Stung Read Free

hide.”
    â€œSooner or later they’ll catch you,” Vicki said.
    Phoenix ambled over to Melinda and swished his tail back and forth. Soon he put his head on Melinda’s lap. She didn’t even seem to notice.
    Vicki turned the gun over in her hands. “If you stayed, we’d offer you protection and food. They wouldn’t find you.”
    â€œIn return for …”
    â€œEverybody pitches in,” Vicki said. “Plus, you’d attend our studies.”
    â€œI’m not going to believe like you guys,” Melinda said. “Ever.”
    â€œMaybe not,” Vicki said. “But you have to admit, it’s a better deal than Commander Blancka got.”
    Phoenix nuzzled Melinda’s hand. The girl drew back. Phoenix licked the girl’s arm, and she put her hand back on Phoenix’s head.
    Vicki handed the gun to Melinda and stood. “This is yours.” She paused in the doorway. “The guys will dig Felicia’s grave at sunup. We’ll have the funeral in the afternoon. We’d like you to be there.”
    Melinda took the gun. “What if I take off tonight?”
    That would change everything. Their lives would be thrown into turmoil. Vicki’s plans for the old schoolhouse would be wrecked.
    â€œYour choice,” Vicki said. “If you have to, you have to.”
    Vicki closed the door, then opened it a crack. “If you go, take blankets with you. It’s going to be nippy tonight.”
    Vicki put food and blankets by Melinda’s door and went to bed, listening for any sign of Melinda leaving. At midnight she opened her door and saw the food still in the hallway, but the blankets were gone.
    â€œPlease, God,” Vicki said, “convince her to stay.”
    Vicki wrestled with leaving. Could God have brought them here only to have them abandon the place? Was the dream of training kids just that—a dream?
    The next morning Vicki found Judd and Mr. Stein in the kitchen.
    â€œI see our guest is still here,” Judd said.
    â€œHow do you know?” Vicki said.
    â€œLooked in her window,” Judd said. He returned Vicki’s icy stare. “We have a right to know if she’s gone or not, don’t we?”
    â€œDon’t blow this for me, Judd.”
    Mr. Stein said, “That girl has been through so much. I only hope we can get through to her before something happens to her.”

    Mr. Stein used Judd’s laptop to log on to Tsion Ben-Judah’s Web site. Judd and Vicki ate in silence.
    â€œThe rabbi writes about the Meeting of the Witnesses,” Mr. Stein said.
    â€œStill scheduled for next week?” Vicki said.
    â€œYes. And thousands of house churches have begun— run by Jews who have become believers in Jesus as Messiah.”
    â€œHouse churches,” Vicki said. “I like that. This is going to be a house church for the Young Tribulation Force.”
    â€œIt’s going to be more than that,” Judd said. “Z is going to run supplies through here and help feed people who won’t obey Carpathia.”
    â€œWhat else does it say?” Vicki said.
    â€œThe house churches base their teachings on Tsion Ben-Judah’s daily messages over the Internet,” Mr. Stein said. “Though the Global Community urges everyone to join the Enigma Babylon One World Faith, tens of thousands of such churches meet every day.
    â€œTsion urges congregations to send their leaders to the great meeting, in spite of warnings from the GC. Nicolae Carpathia has tried again and again to cancel it.”
    Mr. Stein scrolled through the message excitedly. “Oh, listen to this! Dr. Ben-Judah writes, ‘We will be in Jerusalem as scheduled, with or without your approval, permission, or promised protection. The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard.’”
    â€œHe called Carpathia’s bluff,” Judd said.
    â€œWe must get the generator started,” Mr. Stein