going,â he said.
Carl switched hands while taking notes. When his right hand got tired, he switched to his left. âI can use either of them.â
Other kids moved in and out of the room while Vicki taught. Pete sat in the corner with Charlie. Conrad and Mark were in another room in a heated conversation.
By nightfall Vicki was again exhausted. She had completed a third of what she thought Carl needed to know. Carl rubbed his eyes and went to the kitchen for something to eat.
âLooks like your studentâs pretty excited,â Pete said.
Vicki shook her head. âHe has a lot more energy than I do.â
âHow long before you think heâs ready?â
âReady for what?â Vicki said.
âTo go back to the GC,â Pete said.
âIs that why heâs so eager?â Vicki said.
Pete smiled. âI think heâs eager because heâs hungry for the message and heâs got a pretty teacher.â
Vicki blushed.
âI finally convinced him that we need somebody inside the GC here in the States,â Pete said.
âIâm not putting him in that position,â Vicki said.
Pete nodded. âAnd now Iâm going to convince you of something.â
âMe?â Vicki said.
Pete nodded. âI want you to go south with us.â
7
VICKI sat up. She had thought about traveling in the last few days, but she wasnât sure why. Why go anywhere when the kids could reach millions through the Internet?
âYou have a gift,â Pete said. âThe way you explained the Bible to Carl was incredible. You could do that for others.â
Mark and Conrad ran into the room. âWe just hooked up with Tsion Ben-Judah,â Conrad said. âAs soon as we get our Web site up, heâll link his site with ours.â
âFantastic,â Darrion said.
Vicki pulled Mark aside. âWhy were you two arguing?â
âWe had a little disagreement about what to call it and what the icon should look like,â Mark said. âWeâll work it out.â
Pete explained his idea to Mark and Conrad. âIf Vicki and one or two others come along, you could really encourage some believers.â
âWhat if theyâre underground?â Mark said.
âThatâs where Carl comes in,â Pete said. âWe let the GC ferret out the believers and before they can arrest them, we tip the believers off and give some teaching.â
âWonât the GC figure out thereâs somebody working on the inside?â Conrad said.
âMaybe,â Pete said. âCarl will have to be careful.â
Vicki chewed on the idea. âHow would we buy food or supplies while weâre on the road?â Vicki said.
Pete handed her a heavy envelope. âAlmost forgot. Z told me to give you this.â
Vicki opened it and stared at a stack of bills. She didnât have to count it to know there was enough to last several trips.
âZ said it came from the sale of those coins,â Pete said. âHe was real happy to pass this on to you. The money from the treasure you guys discovered will probably help believers for years.â
Pete paused. âSo what do you say, Vicki? Will you go?â
Judd figured the best route to the hospital for the following day. Lionel and Sam researched locust stings. Using household items they came up with a mixture to put on that looked just like a real sting.
Jamal asked Judd about the plan. Judd explained Samâs concern for his father but didnât mention Deputy Commander Woodruff.
âIâm behind you,â Jamal said. âIf you need a vehicle, you can use mine.â
Nada stayed to herself. Judd had seen her at meals, but they hadnât talked. Judd knew they needed to talk, but now wasnât the time.
Early in the morning, before they left, Judd found an e-mail from Vicki. She brought him up to date on all the changes at the schoolhouse. She asked about Mr. Stein. Then Vicki
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