guard shoved him. "Quiet, lover boy."

Behind the guillotines were a huge pile of bodies separated from their heads. Nicole's jaw dropped open, then she closed her eyes and lowered her head. The guards placed everyone behind a guillotine, and a guard stood behind each one of them. Bryce was placed next to Nicole. Frederick walked out from the palace, and the crowd cheered. Flanked by two guards, he waved, as he walked toward the guillotines. Nicole turned around to see him. He was looking at her smiling. She turned back around and looked up.

"Give me strength, Lord," she said.

Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes.

"Hello, Nicole," Frederick whispered in her ear. He brushes her hair away from her face to reveal her scar. "Tell me dear, was it worth it? Were all of your efforts to try to stop me and deny me worth your head?"

Bryce stepped toward Frederick, and a guard grabbed his arm. Frederick gave that guard a look, then the guard pulled out a dagger and thrust it into Bryce's side.

"No!" Nicole yelled.

Bryce's eyes opened wide, and he struggled to breathe. Finally, he let out a cough.

Nicole turned and faced Frederick. Tears filled her eyes, as she shook with anger. She put her face close to his. Frederick leaned his head back, looking down at her.

"Satan," she said.

Frederick's eye twitched.

"Yes, it was worth it, and if I had the chance, I'd do it all, again. You see, for me, death by guillotine will only be a moment of pain, but you don't even know what pain is yet."

He grinned slyly at her, lowering his head, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "Oh dear, but how will you know? You'll be dead."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong. I'll be there watching Jesus defeat you like you're a tiny insect, and then I'll be watching your judgment. You see, with Christ, to die is gain. But for you, well, there'll be no other damnation like yours."

He clenched his jaw and yelled to the guards, "Now! Everyone on their knees."

The guard pushed everyone to their knees and locked their heads in the guillotines. Nicole looked over at Bryce, who was looking pale, as his side dripped blood.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed.

He smiled and said, "Don't be. Meet you on the other side, OK?"

Tears streamed down her face, as she swallowed. "I promise."

Nicole noticed a brightness in front of her. She looked forward and saw Abia. He was in his translucent form so no one could see him but her. She smiled at him. He leaned his head to the side and smiled back.

"Now?" she mouthed to him.

"Now," he mouthed back. He floated over to her and sat down cross legged in front of her.

"I'm scared," she said.

"I know." He wrapped his large wings around her, so she wouldn't focus on anything thing else but him.

"Did I do OK, Abia? Did I fulfill my purpose?"

"You will."

Nicole looked confused.

"You'll see."

The guards got in position for the executions.

Abia put his hand under her chin. "Close your eyes now. When you open them, you'll be home."

Nicole lowered her head and kissed Abia's hand, then laid her head in it.

"I can't watch this," I said to Sam. I turned around and closed my eyes.

"Me, either, Maxine," Sam said. He put his arm around me.

A moment later, I felt something on my forehead. When I opened my eyes, my baby girl's head was leaning against mine.

"Hi, Momma," Nicole said.

"Hi, baby," I said, grabbing her and holding her tight.

"Hi, Daddy," Nicole said to Sam, then she hugged and kissed him.

Nicole looked around. "Where's Abia?"

They all looked back down to Earth. Abia was still sitting in front of the guillotine, holding Nicole's severed head, as her body lay lifeless on the ground. The crowd gasped at the sight of her head being levitated. Abia, ever so gently, laid Nicole's head on the grass, brushing the hair from her face.

Abia looked at the crowd, watching many of them run out of the stadium. "Yes, child," he said, "you did fulfill your purpose."

Frederick was furious. Knowing the supernatural event that just took place would lead to a revolt, he ordered the guards to grab the people who were fleeing and execute them. As this was all televised, many around the world had their eyes opened, as well, and came to know God before it was too late. Uprisings began, and although that led to many losing their earthly lives, they gained eternal life with God.

The rest of the bowl judgements came to pass, then the day of Armageddon came. We all joined Jesus as he rid the world of evil. Judgements occurred for both the tribulation saints and the wicked. Satan was to be bound for a thousand years. Heaven came down to Earth, and there was truly peace. With Satan gone, evil was no more. He's to be released, again, for a short time, after a millennium, but then will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity. Then all will be as God always intended it to be. Forever.

One day, Nicole, her daughter, Sam, Abia, and I were all sitting outside at my patio table talking, having coffee, and watching the animals walk by. Jax, my faithful tiger, was lying on the ground next to my chair. Nicole reached down to pet him.

"Mom, he's so cool."

I looked down and smiled at him. His tail started swinging around. "Yeah, he's pretty great."

Jax let out a roar, and we all laughed.

"So, Abia," Nicole said, "you've helped my mom and I. Have you helped others like us?"

"Well, there's no one like you," Abia said and smiled.

Nicole laughed. "OK, then have you helped others out there in need?"

"Oh, yes. Many."

"Can you tell us about some?"

Abia looked off in the distance.

"Come on, please?" Nicole said.

"Yeah, please," I joined in.

Sam sat there, laughing. "They're ganging up on you, Abia. You might as well give in."

He looked back at Nicole and smiled. "There was once a little girl named Elle."
