'You're a resourceful guy, Albie, but-'
'I love the impossible. But you're the boss. I need your permission.'
'What's your plan?'
'To find out if your new look and ID work.'
'Oh, boy.'
'C'mon, man. Confidence.'
'The plan, Albie.'
'I'll be the ranking officer down there. I blame the computer delay on all the excitement or the incompetence in New Babylon. Who can argue that? You're with me. If they demand ID, you've got it. You're no longer just a civilian helping out, though. You're a recruit, a trainee.'
'Uh-huh.'
'Not only do I insist on a car, but I'll get out of them the location of the bunker.'
'This I've got to see.'
'I love showing off.'
Rayford slapped Albie's computer shut. 'Tell me about it.'
Kenny Bruce tried to tug Buck toward the barrier, as if knowing his dad could get him past it. But Buck was anchored to the bed. He felt as if he'd survived a plane crash. Or hadn't. It was as if his spine were compacted, every muscle, bone, joint, and tendon tender. He sat there trying to muster the strength to rise and stretch and make his way to his wife and the others.
Kenny, apparently resigned to patience, climbed onto his father's lap and put a hand on each side of his face. He looked into Buck's eyes and said, 'Mama?'
'We'll see Mama in a minute, hon,' Buck said. Kenny traced Buck's deep facial scars with his stubby fingers. 'They don't bother you, do they, bud.' 'Da-da,' Kenny said. 'Mama.'
Presently Buck rose, lifting Kenny as he went. The boy spread his legs and settled in over Buck's hip, his arms around him, head on Buck's chest. 'Wish I could take you with me everywhere I go,' Buck said, limping, stiff legged, and gimpy. 'Mama, Da-da.' 'Yep. We're goin', bud.'
Buck prepared himself for the always embarrassing welcome saved for the last person to rise, but when he came into view of everyone else in the safe house, he was virtually ignored. Leah sat bundled in a robe, leaning back against a wall, dozing, her bleached-blonde hair with red roots wrapped in a towel. Chaim stared at the tabletop before him, his head in his hands, a straw in his coffee cup. Tsion stood beside a window, out of view from the outside just in case, head bowed, softly praying.
Chloe paced, phone pressed to her ear, tears streaming. She looked directly into Buck's eyes as if to let him know she was aware he was there, and when Kenny tried to wriggle down to get to her, Buck whispered, 'Stay with Daddy a minute, hmm?'
Chloe was saying, 'I understand, Zeke… I know, sweetie, I know. God knows… It'll be all right. We'll come get you, don't you worry… Zeke, God knows…, It'll be after dark, but you stay strong, hear?'
She finally rang off, and everyone looked to her. 'Big Zeke was busted,' she said.
'Zeke Sr.?' Tsion asked. Zeke Jr. was much bigger than his father, but still they were known as Big Zeke and Little Zeke.
She nodded. 'GC goons got him this morning, cuffed him, charged him with subversion, took him away.'
'How'd they miss Zeke Jr.?' Buck asked, finally letting Kenny down.
'Zeke!' Kenny said, giggling.
Chloe shrugged. 'Their underground was better hidden than ours, and I don't think Little Zeke ever showed his face outside.' 'Zeke! 'Kenny said. 'Little Zeke coming here?' Leah said. 'Where else would he go? He says GC is staking out the place, picking up people who stop for gas.' 'How's he know?'
'He's got some kind of a monitor rigged up that he used to keep track of his dad. That's how he knew Big Zeke had been arrested. He knows his dad won't give him up, but he also knows he can't stay there. He's packing.'
'Yeah,' Buck said, 'all he'd need is for the GC to find all his files and document-making paraphernalia.' 'It will be good to have him here,' Tsion said. 'He will be safe and can do so much for so many. Cameron, how are you feeling?'
'Better than Chaim, apparently.' The old man lifted his head and tried to smile. 'I'll be OK,' he mouthed through his clenched jaw. 'No capers for me. Eager to study and learn.'
Tsion moved away from the window. 'And me with a student who cannot talk. You must listen and read. You will be an expert about our own people before you know it. God's chosen people. What a thrill to teach it. I will use the same material in my cyberlesson, wherein I expose Carpathia as the Antichrist.'
'Coming right out with it, are you?' Buck said. 'Absolutely,' the rabbi said. 'The gloves are off, as you Americans so like to say. There is no longer any question about him, nor should there be. I am persuaded that Leon is his false prophet, and I will say that too. Those who have ears will not be deceived. It will not be long before the Satan-indwelt beast will take out his rage against the Jews.'
Chaim held up a hand. Buck could barely make out the labored, muffled question. 'And what are we to do? We are no match for him.'
'You will see, my friend,' Tsion said. 'You will learn today not only the history of the Jews, but their future as well. God will protect his people, now and forevermore.' 'I like being a believer already,' Chaim managed. 'Buck,' Chloe said, stepping close to embrace him, 'we have to plan Zeke's rescue.'
'Just what I need today, another mission.'
'You slept, didn't you?'
'Like a dead man.'
'Don't say that.'
'Well…'
'It's you or me, pal,' Chloe said. 'If you need another day of recup-'
'I'll be ready,' Buck said.
'I can help,' Leah said. 'I'm fit.'
'Maybe the two of you, then,' Chloe said. 'I've got to get news to the co-op, keep everybody working together.'
'We're going to need a pilot,' Buck said. 'Put the GC chopper down right in the middle of their stakeout, chide 'em for missing a suspect, and we arrest Zeke Jr. and bring him here. What? What's with all the looks?'
'We don't have a chopper today or tonight, hon,' Chloe said. 'Probably not until tomorrow night, and we don't dare risk making Zeke wait that long.'
'OK, so where's the helicopter and your dad? And Albie?'
FOUR
David hurried to his office and phoned Annie. No answer. Then he called the motor pool. The man who had originally brought him his cart was off duty, but the one he reached told him, 'No, sir, no phone. Nothing was left in there. We found the cart but not you, and my boss was pretty mad until he traced you to Medical Services. You OK?' 'Fine.'
'Need the cart?' 'No.'
'Anything I can do fo-'
But David had hung up. He flipped open his computer and saw urgent messages flashing from the code words and numbers he knew belonged to his comrades in the Tribulation Force. He would get to those when he could, but for now, before the infernal meeting, he had to get his phone back and find out where Annie was.
His watch read 2135. He searched the GC database for Personnel, Medical, Nursing, Female, under P. There it was: 'Palemoon, Hannah L., room and extension 4223.' A groggy hello greeted the fifth ring.
'Nurse Palemoon?'
'Yeah, who's this?'
'I am so sorry to be calling so late and sorry to wake you, but-' 'Hassid?'
'Yes, forgive me, but-' 'I have your phone.' 'Oh, thank G-goodness! Is it on?' 'No, sir, I turned it off. Now are
