Kenneth "Ken" Ritz is a supporting character in the Left Behind series. He worked for Cameron "Buck" Williams after the Rapture as a pilot and later assisted the Tribulation Force in the field.
Biography[]
Before the Rapture[]
Ken was a fighter pilot before attending the London School of Economics. He graduated, intending to teach English, but became a commercial airline pilot. Ritz was fired from the being a commercial airline pilot because he was too much of a stickler for safety. He went into charter business, and by the time of the Rapture, he owned a small fleet of aircraft based at Chicago-area airports. He amassed a fortune in gold, which he kept hidden and buried within the airstrip owned by T.M. Delanty.
After the Rapture[]
The second day after the Rapture, Ritz provides Buck Williams with a flight as close to New York City as possible. The conversation they share is instrumental in the start of Ritz's journey to salvation, although the novels do not indicate any further services by Ritz to Buck until some 18 months into the Tribulation. Then, Ritz flies Buck to Israel where he locates and rescues Tsion Ben-Judah, and Ritz flies them safely back to America.
Ritz is badly injured in the Wrath of the Lamb earthquake, when an airplane wing hits the back of his head. However, given the urgency of the circumstances, he flies Buck to Minneapolis to rescue Chloe Steele Williams before she is taken by Global Community operatives to be used as a bargaining chip. He manages to fly Buck and Chloe back to Chicago, and is shortly afterward employed to take Buck to Denver to pluck Hattie Durham from the GC. On arrival at the safe house to begin the flight to Denver, he shows that he has become a believer.
In Apollyon, Ritz is killed by a GC bullet to the head while racing with Ben-Judah, Chloe, and Buck to board a waiting plane at Jerusalem Airport to return to the United States. The catalyst for the shooting is the detected theft of GC Chopper One to pluck the threesome from the roof of Israeli botanist and statesman Chaim Rosenzweig's house. Bo and Samuel Hansen attempted to get their hands on this fortune after Ken Ritz had died, but were prevented from doing so by T.
Appearances[]
Mentions[]
- 10. On the Run
- 18. Darkening Skies
Trivia[]
- Ken was the first Tribulation Force member that did not make a single appearance in any of the books in the Left Behind: The Kids series. He is mentioned, however.
- Ken was the first adult Tribulation Force member not to personally meet any of the members of the Young Tribulation Force.