Left Behind Series - The Remnant Part 21

"Tell, no."

"'Course not. Not unless their boss gave me their number, right?"

"Right."

"But even then, I couldn't call them out here, could I?"

"No. That's all I was saying."

"You were saying something else, weren't you, Socrates?"

"No. I was just talking."

"You thought I was calling Commander Stefanich, didn't you?"

"No I "

"Didn't you?"

"Yes " "But you didn't think I could reach him." Socrates nodded miserably. "But how would you know that?"

"I was guessing." "I can't get through to him in Ptolemais, in the middle of all the cells? "

"You probably can."

"But he's not there, is he?"

"How would I know?"

"Because he's here in the woods, isn't he?" Silence. "Isn't he, Socrates?"

He shrugged.

"So, how did he let you and your team know I was coming? Couldn't call you, could he?"

"I am so stupid."

"I'll grant you that, Socrates. Not livin' up to that name anyway, wouldn't you say?" Mac turned back to the phone. "Sorry to keep you, Chief."

"I'm way ahead of you, Mac. I can beam a signal to that phone of Stef anich's that will make the bells and whistles blow, even if I can't talk to him on it. He'll get a readout that Deputy Commander Konrad, who reports directly to Security and Intelligence Director Akbar, wants to talk with him immediately."

"Sounds good, Chief. I'll talk to you later. Things are going fine here."

"When he calls, I will use the voice modulator that can make me sound like an old German, and I'll tell him that Akbar himself is holding him personally responsible for giving Howie Johnson access to Sebastian."

"Perfect. "

"And if he doesn't call, I'll have that on his phone's readout in time to help you out. Got you covered, Mac. " "Ain't that the truth, Commander!" Mac slapped the phone shut.

"Lemme have that walkie talkie, friend."

"You're going to get me killed."

"who, me? Nah. You're a dead man anyway. Said so yourself."

"Are you going to kill me? Or let her?"

Mac shook his head. "I'll leave that to your partners. Look on the bright side. If they're as effective as you are, you'll be eatin' breakfast in the morning as usual."

Socrates stared at him.

"You eat breakfast, don't you, Socrates?"

The man nodded.

"'Scuse me," Mac said, and pretended to mash the b.u.t.ton on the walkie talkie. "Now hear this, Plato, Aristotle, and Elena. I don't want to talk to any of you. I want Nelly Stefanich. Now, Nelly, I know you're close by, and I admire your creativity, goin' by the book and all. I'm not even insulted that you're checkin' up on me. I'll make ya a deal. When you get confirmation that me and mine are all we claim to be, I want you to personally bring Sebastian to me. You know where I am. And bring that team of philosophers out from under their rock so I can see 'em. If you can get that done, Nelly, I promise not to take your command.

Oh, and Nelson? That's an order, and you've got thirty minutes."

Mac turned and gave Chloe and Hannah a look. "Now, Socrates, you're free to go."

"what are you saying?"

"You heard me. Go on. Get out of here." Socrates struggled to his feet, then bent to pick up his weapon. "That stays," Mac said.

"My radio then?" he said, reaching.

"Uh uh. I'll keep that too."

"where will I go?"

Mac shrugged. "That's up to you."

Socrates sat on the edge of a flimsy table and rubbed his knee.

"I am a man with nowhere to go."

"You wanna be here when "

The man stood quickly, teetering. "No. No. But it is so far to town. And with no protection or radio . . ."

"I can't help you, friend. You're part of an operation that didn't follow orders. You're lucky to be cut loose, considering the options. If you want to be here when the rest of your team "

"Ach! " Socrates hobbled to the front door. Mac signaled Chloe with a nod to watch him. He gingerly stepped through the wood chips and splinters and made his way out.

"Follow him," Mac said, "till you're sure he's headed toward town. Hannah, check the perimeter. I'll clear this place and we'll meet by the weapons out front." Rayford felt a fool, sitting in a cave, high on having personally lived through an Old Testament miracle, worrying about Chloe, and entertaining even the possibility that Tsion Ben Judah himself should seek his opinion.

He knew he would be reunited with his daughter regardless, but was it wrong to wish her spared from a painful, violent death?

'You and Abdullah need to decide what you will do, Rayford,"

Tsion said. "You are welcome to stay, of course, but I do not know how practical it is to expect you to oversee the Tribulation Force from here. Our computer people tell me that David Ha.s.sid and Chang Wong have somehow already put in place here the basis for a mighty technological center, and that the bombs had no effect on the hardware or the software."

"Are you serious?" Rayford said. "The electromagnetic pulse from the missile alone should have fried everything."