Read Online Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
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do! A cross! And I have one, really?”
“Really.”
“Oh! Praise God!”
They climbed back into the van, and Buck dialed Chloe’s phone. “This had better be you, Buck,” she said.
“It is.”
“I was worried about you.”
“Sorry, but we have a new brother.”
“Jacov?”
“Want to talk to him?”
“Of course. And don’t try to get back in, hon. It’s a madhouse. I’ll get Tsion out as soon as I can.”
Buck handed the phone to Jacov. “Thank you, Mrs. Williams!” he said. “I feel brand new! I am brand new! Hurry and we can see each other’s marks!”
At the safe house it was midafternoon. Rayford sat staring at the screen and shaking his head. “Do you believe this?” he said over and over. “I can’t believe Nicolae lost it like that.”
Ken stood blocking the sun from the window. “I heard all the stories about them two witnesses, but man oh man, they are spooky. I’m glad they’re on our side. They are, aren’t they?”
Dr. Charles laughed. “You know as well as we do that they are, if you’ve been following Tsion as closely on the Net as you say you have.”
“This thing’s going to have the biggest TV audience in history tomorrow,” Rayford said, turning to see what Hattie thought of it. She too stared at the screen, but her face was deathly pale, and she appeared to try to speak. Her mouth was open, her lips quivering. She looked terrified. “You all right, Hattie?” he said.
Floyd turned as Hattie emitted a piercing scream. She flopped onto her back, cradled her abdomen with both hands, and rolled to her side, gasping and groaning.
Dr. Charles grabbed his stethoscope and asked Rayford and Ken to hold Hattie down. She fought them but seemed to know enough to try to stay quiet so Floyd could listen for the baby’s heartbeat. He looked grave. “What did you feel?” he asked.
“No movement for a long time,” she said, gasping. “Then sharp pain. Did it die? Did I lose my baby?”
“Let me listen again,” he said. Hattie held still. “I can’t tell with just a stethoscope,” he said. “And I don’t have a fetal monitor.”
“You could tell if it was there!” Hattie said.
“But I can’t be sure if I hear nothing.”
“Oh, no! Please, no!”
Floyd shushed her and listened carefully again. He felt all around her abdomen and then lay his ear flat on her belly. He straightened up quickly. “Did you tighten your abdominal muscles on purpose?” She shook her head. “Did you just feel a labor pain?”
“How would I know?”
“Cramping? Tightening?”
She nodded.
“Phone!” Floyd barked, and Ken tossed him his. The doctor dialed quickly. “Jimmy, it’s me. I need a sterile environment and a fetal monitor…. Don’t ask! . . . No, I can’t tell you that. Assume I’m within fifty to sixty miles of you. . .. No, I can’t come there.”
“How ‘bout Young Memorial in Palatine?” Ken whispered. “There’s a believer there.” Rayford looked up, surprised.
Floyd covered the phone. “How close?”
“Not that far.”
“Thanks, Jimmy. Sorry to bother you. We found a place. I owe you one.”
The doctor began barking orders. “Decide who’s gonna drive, and the other get me two blankets.”
Rayford looked at Ken, who shrugged. “I’m easy,” he said. “I can drive or―”
“Sometime today, gentlemen!”
“You know where it is, you drive,” Rayford said, and he dashed upstairs. When he returned with the blankets, the Rover idled near the door, and Dr. Charles backed out of the house with Hattie in his arms. She squirmed and cried and screamed.
“Should you move her?”
“No choice,” Floyd said. “I’m afraid she’s about to spontaneously abort.”
“No!” Hattie screeched. “I’m only staying alive for my baby!”
“Don’t say that,” Rayford said as he squeezed past and opened the car door.
“Yes, say that,” the doctor said. “Whatever it takes, keep fighting. Ray, get one blanket on the backseat and
“Really.”
“Oh! Praise God!”
They climbed back into the van, and Buck dialed Chloe’s phone. “This had better be you, Buck,” she said.
“It is.”
“I was worried about you.”
“Sorry, but we have a new brother.”
“Jacov?”
“Want to talk to him?”
“Of course. And don’t try to get back in, hon. It’s a madhouse. I’ll get Tsion out as soon as I can.”
Buck handed the phone to Jacov. “Thank you, Mrs. Williams!” he said. “I feel brand new! I am brand new! Hurry and we can see each other’s marks!”
At the safe house it was midafternoon. Rayford sat staring at the screen and shaking his head. “Do you believe this?” he said over and over. “I can’t believe Nicolae lost it like that.”
Ken stood blocking the sun from the window. “I heard all the stories about them two witnesses, but man oh man, they are spooky. I’m glad they’re on our side. They are, aren’t they?”
Dr. Charles laughed. “You know as well as we do that they are, if you’ve been following Tsion as closely on the Net as you say you have.”
“This thing’s going to have the biggest TV audience in history tomorrow,” Rayford said, turning to see what Hattie thought of it. She too stared at the screen, but her face was deathly pale, and she appeared to try to speak. Her mouth was open, her lips quivering. She looked terrified. “You all right, Hattie?” he said.
Floyd turned as Hattie emitted a piercing scream. She flopped onto her back, cradled her abdomen with both hands, and rolled to her side, gasping and groaning.
Dr. Charles grabbed his stethoscope and asked Rayford and Ken to hold Hattie down. She fought them but seemed to know enough to try to stay quiet so Floyd could listen for the baby’s heartbeat. He looked grave. “What did you feel?” he asked.
“No movement for a long time,” she said, gasping. “Then sharp pain. Did it die? Did I lose my baby?”
“Let me listen again,” he said. Hattie held still. “I can’t tell with just a stethoscope,” he said. “And I don’t have a fetal monitor.”
“You could tell if it was there!” Hattie said.
“But I can’t be sure if I hear nothing.”
“Oh, no! Please, no!”
Floyd shushed her and listened carefully again. He felt all around her abdomen and then lay his ear flat on her belly. He straightened up quickly. “Did you tighten your abdominal muscles on purpose?” She shook her head. “Did you just feel a labor pain?”
“How would I know?”
“Cramping? Tightening?”
She nodded.
“Phone!” Floyd barked, and Ken tossed him his. The doctor dialed quickly. “Jimmy, it’s me. I need a sterile environment and a fetal monitor…. Don’t ask! . . . No, I can’t tell you that. Assume I’m within fifty to sixty miles of you. . .. No, I can’t come there.”
“How ‘bout Young Memorial in Palatine?” Ken whispered. “There’s a believer there.” Rayford looked up, surprised.
Floyd covered the phone. “How close?”
“Not that far.”
“Thanks, Jimmy. Sorry to bother you. We found a place. I owe you one.”
The doctor began barking orders. “Decide who’s gonna drive, and the other get me two blankets.”
Rayford looked at Ken, who shrugged. “I’m easy,” he said. “I can drive or―”
“Sometime today, gentlemen!”
“You know where it is, you drive,” Rayford said, and he dashed upstairs. When he returned with the blankets, the Rover idled near the door, and Dr. Charles backed out of the house with Hattie in his arms. She squirmed and cried and screamed.
“Should you move her?”
“No choice,” Floyd said. “I’m afraid she’s about to spontaneously abort.”
“No!” Hattie screeched. “I’m only staying alive for my baby!”
“Don’t say that,” Rayford said as he squeezed past and opened the car door.
“Yes, say that,” the doctor said. “Whatever it takes, keep fighting. Ray, get one blanket on the backseat and
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