Desecration: Antichrist Takes The Throne Read Online Free Page B

to toss before him as he would make what was becoming known as his triumphal entry.
    Apparently, Nicolae Carpathia the pacifist was no more. Convoys of tanks, military trucks, fighters and bombers on flatbed trucks, and even missiles slowly rolled through the streets. Buck knew they wouldn’t fit within the Old City without choking the tiny thoroughfares, but they were pervasive everywhere else.
    Buck kept an eye out for Hattie and a hand on his phone, but he had long since despaired of a reasonable explanation for her disappearance. He tried not to think the worst, but reaching him or anyone else in the Trib Force should have been easy for her.
    Chaim trudged along beside him, hunched, hands deep in the folds of his brown robe, his nearly bald head hidden by the hood. He had uttered not a word since the hotel-room experience. He had merely traded the King David terry cloth for the burlap-looking but soft flannel robe and slipped into his sandals.
    It seemed the city was short of Peacekeepers, local or international. Many shopwindows were boarded up, and anything and everything served as a taxi, even dilapidated private vehicles. At the occasional open appliance store, TVs blared from the windows as onlookers gathered and gaped. Buck put a hand on Chaim’s shoulder and nodded toward such a place. They joined the crowd to watch a replay of the crash of the Quasi Two, coverage of rubber-gloved technicians picking through the wreckage, and the somber statements from Potentate Carpathia, Most High Reverend Father Leon Fortunate, Supreme Commander Walter Moon and, finally, Security and Intelligence Director Suhail Akbar.
    “Unfortunately,” the latter said, “while the investigation continues, we have been unable to confirm the evidence of any human remains. It is, of course, possible that four loyal patriots of the Global Community were vaporized upon impact in this tragedy. Medical personnel tell us they would have died without pain. Once we have confirmed the deaths, prayers will go to the risen potentate on behalf of their eternal souls, and we will extend our sympathies to their families and loved ones.”
    The news anchor intoned that further investigation revealed pilot error on the part of Captain Mac McCullum and that a New Babylon-based loadmaster had warned the crew of a cargo weight-and-balance problem and had begged them not to take off.
    Buck knew he should dread what was coming, but having felt the presence of God at the King David, he was filled with courage. He didn’t know how he and Chaim were going to avoid detection or what might happen once Carpathia had initiated his awful deed. He only wished he detected some evidence that Chaim had derived the same confidence from what had happened while they were on their knees.
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    David and the others in the van listened to Suhail Akbar’s conclusions on the radio as Leah followed careful directions and pulled to within sight of the landing strip outside Mizpe Ramon. David was moved by the shock and sadness in the voice of Tiffany, his assistant, as she was interviewed about him. He wished he could tell her he was all right, but he feared some might already suspect that.
    He embraced Rayford, shook hands with Albie, and introduced Hannah all around. As the rest were briefed on plans wholly dependent on the unpredictable Carpathia, David was pointed to Rayford’s quarters, where he cleared a table and set up his computer to monitor Chang Wong’s success at keeping up with the potentate.
    The young man had succeeded in getting the latest copy of Carpathia’s itinerary. It showed a meeting including NC, LF, WM, SA, and LH on the FX at 1000 hours. “I know that’s now,” Chang reported, “but I’m lost after the initials for the four we know. Help?”
    “I don’t know LH either,” David wrote back, “but come on, smart boy. Go phonetic and assume FX is the Phoenix and patch me in there.”
    “I’ve got the Akbar press conference downloaded. You want