From outside the plaza came the sound of a voice over the loudspeaker. It was commanding the crowd to disperse. On the outer edge of the pavement, a Global Alliance commander held a wireless microphone to his mouth. In a cold, amplified voice he told the mob they had ten seconds to clear the area.
The crowd started to break apart in a sudden melee, running in every direction. But as the plaza cleared, the Two Witnesses did not move. Standing in the center, they turned slowly to face the commander, who was some two hundred feet away and who had marshalled a hundred and fifty soldiers with automatic weapons to stand behind him. Some of the Alliance soldiers were shaking their heads, nervously looking for some way out of the charge that now seemed inevitable. The commander ordered the Two Witnesses to lay flat on the ground so they could be arrested, telling them that they were guilty of violence against the Alliance and if they resisted, they would be shot.
Mashah cried out to the commander, “Be warned! If you seek to harm us, then by the power of the Living God, you shall see this day the terrible power of His right hand.”
The commander turned to his troops. “These men are armed with advanced weaponry. They’re dangerous. You will commence firing on the count of three. One . . .”
“This day,” Mashah boomed, “your souls shall be required . . .”
“Two . . . ,” the commander yelled.
“And you shall know that the Lord is truly God . . .”
“Three!” the commander bellowed. “Commence firing!”
Faced with the order, more than thirty Alliance soldiers dropped their weapons and began to disperse. A dozen more dropped to their knees or covered their faces with their hands in prayer.
But the weapons of the rest of the Alliance troops exploded with a massive volley, aimed at the two men who stood alone in the center of the plaza.
When the smoke cleared, the Two Witnesses were still standing.
Tishbite took a step in the direction of the troops. His voice had the ring of ages past, and it echoed through the plaza. “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, today let it be known that You are God in Israel, and that we are Your servants, and that we obey Your word. So answer me, O Lord, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You desire that the hearts of the people be turned back to You again.”
The troops were now charging full speed across the plaza toward the Two Witnesses with orders to fire again. When the soldiers reached a range of deadly accuracy, Tishbite stretched out his hand. The automatic rifles in the first flank of Alliance troops became as hot as molten lava. The soldiers dropped them to the ground and cupped their hands as they screamed in pain. The charge came to a confused, disorganized halt.
The commander yelled again over the loudspeaker for the assault to continue. But now more than half of the soldiers dropped their weapons and ran in all directions. The commander screamed his orders again. Finally the diminished flank of remaining soldiers began to charge once again on the two men.
Tishbite raised his hand up toward heaven. When he did, something appeared way up in the sky. There came a flashing glimmer of red illumination, like a fiery bolt of lightning, followed by a chest-pounding wave of thunder, as if the earth were cracking. Then came a deafening roar as the sky lit up and a funnel of fire appeared and fell down on the advancing military force.
In an instant—less than a second—the small number of remaining Global Alliance troops that were still charging, and the commander as well, were burned into hollow shapes where they stood. A wind from somewhere began to blow across the plaza, and the ashen remains of the soldiers and their commander scattered like dust in the sudden whirlwind.
THIRTY-TWO
HONG KONG
Ethan had a sense of foreboding that evening as he sat with Rivka on the outside porch of Zhang Lee’s high-rise penthouse in Hong Kong. “I’ve been trying to call Rabbi ZG,” he said, “but he’s not picking up.”
“You wanted to ask him about negotiating with Jo Li?” guessed Rivka.
“Right,” Ethan replied. “I’m a little conflicted. On the surface it looks like a good deal for our people. Helping them get the necessities they need in an economic system that keeps everything under radar. Away from Global Alliance surveillance. But I don’t know how much I can trust this Jo character.”
“Would you like some woman’s intuition?”
Ethan laughed. “I thought you weren’t into gender stereotypes,” he said, teasing her. “After all, you’re a kickboxing ex-member of Israel’s spy agency.”
“And also a woman,” she added, “who does happen to believe that God gives some of us women a special sensitivity about people. So, do you want to know what I believe?”
“Sure.”
“I think Jo Li was willing to tell you anything you wanted to hear.”
“And that’s based on what?”
“A gut feeling.”
Ethan wasn’t convinced. “Maybe Jo’s underground Internet economy is God’s way of providing for His people in a time of crisis. Like manna from heaven when the Israelites fled out of Egypt. Or the loaves and the fishes.”
“Except that God didn’t use a criminal in either one of those situations.”
“There’s no evidence that Jo’s a crook.”
“The world is in the middle of a global depression. And that guy is cruising around in a fifty-million-dollar yacht. Come on, Ethan . . .”
Ethan couldn’t help smiling. There it was again, just one more thing he liked about Rivka: she was willing to challenge him when she thought he needed it. And frankly, Ethan knew he needed it now more than ever. He had been elevated into a position of leadership because Joshua Jordan told everyone that if the Rapture happened first, then Ethan ought to take over the leadership of the Roundtable and spearhead a global resistance against the evil empire he saw rising up. But the weight of that responsibility felt like a three-hundred-pound barbell had been dropped on his shoulders.
Rivka was still waiting. She wasn’t going to let it rest. “Okay,” she said with a smile, teasing him in return. “Captain, my captain . . . What say you to my last point?”
“What do I say? I guess I’ll meditate on it, pray about it, and then . . . well, we’ll see.”
Before Rivka could respond, Ethan’s Allfone vibrated and he picked up the call. Rivka bent down and gave him a peck on the cheek before slipping inside.
The call was from Jimmy Louder. Ethan was glad to hear from him. “How are our people doing in Cyprus?”
“I haven’t made it to Cyprus yet.”
“Why not?”
“I stopped over in Jerusalem first to check on our group of Jesus followers. That’s where I am now. And I’m glad I did. Something’s happened to Rabbi ZG.”
“Where is he? I’ve been trying to call him but he isn’t picking up.”
“The Global Alliance arrested him. They have him at some unidentified location. Ethan, things are really popping over here. The same day as his arrest the Two Witnesses were preaching by the Temple Mount and Alliance troops fired on them. Some of those soldiers were turned into ash when the Witnesses got through with them.”
Ethan quickly tried to process what he was hearing.
“I’ve talked to Micah, ZG’s right-hand man in Israel,” Jimmy continued. “We decided that someone needs to approach Prime Minister Bensky about this. There’s a political guy who Micah thinks has inroads to the PM. The Alliance has been running roughshod over basic human liberties over here. It has to stop. Nobody’s safe.”
“True enough,” Ethan said. “Though I think at this point the question isn’t just about safety. It’s about courage.” He thought about something. “But who am I to lecture you about courage? Sorry about that.”
Louder laughed that off with a snort. “Hey, come on, Ethan, are you kidding?”
“Who’s your entrée to the prime minister?”
“A member of the Knesset named Joel Harmon.”
When he heard that,
Ethan brightened. “I know that guy. He helped Josh and me once when we were in a really tight spot in Israel. A former IAF pilot. Politically connected. Great choice. Keep me posted.”
Ethan clicked off the call and gazed out over the Hong Kong skyline, trying to sort out what he had just heard. He stayed there until Zhang Lee poked his head through the door to the porch and announced his personal chef had prepared a fabulous dinner and that it was waiting for them on the table.
Lee, Ethan, and Rivka sat down and enjoyed a fine meal of prawn dumplings, steamed suimai with crispy noodles, and a long conversation. Zhang talked about his history in the real estate business and the uncertainty created by the transfer of power that took place when China took the wealthy island back from Great Britain.
Ethan wanted to know Zhang’s opinion about something. “Why did China, now a world power, decide to go along with this Global Alliance idea? They joined without a fight. No fuss.”
Zhang nodded. “The Chinese are infinitely patient. They’ve joined, all right. But Beijing is biding its time, waiting for the right moment to make a power play.”
Rivka asked him something too, about the transfer of the island back to China. “I had a meeting recently with a former English solicitor here in Hong Kong by the name of Hadley Brooking. He was here on the island when it all happened. Do you know him?”
Zhang thought for a moment. “Doesn’t he rent an office over on Hennessy Street?”
She nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Yes. I actually handled the sale of that office building. Mr. Brooking does some import and export, as I recall.”
“Is he reputable?”
“I think so. He runs a consulting business. Why?”
Rivka tossed a quick look over at Ethan, who knew exactly why she had asked it. He smiled back at her.
“Oh,” Rivka said, “I was just doing a character check on Mr. Brooking, that’s all.”
When dinner was finished, Ethan accompanied Rivka down the elevator to the ground floor. He mentioned the Hadley Brooking issue, and Jo Li too. “I like the way you don’t give up,” he said.
“You mean,” she said with a laugh, “that I’m like a dog on a bone regarding this deal you might be working with Jo Li?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I just like the way you’re committed to our doing the right thing. One of the things I love about you.”
She smiled at that. “Well, if it makes you feel any better,” she said as they stepped out of the elevator, “it sounds like Hadley Brooking checks out. And even that low-life Chow says Jo is legit. And meanwhile, on my side of the ledger, all that I have against your plan is my female intuition that something’s not what it seems.”
Ethan walked her through the tower lobby and outside. Hong Kong was a city that didn’t sleep, and the place was still very much alive, even then, way after midnight. Cars, taxis, and motorbikes still crowded the street. A few couples strolled past them on the sidewalk, arm in arm. Rivka saw that and smiled.
Ethan remembered something about Jo’s underground economy. He stopped and turned to Rivka.
“One thing I learned that’s interesting,” he said. “Jo Li’s system is what he calls a private trading, buying-and-selling club. I asked Judge Rice to do some legal research on that. He called me back and said that Jo’s system is exempt from the Alliance financial regulations. The World Parliament apparently left a loophole in the global finance law to grandfather in these so-called private financial clubs. But Jo’s was the only one that qualified. Basically, he owns the loophole.”
“So what are you thinking?”
“Why hasn’t Colliquin closed the loophole? Shut Jo Li down?”
Rivka bobbed her head. “That’s something that already hit me. But then I realized that the Alliance is only a few years old. Maybe they just haven’t had time to address that one small glitch. Or maybe there’s a solid reason for the loophole that we don’t know yet.”
Ethan shrugged and glanced at the time on his Allfone watch. “Wow, it’s late. Why don’t I escort you home?”
“Don’t bother. I’ll be plenty safe.” She reached out and squeezed his hand, then pulled herself close to him. “I like you, Ethan. A lot. And it’s been terrific having you around. And . . . during that year and a half when I didn’t hear anything from you . . . I just wondered if we would ever get together. That was very hard for me.”
Ethan could see that she was tearing up. He pulled her closer and gave her a kiss. “I’m sorry about the silence when we were apart. Everything that happened—the whole Jordan family gone in a flash, the whole world getting turned upside down. And me there in Israel, feeling pretty much alone, trying to figure things out by myself.”
All of a sudden Ethan felt the urge to say something straight out of his heart. Reckless, perhaps, but in a good way. This woman is so amazing. Why don’t I just pop the question right here? I can look for a ring later. Get down on my knees here on the sidewalk. In front of all the passersby. And ask her . . .
But he didn’t. Instead, he said again, “Hey, you sure you’ll be okay?”
She nodded and patted his face with both of her hands. “Good night, Ethan. Sweet dreams.”
Making his way back inside, Ethan went directly to his bedroom in Zhang Lee’s penthouse and closed the door. As he lay on the bed, he was still thinking about Rivka. He knew that he loved her. Yes, like crazy. I need to pray about this. But the way I feel about her, I really, really want her to be my wife. And soon. Before life gets in the way again.
Ethan glanced at the satellite clock on the bedside table. Never enough time.
He knew that there was one more thing to do before he could catch some sleep. He turned on the video log from Josh. He had been slowly working his way through it, but he still had about a third of it to go. He was tired. He decided to catch just a few minutes of the log.
On the screen, Joshua looked preoccupied. His face was more worn than Ethan had recalled. Josh was talking about the practical needs of those coming to faith in Christ. And the need to prepare for a particularly terrifying form of tyranny.
For Ethan, that message seemed providential. Josh was quoting the admonition of Jesus that His followers should be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents.
That serpent reference, Ethan thought, was exactly what he needed to hear. The need to be practical about the ways of the world while still being morally upright. It was a difficult balance, no question about it.
Ethan rubbed his eyes. They burned with fatigue. He was increasingly convinced that he needed to seal the deal with Jo Li while there was still time. And at least that would solve one of the two great burdens he was dealing with: finding a financial system to safely provide for the basic survival needs of his Remnant group of Jesus followers—the millions of them around the world. Those numbers that were growing exponentially.
But the second problem still plagued him as he felt himself drifting off to sleep: Sure, Chiro had created a digital substation tucked away in the wilderness of the Yukon to help counteract Alexander Colliquin’s plan for some kind of digital takeover of the world’s web communications networks. But even with his Japanese cyber genius helping him, that wouldn’t be enough. Alexander Colliquin’s audacious technology plan was still too sketchy for Ethan’s forces to attack. How did one fight a shadow?
It was clear that it would come down to Dr. Iban Adis, Ethan’s inside source at the Alliance’s digital imagery laboratory. Adis needed to dig into the engineering details and then slip that information to Ethan.
Finally, Ethan gave himself an order. Okay, stop the gears in your head. If you don’t shut down your brain now, you’ll never get any sleep.
Thankfully, the admonition worked.
THIRTY-THREE
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington, D.C.
During that day’s press conference, Hank Hewbright’s victory in the Senate had been touted by his press secretary as a major vindication of the president’s le
adership. But privately Hewbright knew that he was wounded prey and the wolves were circling. He had a conversation with William Tatter, his CIA director. That’s when he realized his enemies had something even bigger in mind than just his impeachment.
His meeting with Tatter in the Oval Office happened without notice. Tatter showed up without an appointment and told Hewbright’s executive secretary he had some urgent information for the president and that it couldn’t wait.
“Mr. President,” Tatter started out, “I was contacted by a former agency asset. An insider. Someone who has some intelligence information that may shed some light on the plans of the Global Alliance.” Tatter spoke plainly. “Does the name Pack McHenry mean anything to you?”
Hewbright shook his head.
“He’s our source. He works as a lone ranger now. But he has credible information that there have been a series of coordinated assaults against a small group of seven Internet experts who collectively hold a key code for the world’s wireless Internet matrix. I’ve had our analysts track this. We have verified it ourselves from field reports.”
“What do the key codes do?”
“Restart the web in the event of a catastrophic event.”
“What kind of event?”
“It could be anything, ranging from a global nuclear war to a geophysical catastrophe that knocks out the world’s communications networks. Or perhaps a worldwide cyber attack of unprecedented sophistication. Or maybe something that we haven’t thought of yet.”
“It sounds ominous, but vague.”
“Mr. President,” Tatter said, “I’m telling you everything I know. Except for two additional facts. First, Alexander Colliquin is putting huge resources toward some kind of technology development, the details of which are still a little uncertain. From what we can tell, it looks like a wireless communications conduit to reach the four corners of the planet and everything in between.”