Book 5 in the 12-book series that has sold over 63 million copies! Read the books that launched a cultural phenomenon! “This is the most successful Christian fiction series ever.” ―Publishers Weekly “Combines Tom Clancy–like suspense with touches of romance, high-tech flash, and biblical references.” ―New York Times “Call it what you like, the Left Behind series . . . now has a label its creators could have never predicted: blockbuster success.” ―Entertainment Are you ready for the moment of truth? Mass disappearances - Political crisis - Economic crisis - Worldwide epidemics - Environmental catastrophe - Military apocalypse And that’s just the beginning . . . of the end of the world. The 12 books in the series by New York Times best-selling authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins cover the events of biblical prophecy surrounding the rapture and the seven-year period known as the tribulation that follows. Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed As the world’s thousands of believers gather in Jerusalem for a stadium rally, the Tribulation Force struggles with their own personal crises. Nicolae Carpathia continues his rise to power, forcing believers underground. But Nicolae isn’t prepared for a plague of scorpion-like locusts tormenting his followers―with a pain so horrible that men try to kill themselves but aren’t allowed to die. Killer locusts attack humans, livestock, crops. Fatal mystery toxin turns water to blood. One-World Faith leaders tighten security. “Tell me, Captain Steele. Do you still believe that a man who has been known to raise the dead could actually be the Antichrist?” With those chilling words, Global Community leader Nicolae Carpathia prepares to unleash a new depth of evil on the world. As thousands of believers gather for a conference in the Holy Land, is Carpathia’s pledge of protection evidence of his much-touted tolerance―or a lie? Pilot Rayford Steele must maintain a charade of loyalty while desperately seeking the truth about his late wife. Was Amanda truly a traitor to the Tribulation Force or the victim of a smear campaign? Meanwhile Buck Williams, now an international fugitive, risks his life to carry out the Trib Force’s top-secret missions in a world rocked by demonic catastrophes. Apollyon is #5 in the phenomenal New York Times best-selling Left Behind series that rocked the publishing world and made millions think seriously about the future and their places in it. With special features relating to current events and end-times prophecy. APOLLYON THE DESTROYER IS UNLEASHED By TIM LAHAYE JERRY B. JENKINS Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 1999 Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4143-3494-3 Chapter One Rayford Steele worried about Mac McCullum's silence in the cockpit of Global Community One during the short flight from New Babylon to Tel Aviv. "Do we need to talk later?" Rayford said quietly. Mac put a finger to his lips and nodded. Rayford finished communicating with New Babylon ground and air traffic control, then reached beneath his seat for the hidden reverse intercom button. It would allow him to listen in on conversations in the Condor 216's cabin between Global Community Potentate Nicolae Carpathia, Supreme Commander Leon Fortunato, and Pontifex Maximus Peter Mathews, head of Enigma Babylon One World Faith. But just before Rayford depressed the button, he felt Mac's hand on his arm. Mac shook his head. Rayford shuddered. "They know?" he mouthed. Mac whispered, "Don't risk it until we talk." Rayford received the treatment he had come to expect on initial descent into Tel Aviv. The tower at Ben Gurion cleared other planes from the area, even those that had begun landing sequences. Rayford heard anger in the voices of other pilots as they were directed into holding patterns miles from the Condor. Per protocol, no other aircraft were to be in proximity to the Condor, despite the extraordinary air traffic expected in Israel for the Meeting of the Witnesses. "Take the landing, Mac," Rayford said. Mac gave a puzzled glance but complied. Rayford was impressed at how the Holy Land had been spared damage from the wrath of the Lamb earthquake. Other calamities had befallen the land and the people, but to Rayford, Israel was the one place that looked normal from the air since the earthquake and the subsequent judgments. Ben Gurion Airport was alive with traffic. The big planes had to land there, while smaller craft could put down near Jerusalem. Worried about Mac's misgivings, still Rayford couldn't suppress a smile. Carpathia had been forced not only to allow this meeting of believers, but also to pledge his personal protection of them. Of course, he was the opposite of a man of his word, but having gone public with his assurances, he was stuck. He would have to protect even Rabbi Tsion Ben-Judah, spiritual head of the Tribulation Force. Not long before, Dr. Ben- Judah had been