Read Online The Vanishings by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins - Free Book Online

the old woman. Buck crouched and studied the clothes Mr. Peterson had left in his seat. “Does your husband have epilepsy?”
    “No.”
    “Sleepwalking?”
    “No.”
    “I’ll be right back.”
    Judd didn’t want to look down into the seats in front of him, and he certainly didn’t want to look to his right where the big man had been. But he forced himself to. Over the backs of the seats ahead of him he saw blankets, pillows, and full sets of clothes. Glasses, jewelry, even a man’s wig lay on his seat.
    His heart racing, Judd looked next to him. That neatly folded blanket now lay atop flat trousers that led to empty socks and shoes. On the back of the seat lay the limp, still-buttoned white shirt, the still-knotted tie, and little bits of metal. Judd’s knees were weak. Other passengers woke up and discovered their seatmates missing, their clothes left behind.
    Judd leaned close to the big man’s pile ofclothes and turned on the overhead light. He could still smell the man’s cologne. And those tiny bits of metal were dental fillings!
    Buck Williams moved past Judd’s seat. “Excuse me,” he said to another passenger. “I’m looking for someone.”
    “Who isn’t?” a woman said.
    The pilot rushed back toward the cockpit, followed by his flight attendant. She told Buck, “Sir, I need to ask you to return to your seat and fasten your belt.” Hattie turned and gave Judd a look as if she expected the same from him. He sat quickly and refused to look at the clothes his seatmate had left behind.
    Buck tried to explain. “I’m looking for—”
    “Everybody is looking for someone,” Hattie said. “We hope to have some information for you in a few minutes. Now, please.”
    When Hattie passed him, Judd quickly left his seat and ran to the stairway. Halfway down he saw the cabin lights finally come on. All over the plane people held up clothes and gasped or shrieked that someone was missing. Judd walked stiff-legged back to his seat and heard Buck tell Mrs. Peterson, “Apparently many people are missing.” She looked afraid and puzzled.
    Judd was afraid too, but he wasn’t puzzled. As the pilot came over the intercom, pleading for people to remain calm, the full realization of what had happened hit Judd. He didn’t know how many other people on the plane had any idea, but he sure did. Christ had come as he promised and raptured his church. Judd lowered his face into his hands and shuddered. It was the worst nightmare imaginable, and he was wide awake. He, and most of the passengers on that plane, had been left behind.
    Judd raised his head when Hattie approached again. Her face was red and puffy, and she breathed fast, seeming to fight for control. She stopped in the aisle, right next to him, and put her hand on his seat back to steady herself. Draped over her arm was a sweater-vest with a shirt and tie still in it. The nameplate dangling in front of Judd read “Tony.”
    The pilot’s voice came over the intercom and announced that cards would be passed out to determine who and how many were missing. Hattie roused the sleeping drunk on the aisle and asked if any in his party were missing. He drooled, his eyes heavy. “Missing? No. And there’s nobody in this party but me.” He closed his eyes again, and Judd knew he had no idea what had happened.
    Later, when the captain announced they were turning around and heading back to Chicago, Judd led the cheering. Home hadnever sounded so good. His plan—his crazy, stupid, selfish plan—was out the window now. He would pay his dad back for the money he had already taken with the card, and if it wasn’t too late, he would get right with God. It seemed strange to even think that way, and he suddenly realized that if he was right about what had happened, he would be going home to an empty house.
    Judd dropped his head again and felt the tears come. From across the aisle he heard Buck say to the sleeping drunk, “I’m sorry, friend, but you’re going to