Apollyon (novel)

Plot introduction

The prologue is the last two pages of Soul Harvest.

Plot summary

Cameron "Buck" Williams and Rayford Steele have become international fugitives. New believers like Condor 216 first officer Mac McCullum and computer programmer David Hassid take their places as moles in the Global Community (GC) and use his infrastructures to evangelize and thwart Carpathia’s attempts to find members of the Tribulation Force. Ray and Ken Ritz go to the States to check in on Hattie Durham and the safe house. Hattie confesses to Rayford that Amanda White was entirely innocent of supposed collaboration with Carpathia - the e-mail texts were simply an elaborate smear campaign ordered by Carpathia himself.

At the prophesied conference of witnesses, held at Teddy Kollek Stadium and hosted by Tsion Ben-Judah, the Potentate makes an unwelcome visit. At this time, Israel's water turns to blood, which Carpathia blames on the Two Witnesses. Jacov, Chaim Rosenzweig's driver, becomes a believer; later that night he is found in a bar, telling people that Jesus is Messiah. The next day at the conference, Tsion tells the audience they are waiting for the next Trumpet Judgment, in which the sun, moon, and stars will darken by 1/3. He also explains that 3/4 of the population since the Rapture will die prior to the end of the Tribulation. The last night of the conference, the Two Witnesses appear at the stadium. Then a GC attack breaks out while the Trib. Force retreats to Chaim's estate which, being an old embassy, has a helipad. Ken flies to the house in GC1, Nicolae's helicopter, and gets the force into the chopper. While transferring the force at the airport, Ken Ritz is shot trying to give Rayford as much time as he needs.

Hattie, now desperate to live only for the life of her child, is raced to a hospital, where they meet another believer named Leah Rose. She and Tribulation Force physician Floyd Charles try to deliver the baby, but after some work, the baby is stillborn. According to Floyd, Hattie had been poisoned by Carpathia, resulting in the death of her child.

Buck is still in Israel after a failed attempt to get him on the plane, returning to Chaim's estate. A few days later, the fourth Trumpet Judgement strikes, and the world gets considerably colder, delaying Buck's return to the States. During the GC news report, Chaim,f though still a skeptic, tells about the truth of the judgments, endorses Tsion's lesson and tells the world about his website.

Rayford goes to Palwaukee Airport after the judgment lifts to sort out Ken Ritz's affairs. He must deal with the not-very-smart Bo Hanson and his friend Ernie, who it turns out has faked the mark of the believer to gain access to Ken's stash of money, which is very large. As they argue, the fifth Trumpet Judgement falls and a horde of demonic locusts swarm the earth, attacking everyone who does not bear the mark of the believer, in which it is so horrible that men try to kill themselves but are not allowed to die. Rayford meets T.M. Delanty, who is almost the full owner of Palwaukee and a believer. As the months pass and the locusts continue to attack, Chloe's pregnancy comes to an end. Buck is still in Jerusalem trying to get Chaim to accept Jesus, but returns home in time for the birth of his child. Chloe Steele Williams goes into labour, and after a scare delivers a healthy baby boy in the most chaotic period in human history. She names him Kenneth Bruce Williams in memory of Ken Ritz and the late Bruce Barnes.

Characters

Product placement