Season 2, Episode 4: Passed Out

Kade's POV

Kade Gordonhurst drove to the address of Pete Alessandra's house. Kade had looked it up in the phone book and hoped to talk with him. The other passengers on Flight 248 shared some of the horror he experienced that day. Surely, they could understand and empathize with his perspective.

Of course, Kade only hoped Pete was still alive. Anything could have happened in two months.

Kade parked his car across the street from Pete's house. He walked across the street, filled with a slight amount of fear. He had a bad feeling something terrible had happened to Pete.

Kade knocked on the front door, waiting for a response. He then rang the doorbell. There was no response.

Kade noticed that the front door was slightly unlocked. He pushed the door open.

"Pete?", Kade called out. "It's me, Kade. From Flight 248. I just wanted to talk."

There was no answer. Kade walked into the living room and was horrified by what he saw.

Pete was lying on the floor. A stash of drugs and heroin was right next to him. Pete's eyes were closed.

"Pete!", Kade screamed. "Are you all right?"

Kade checked Pete's pulse. He could feel his heartbeat. He was still alive, but Kade knew that Pete was in a precarious state.

"I'm taking you to the hospital", Kade said. He then picked Pete up and tried to lead him to his car. It was a slow process, but it needed to be done. Pete's life was at stake.

Kade put Pete in the back seat of the car. He then ran to the driver's seat and tried to drive the car as fast as he could to the hospital.

Daphne's POV

Daphne Waltonen was glad that she had prayed to become a believer. She still was heartbroken about her mother, but she looked forward to seeing her father again in heaven.

Daphne read some verses from the Bible that Paul had given her. She was reading some verses in Genesis. The story of the creation of the world was so inspiring.

Daphne wondered what kind of a treaty Carpathia would sign with Israel. She checked all the news articles she could find online. She also had to wonder who could have killed President Calhoun. She had so many questions she needed the answers to.

Daphne called Axel on her cell phone.

"Hello, Daphne. What's up?"

"Axel, I really don't mean to bother, but I just wanted to make sure my prayer to become a believer was genuine."

"Daphne, you'll be fine. You prayed the prayer to become a believer, and it was obvious that you meant it. You truly wanted to accept God and Jesus."

"Does that mean I won't have doubts or concerns?"

"Just because you became a believer doesn't mean you won't have doubts or ask questions from time to time. We both became believers on the same day. I'm still wondering if any of us will live to see the Glorious Appearing. I'm worried if I will end up dying."

Daphne heard Axel sigh through the phone.

"Despite all my worries, I know God will take care of me. He will either let me live or take me to heaven. Either way, I benefit from it and God's plan works out."

"That sounds comforting", Daphne said.

"Listen, Daphne, if you have any more questions, you can always reach out to me."

"Thank you."

After the conversation, Daphne silently prayed.

God, give me the strength to go through this, whatever is in store. I can't do it without your help.

Hiram's POV

Hiram Calhoun continued to try to give Lawrence Klebold and Ernie Wainwright as much information as possible. He explained the purpose behind Rudy's speech; that he was trying to give the people listening peace and clarity. Rudy was attempting to alleviate tension after the disappearances. Hiram was there to show support for his brother. Hiram explained to Klebold and Wainwright that he didn't know why anyone would want to hurt Rudy, much less take his life.

"This is a perplexing mystery", Klebold said.

"It would seem so", Hiram said. But then he suddenly remembered something.

"Before he died, Rudy was telling me his theories about what happened to cause the disappearances. Rudy said that Jesus Christ had returned for his followers and that he became a Christian. I scoffed when he told me about it."

Wainwright looked at Klebold.

"I don't personally believe in Christianity", Klebold said. "I try to steer away from the subject. But that does sound rather odd. Someone trying to assassinate your brother because he became a Christian?"

"There can't be any other explanation", Hiram said. "My brother was loved by the public and was popular. As far as I knew, he had no enemies. I always knew the Christians had poor taste. I never wanted to be involved in this."

"We'll take a look at the videos of the assassination", Klebold said.

"Yeah", Wainwright. "I don't believe in any of the religious nonsense. But I want justice to be served in this case."

"We'll call you once we find the suspect", Klebold said.

Bill's POV

Bill was flying a plane. This time he was flying to Colorado. Bill read his Bible when the plane was on auto-pilot. He was wondering how the Tribulation period was going to affect his job or his son.

Bill had called Zoey Harper earlier and asked her to babysit his son. She willingly agreed. Bill offered to pay her, but she refused his offer.

Ben's POV

Ben wasn't too pleased that his father had asked Zoey to babysit him. He wasn't a baby. He was twelve years old. He would be a teenager in just a few months.

Still, at least Bill had chosen a fellow member of the Resistance to take care of him. Better that than a complete stranger. A fellow sister in Christ. It would also be a good chance to get to know Zoey better. Outside of Resistance meetings, Ben didn't have a lot of opportunities to speak to fellow members of the Resistance.

"Do you miss your mother?", Zoey asked.

"Badly", Ben said. "I still remember finding her clothes on the morning after the disappearances. Still haunts me, to be honest."

"I feel the same way about my boyfriend", Zoey said. "I think about how he prayed for me and tried to warn me. Now I wish I had listened closer to what he was saying."

"If I had to be honest, I do feel slightly afraid", Ben said. "The things that might occur during this Tribulation period seem exciting. That doesn't take away the fear of sudden death. I know my mother would want me to keep fighting and holding on to the faith. It doesn't look too great, however, after seeing everything going on in the media with Carpathia."

"At least we have the Resistance", Zoey said. "We can rely on each other. We have good opportunities to help people realize the truth."

"That's true."

Zoey smiled. "You want to do some fun activity together?"

"Yeah", Ben said. "I have a video game set in the back of the house. We could play one of the games about war and territory grabbing. It's better than not doing anything at all."

Zoey smiled. Ten minutes later, Ben and Zoey were playing a video game together.

Pete's POV

Pete Alessandra felt groggy as he woke up. He had been unconscious for several hours. He noticed that a ventilator was attached to his arm.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Pete recognized the man from Flight 248.

"Hey man, I hope you're okay", the man said.

"I'll be fine", Pete said. "I know you, don't I? You were on Flight 248 when the disappearances occurred."

"Yeah. My name is Kade Gordonhurst."

"I remember we spoke briefly on the plane", Pete said.

"Yes, we were", Kade said. "We were discussing our favorite bands."

Pete nodded. Then he looked down at the ground.

"I found you in your house, unconscious. I brought you to the hospital. If I may ask, what happened to you? I know the disappearances traumatized several people, but you must have felt really awful to want to use those drugs."

Pete said nothing for a few minutes. Kade then put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, it's been hard on all of us. My sister was taken in the disappearances, and it hasn't been easy for me to deal with her absence. You can talk to me about what you went through."

Pete nodded. Then he began to describe his story.

"I arrived home after getting off of Flight 248. I found out from a police chief in Wisconsin that my parents and older brother were all killed by a large truck."

Kade then said, "Dude, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"I identified their bodies in the morgue", Pete said. He was taking heavy breaths, and Kade wondered if he was going to cry. "I went to the morgue, and I saw their bodies."

Pete looked at the ground.

"I spent most of the last two months just blaming God and being angry with him. I then decided to try drinking alcohol and using these drugs. I just wanted to feel satisfied."

Kade looked at Pete.

"I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to share my story on what caused the disappearances."

Pete sat up straight on the hospital bed. "Tell me then."

"I believe the Christian rapture occurred", Kade said. "My sister was a Christian, and she was taken. I became a believer and asked Jesus to forgive me and come into my life. Even though I'm still heartbroken about my sister, I joined this group with other passengers from Flight 248. We're called The Resistance."

"The Resistance?", Pete asked rhetorically. "Interesting."

"We made a website for the Resistance. We want people to find what we have found."

"I'm happy for you", Pete said. "At least someone is having a better time than I have."

"You can be a part of this as well, you know. You could pray to accept Jesus and be a part of God's family."

"But I've done terrible things", Pete said. "I used drugs."

"It isn't too late", Kade said. "I know that I can't force you to believe. But the world is becoming even more dangerous. Two passengers from Flight 248 already committed suicide."

"Who were they?"

"Sally Graves and Gordon Bernall."

"What about the pilot, Bill Parker? Is he a believer and a member of the Resistance as well?"

"Yes, he is."

Pete took a deep breath. "I almost died. If it weren't for you…I might not even be alive at this moment."

"I helped you because I care about you. The other members of the Resistance do as well. Pete, you can become part of God's family. We can look out for each other."

Pete hesitated and looked at the floor.

"Pete, what's holding you back? What is it that you need clarification on?"

Pete shook his head. "It's just that I'm completely new to all of this. I never really understood any of this stuff before the disappearances. I just don't know what to do."

"I can pray with you, if you want."

Pete nodded. "Please, help me."

"You should pray something like this. God, I'm sorry for all the sins I committed. I believe Jesus from the dead. I believe he paid the price for my sins. Please, come into my life, God."

Pete prayed with tears streaming down his face.

"God, please forgive me", Pete begged. "Please give me peace and understanding."

"Welcome to the family of God", Kade said. He then embraced Pete. Pete hugged him back, clearly filled with emotion.

"How long will I be in the hospital?", Pete asked.

"Dr. Samuels said that you would have to be here for at least a week", Kade said. "The blood in your veins needs to be circulated properly. We also need to make sure you attend rehab, to avoid anything like this in the future."

"Absolutely", Pete said. "Does this mean I can join the Resistance?"

"Of course!", Kade said. "I can't wait to see the reactions of the others when they find out one more passenger from Flight 248 became a believer."

Jimmie's POV

Jimmie Todd was walking to his last class on that Tuesday afternoon. He was wondering if he or any of the members of the Resistance at Nicolae High would have any tasks or assignments to complete in order to benefit God. He wasn't completely sure on what he was supposed to do.

Jimmie then groaned when he saw Todd Hollywood with Jasper Cokes and Penny Grosso. Jimmie wasn't really friendly with either Jasper or Penny, even though they were all in the same grade. Both Jasper and Penny came from two of the richest families in Mount Prospect. Jasper and Penny were also really snotty at times. Jimmie had sometimes dealt with their petty words. He had to hope that he wouldn't lose his temper.

Jimmie then saw Hollywood, Cokes, and Grosso bothering a ninth grader. The ninth grader looked familiar, but Jimmie didn't recognize him.

"Leave me alone, Hollywood", the boy said.

"Sure, you moron", Hollywood said. "You're clearly from a welfare family. You're a cheap weakling."

Jimmie then recognized the boy as Jeff Gaul. Jeff's parents had attended the same church Jimmie's parents had attended. Jimmie could probably already figure out how Jeff had felt after the Rapture. Jeff looked like he wanted to kill Hollywood.

Cokes and Grosso both gave ugly laughs. Jimmie felt like he wanted to vomit. He thought about publicly defending Jeff and going after Hollywood, but decided against it.

Hollywood gave Jeff an ugly sneer. "Later, loser."

"Yeah, see you around, moron", Jasper Cokes said.

Hollywood, Cokes, and Grosso all gave ugly laughs as they walked away. Jimmie walked past them without being seen by them.

He walked over to Jeff. "Are you okay, man?"

"Yeah", Jeff said.

"Look, if those jerks bother you again, you can let me know", Jimmie said.

"Thanks. But I can take care of myself."

"There's nothing wrong with asking others for help. We could look out for each other."

"I don't remember your name", Jeff said.

"My name is Jimmie Todd. You're Jeff Gaul."

"How did you know my name?"

"My parents went to the same church your parents did", Jimmie said.

Jeff shook his head and looked down at the ground.

"I still can't believe what happened", Jeff said. "I found their clothes on the morning the disappearances occurred. I think I know what happened to them, but I've tried not to think about it."

"I can help you, if you want", Jimmie said. "I'll give you my address. I found out the truth about what happened. My friends and I joined a group that is ready to tackle the issues that the world is facing.

"That sounds interesting", Jeff said. "Can I have your phone number?"

"Sure", Jimmie said. "I'll text you my address. We could meet and strategize there."

Theodore's POV

Theodore Sobel thought that he was finally feeling some peace. He still missed his parents, but he knew he would see them again someday. He thought he was prepared to face the challenges that would be in store for him and the other members of the Resistance. He only hoped that he wouldn't mess up.

Theodore knew he had to be careful. Paxton Danza seemed more angrier than usual. The ROTC drill instructor snapped at any student that got in his way. Theodore did the best he could to stay away from him. The less drama he was involved in, the better.

Eddie's POV

Eddie Exton received a text message from Paul Karoski. He was inviting them to another meeting of the Resistance. Eddie got in his car and drove to New Hope Village Church. He remembered looking at the website for the Resistance. It seemed to be gaining attention from other people in Illinois.

Eddie walked inside the basement and saw Paul, Bill, and Ben all talking to each other in hushed tones.

"Hello, guys", Eddie said.

"Hello, Eddie", Paul said. "I called this meeting because I wanted to discuss Carpathia's plans for the nation of Israel. I also got a message from Kade. He said he has a surprise for all of us."

"So, how is everything?", Eddie asked.

"Just being careful", Bill said. "I've been flying planes almost every day. It is exhausting, but something I love doing."

"I've been playing video games with Zoey", Ben said. "Quite a fun experience, I must say. I lost a couple of games, but it's still fun regardless."

"I've been trying to type up things I would say to people when they finally come back to the church for the first sermon since the Rapture. I've typed on my computer and tried to make the words seem genuine and captivating. I've had to throw out drafts that I didn't like", Paul said.

"You should ask Sandy for help on that", Eddie said. "He is a writer for Global Weekly, after all."

"Maybe I will."

Just then Tony Cataldo walked inside the room. He nodded at Bill, Ben, Eddie, and Paul before sitting down.

"How is everything, Tony?", Paul asked.

"Fine", Tony said.

"How often do you think of your family?", Bill asked.

"Almost every day", Tony said. "I still think about finding their clothes when the disappearances happened. I miss them more than anything."

"I feel the same way about Allison", Bill said. "I just wish I had listened to what she was saying about God. I regret not listening to her every day since the Rapture took place."

"But the pain you experienced has been channeled into something positive", Paul said. "You can help the Resistance greatly with everything you went through."

"That's true", Bill said.

Sylvester Coddmyer then walked into the basement. A few minutes later, Larry Levine and Sandy Comstock then walked into the basement.

They spent the next twenty minutes talking and discussing strategies they would need to use during the Tribulation period. Eddie wondered out loud when all the members of the Resistance would be forced to go into hiding.

"That depends on how long it will take Carpathia to take control of the entire world", Paul said. "When all media coverage and news outlets are under the power of Carpathia, I'm sure they will come after us in order to silence us. We have to be ready. It will be extremely dangerous."

Just then Zoey Harper walked inside the room. A few minutes later, Axel Cummings, Ervie Todd, Daphne Waltonen, Matt Lowe, and Theodore Sobel walked inside the room.

"Jimmie won't be joining us", Axel informed Paul. "He's talking to this ninth grader from our school about God. Someone named Jeff."

"So, tell us what we should do", Eddie said to Paul.

String's POV

String Becker was amazed by how much the world had changed in only two months.

During that time, he had been working on certain homes and fixing various parts of those houses. But in the middle of his work, he had not forgotten about his concerns about Christianity or God.

String had almost never talked about his concerns. But one day, as he was searching the internet, he found some website that seemed interesting. The title of the website was labelled: The Resistance.

Interesting, String thought. I need to see this.

He looked at certain parts of the website. He found a section that seemed interesting.

There have been many theories about the worldwide disappearances. We believe we know the truth about what really happened. Nine of the ten original members of the Resistance were on a plane flying from Illinois to England when it happened. That flight was called Flight 248.

String let out an inaudible gasp. He had been on that very plane.

There had been originally a total of 200 passengers on Flight 248. 74 passengers on the plane had disappeared. 2 other passengers committed suicide after what had happened. The nine of us went to New Hope Village Church and met a pastor that explained everything. I'll leave the church address and phone number for anyone that wants to know more.

String looked at the address.

Maybe I'll check them out. At least hear their side of the story.

Jimmie's POV

Jimmie Todd looked at Jeff Gaul. He knew the younger boy did not appreciate being bothered by Todd Hollywood and his arrogant friends. Jimmie knew he had to tread carefully and be as gentle as possible with Jeff. Trying to force him to believe would not work and would only make things worse.

"I can tell you about this group that my brother and I joined from this church", Jimmie said. "We're called the Resistance."

"That sounds interesting", Jeff said.

"For a long time, I did not want to make any decisions regarding God or Christianity", Jimmie said. "But the disappearances changed all of that. Ervie and I went to the church after the disappearances occurred to find answers."

Jimmie took a deep breath. The time had come again to do some witnessing.

Kade's POV

Kade Gordonhurst and Pete Alessandra walked inside the basement at New Hope Village Church. There, Paul and most of the other members of the Resistance were waiting for them.

"Hello, everyone", Kade said. He then welcomed Pete into the basement.

"You all remember Pete Alessandra, right? He was on Flight 248. He just became a believer."

"Can I join the Resistance?", Pete asked. "I want to be a part of the action."

"Of course, you can", Paul said. "But it will be dangerous, I have to warn you."

"I have to be on the right side", Pete said. "That's what matters."

Hiram's POV

Hiram Calhoun had decided to call Neal Veith and go out with him to eat lunch.

"Hiram, I can't imagine how you're feeling", Neal said. "The death of your brother…I can't imagine that anyone could do something so horrible and nefarious."

"Believe me, I'm having the same concerns", Hiram said. "The murderer, whoever he is, is still on the loose. I just need to…"

Just then Hiram's cell phone rang.

"Hiram?", a voice asked. It was Ernie Wainwright. "We found him. The man who killed your brother."

"You did? Who is he?"

"His name is John Dolinger. He was in attendance at that meeting and has had a criminal record. We have also had a raid and a search warrant on his house. We have several diary entries about his desire to kill Rudy Calhoun, and we confiscated several guns that were found in the house."

Hiram remembered who John Dolinger was. Rudy had often clashed with Dolinger when they were both students at Prospect High School. His blood was boiling as his anger increased.

"I want to see him", Hiram said.