Tyndale House - The Mark - The Beast Rules the World

Chloe nodded.

Hattie continued. "Even though you were so much younger than me, you told me that you all wanted to love me the way God loved me, and that was whether I agreed with you or not. No matter what I did or what I decided, you would love me because that was the way God loved you, even when you were dead in your sins."

"I don't remember being that articulate," Chloe said, her eyes filling.

"Well," Hattie said, "you were right. God loved me at my lowest. And to think I almost killed myself before he finally got to me."

"They don't know that story," Rayford reminded her. And she told them everything, from the time the GC in Colorado apprehended her to that very moment.

"I was so worried that you would never forgive me," she concluded.

Chloe stood to embrace her. Then Buck did. "You've never forgiven me for something that was worse than anything you ever pulled, Hattie."

"What?"

"I introduced you to Nicolae Carpathia."

She nodded, smiling through tears. "That was pretty bad," she said. "But how could you know? He fooled almost everybody at first. I wish I'd never laid eyes on him, but I also wouldn't trade a thing about my life now. It all pointed to today."

David was antsy. He wanted Viv Ivins to leave so he could get started on his real chores. She rattled on about Fortunato.

"He'll move into Peter Mathews's old office, but nothing will be the same there. There's no Enigma Babylon One World Faith anymore, because there's no enigma. We know whom to worship now, don't we, Mr. Hassid?"

"We sure do," he said.

"Now," she said, "there is one more item. You're aware that you lost an employee the other day?" She flipped a page in her notebook and read, " 'Single, white, female, twenty-two, almost twenty-three, Angel Rich Christopher.' Rich is apparently a family name."

David held his breath and nodded.

"Lightning victim," Viv added. "One of several."

"I was aware of that, yes."

"I just wanted to tell you that if you were planning any sort of memorial, I'd advise against it."

"I'm sorry?"

"We have simply lost too many employees to make it practical to give them all their moments, if you will."

David was offended, especially for Annie. "I, uh, have attended other such ceremonies. They have been short but appropriate."

"Well, this one would not be appropriate. Understood?"

"No."

"No?" ' "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Why would it not be appropriate to remember a coworker who-"

"If you would think about it for just a moment, you would likely understand."

"Save me the time, please."

"Well, Mr. Hassid, Miss Christopher was apparently struck by lightning when the now Reverend Fortunato was calling down fire from heaven on those who refused to recognize His Excellency the Potentate as the true and living God."

"You're saying her death proves she was subversive. That Fortunato killed her."

"God killed her, Director. Call it subversive or whatever you will, it is obvious to all who were present-and I know you were-that only skeptics suffered for their unbelief that day."

David pursed his lips and scratched his head. "If we are not memorializing employees who did not recognize Nicolae Carpathia as deity, I understand and will comply."

"I thought you would, sir." She rose and waited for David to open the door for her. "Good day to you, Director. You know I am always available, should you need anything at all."

"Well, there is one more thing."

"Name it."

"The biochip injectors you mentioned. Are they similar to the type used for inserting the same into household pets?"

"I believe they are, with certain modifications."

"One of the nurses who attended me happened to mention that she got her start in medicine as a veterinarian's assistant. I wonder if she has any experience with that kind of technology that might be helpful to us."

"Good thinking. Give me her name and I'll check it out."

"I don't recall offhand," he said. "But it should be easy enough to find out. I'll call you with it."

As soon as Viv was gone, David phoned Hannah. "I'll be giving your name to Viv Ivins. Expect a call."

"Got it."

He told her of the prohibition against even a moment of silence in his department for Annie.

"That's perfect," she said. "David, she would wear that like a badge of honor. If being honored made it appear she was a Carpathia loyalist, you'd have to answer to her in heaven someday."

For the next several days in the safe house, Rayford quietly observed the group dynamics and took notes. Tsion and Chaim spent most of their time studying. Leah seemed bored with helping Chloe with the international co-op, and while she got acquainted with Hattie, Hattie was getting on everyone's nerves. Everyone's except Zeke's. He mostly kept to himself and didn't appear affected by personal idiosyncrasies.

Rayford asked Tsion to lead the group in a brief Bible study each day, and they prayed together. Everyone was also expected to log on to Tsion's daily cybermessage. Each took a turn spray painting the insides of exposed windows until all the floors they were using were invisible to the outside, even with lights on.

A week after Rayford had brought Hattie into the safe house, he called a meeting to officially insert Chaim, Zeke, Albie, and Hattie into the Tribulation Force. They watched the Internet and television for information on when and how the mark of loyalty would be administered. And Buck was back in full swing with his The Truth cyberzine. With his international contacts and his ability to write stories that had a ring of authenticity without exposing believers in high places, Buck's was the most popular site on the Net, except for Tsion's. Through contacts Chloe lined up in the co-op, Buck enlisted underground printers all over the world who risked their lives publishing The Truth and Tsion's messages for those without access to computers.

Hattie evolved from a hesitant newcomer to the vivacious, excited believer she had been that first morning in Bozeman. Rayford enjoyed her spirit, and it seemed Tsion did too. The others' eyes seemed to glaze over each time she exulted over something anew. Something had to give. The Trib Force had plenty of space and privacy, but even in a massive skyscraper, cabin fever set in.

Fresh air was a problem. The building ventilation system worked fine, but other than the occasional slightly opened window that brought in crisp, fall breezes, everyone longed for time outdoors in the daylight. Too risky, Rayford told them, and even Kenny Bruce was taken out only after dark.

One by one his comrades came to Rayford in private, and while they carefully avoided bad-mouthing each other, all had similar requests. Each wanted an assignment, something away from the safe house. They wanted to be proactive, not waiting for Nicolae and the GC to be the only ones on the offensive.

All but Zeke, that is, who seemed content with his role. He inventoried the tools and supplies necessary to outfit the best forgery and phony identification operation possible. "I'm not a book readin' kind of a guy," he told Rayford, "but I can see what's coming."

"You can?"

Zeke nodded. "Dr. Ben-Judah is training Chaim what's-his-name to go back to Israel. That means I gotta work on a new ID for him, and not just on paper. He's gotta look like somebody else, because everybody knows him all over the world."

Rayford could only nod.

"You can't change a guy's height and weight, and I'm no plastic surgeon. But there's things you can do. He's got that Einstein hair thing goin' now, and he shaves. I'd bald him and dye his eyebrows dark. Then have him grow a big bushy beard or maybe muttonchops and a mustache, and make them dark too. He'll look younger and kinda hip, but mostly he won't look like himself. We gotta get rid of the glasses or change 'em drastically. Then I'd give him colored contacts. If he can get along without a prescription, I got plenty he can choose from."