Free Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins Page B

stadium?”
    “Negative.”
    “I’ll find them in the northwest corner?”
    “Affirmative, that’s a go. Assistance, tower. Appreciate your assistance.”
    “Am I in danger too?”
    “Ten-four.”
    “I should send someone else?”
    “Affirmative and thank you, tower. Heading that way immediately.”
    “Mac! I’m going to send someone they may not recognize, and I’m going to be waiting for him to bring them out the northwest exit. Am I all right with that?”
    “As soon as we can, tower. Over and out.”
    “Jacov, run in and find Tsion and Chloe and get them out of the stadium through the northwest exit.”
    Jacov reached for the door handle. “Up or down?” he said. “There is an exit at ground level and one below.”
    “Bring them out from below, and stop for no one. Do you have a weapon?”
    Jacov reached under the seat and pulled out an Uzi. He stuffed it in his waistband and covered it with his shirt. Buck considered it obvious, but in the darkness and with the press of the crowd, maybe it would go undetected. “Someone must have assigned GC guards to grab Tsion. They don’t have him yet, but it won’t be long. Get them out of there.”
    Jacov ran into the stadium, and Buck slid behind the wheel. The crowd was finally, slowly, starting to move. It was as if people didn’t want to leave. Clearly they hoped for a glimpse of Tsion. Buck didn’t understand their conversations, but the occasional English phrase told him most were discussing the humiliation of Carpathia.
    As Buck maneuvered the van carefully through the crowd he heard a chopper. He feared it brought more GC guards. He was surprised that the helicopter looked just like the one that had borne Carpathia. He grabbed his phone and hit the last-caller callback button.
    “McCullum.”
    “Mac! It’s Buck. What are you doing back here?”
    “Ten-four, Security. We’ll check out the southeast quadrant.”
    “I sent a man to the northwest corner!”
    “Affirmative, affirmative!
I’ll
check southeast, but then I’m taking my cargo to base, over.”
    “Might they be southeast now?”
    “Negative!
I’ll
cover southeast!”
    “But what can you do if they’re there?”
    “Roger, I can create the diversion, Security, but then we’re gone, copy?”
    “I’m confused but trusting you, Mac.”
    “Just keep your people out of southeast, Security. I’ll handle.”
    Buck tossed the phone onto the seat and tilted his outside mirror to watch the chopper. Leon Fortunato announced over the helicopter’s loudspeakers, “We have been asked by Global Community ground security forces at the stadium to help clear this area! Please translate this message to others if at all possible! We appreciate your cooperation!”
    The mass of people did not obey. As word spread that Carpathia’s own helicopter hovered over one corner of the stadium trying to clear the area, hundreds started that way, staring into the sky. That cleared a path for Buck, who drove quickly to the northwest corner. As people streamed out, they were drawn to the helicopter and immediately began moving that way to check out the commotion.
    Buck pulled near the stadium. He ignored waving armed guards, opened his door, and stepped up on the floorboard to locate the underground exit. He found the dimly lit ramp where trucks had delivered equipment the day before. On tiptoes he saw a shaft of light appear as a door burst open and someone sprinted up the ramp.
    Guards moved in for a closer look as Buck realized it was Jacov. What was he running from? Why was he ignored? Was the GC watching for Tsion? As Jacov passed the guards, he appeared to spot the van. Less than fifty feet away, he looked straight at Buck. He pulled the Uzi from under his shirt and sprayed bullets into the sky as he turned left.
    The guards gave chase, guns drawn, and hundreds in the area screamed and dived for cover. Buck instinctively lowered his body, now watching over the top of the van. A couple hundred feet away,