Greetings reader, My name is Aaron McDonald and I am the author of this book.

Throughout this book you will be confronted by two remarkable ideas: Christianity and the sovereignty of the United States of America, or the lack thereof. If you are not well versed on history, religion, mythology, science, or politics, you will most likely find this book confusing, at best. At worst, you will find this book downright offensive, but I assure you, although this book is considered fiction, nearly all of it is proven fact and documented at great length, and though the time periods in which these events take place may be a bit off, the world-changing events that take place in this book will occur in the near future. If there is any doubt about this, it really does not take much to find the truth. Simply get on the internet (assuming the internet is still available world-wide; if not, its too late and you pretty much know my book has come true anyway) and, instead of watching pointless youtube videos, do some research. For example, most of the names in this novel, while attached to fictional characters, are in fact based on the real life names of actual people. All you have to do is type a name in a search engine, whether it is a whole name or just the last name, and then cross-reference it with other names or facts herein. Its like a treasure hunt, but for truth instead of useless items or pieces of paper with ambiguous instructions written on them. However, if youre one of those robotic zombies with a sheep-like mentality, you dont need to do anything but read and accept the fact that this is just a work of fiction. Then, when various things in this book start happening in real life, youll know I wasnt completely insane. Thanks for reading. Please share this book with everyone you know.

CHAPTER ONE: False Flag

In the Book of Daniel it says, "But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase." In the twenty-first century, the internet provided a vast amount of knowledge to the public. Unfortunately, the public was more interested in entertainment than education. The majority of the people was ignorant and viewed the many who "rushed here and there" as insane "conspiracy theorists". The term "conspiracy theorist", like "terrorist", had been devised by the establishment decades earlier in order to demonize anyone who sought answers for the questions brewing within the power keg of corporate government. Elijah Patrick McDonnell served his country, and government, fighting in Iraq for 16 months. He'd joined the United States Army straight out of High School in 2004. After a total of 6 years in the US Army, Elijah applied for a job at over a hundred different businesses and received only one phone call. It seemed that the notion that employers hire vets more than anyone else was just another establishment lie. He could not go to college by using the almost useless Tuition Assistance program provided by the Army because he could not pass the unfair Physical Training tests, no matter how hard he tried. He was not overweight. His body simply was not created to run long distances for an extended period of time. And Elijah knew that the GI bill would only pay for two years of college. As usual, the Army had screwed Elijah over. When he started his first civilian job working at the most wealthy, powerful retail store in America, and the world, Elijah thought his difficult times were over. He did not

expect for the business realm to be so similar to the military one, but it was. Favoritism, fraud, theft, unfairness, and vindictive retaliation was a norm there. But for the most part, he could ignore it. He was a quiet man, after all. So long as people, especially management, left him alone to do his job, he didn't bother anyone. But Elijah had a darkness within him that only God could tame. Having been a Christian from birth, Elijah understood the importance of love, but could never quite understand how to implement his natural empathy in his daily life. He'd grown up a sociopath who could feel other people's emotions, a very unfortunate and yet poetically justified situation. Being sociopathic, he could "turn off" his emotions when he caused pain to others. He could even enjoy their pain. But he always knew that the dark road he walked down would eventually crack open beneath his feet and he would fall into the abyss. So he struggled to keep his "evil twin", whom he called Dren, in check, and chained within him. This changed however, in 2009, when Elijah met a girl named Lydia. He'd had a few girlfriends before, and although he truly loved and missed most of them, this was the first girlfriend he'd had in a long time who was not psychotic or for whom he felt an almost insatiable lust. Lydia was a damaged girl of 19. She was also a co-worker. Elijah had vowed to himself to love her and treat her right and "fix her". And he could literally feel that she cared about him too. There were only three things he didn't like about the relationship: the fact that he spent less and less time with God than with her, her selfloathing and addiction to pain, and sushi, which was her favorite food. Elijah figured he'd just have to force himself to give his Lord more attention, and at least try the sushi, but was at a loss as to how to deal with Lydia's lack of feeling worthy to be with him, or even

alive. Lydia did stop smoking and drinking and partying as much when she was with Elijah and that gave him hope. But he did not want her to stop treating herself badly for him. He wanted her to do it for herself, and God. However, it was not meant to be. She broke up with him on the grounds that she missed her emotionally and mentally abusive ex-boyfriend and that Elijah "deserved someone better than her." This shocked Elijah. It devastated him. He wrote a love letter, but it didn't help. He sent her a flower of her favorite color, but it didn't help. He pleaded and begged for her to take him back, but it didn't help. He professed his undying love to her, but it didn't help. Elijah then devised an evil scheme which WOULD have worked if he'd gone through with it. It involved something he had been good at in the past: emotional manipulation. But he knew that while this might win her back, he would one day admit to his duplicity, and she would never trust him again. Lydia had once told Elijah that he was the only guy she ever completely trusted. So he decided against his plan to get her back, and just resorted to listening to love songs and crying at work nearly everyday for six months. Of course, since he worked with Lydia, they had to see each other almost daily for another year before she quit and moved in with her mother after a very bloody, selfdestructive incident involving a box-cutter. The day she quit, coincidentally, was exactly one year and six months after she broke up with Elijah. But Elijah was a different man now. Immediately after she'd left him, Dren had been on the verge of taking over and Elijah had not rested until the beast was not only back in chains, but also in a cage, buried deep in the abyss of his subconscious, thanks to the Lord. No longer did a battle between good and evil rage in Elijah's head on a daily basis. So at this point, all Elijah

hoped for in regards to Lydia, was that she choose to learn true love and serve Jesus Christ. He still loved her, but his emotional attachment to her was more or less gone. Although Elijah had always known the government was corrupt, he was unaware as to the extent of it until January of 2011. Elijah had finally broke out of his programming, but it was too late. The "terrorist" attacks on 9-11-01 was a coup d'etat and had given the corporations, secret societies, and secret intelligence and security agencies dictatorial power over the lives of the American people. Of liberty, morality, or security, most countries had at least one of the three. The USA had none of them anymore. America was worse off than Sodom and Gamorrah, and Elijah, among other patriots, discovered evidence that suggested China and Russia were going to rain down fire upon the once-sovereign nation. Of course, most people ignored the warnings...

January, 2012 "...two white men entered the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, this morning with bombs strapped to their chests. They shot two security guards with firearms bought at a gun show in Virginia. Then one man ran up the escalator to open fire on the floor above while the other man began shooting up the lobby. This is just incredible..." 26-year-old Elijah Patrick McDonnell was watching the live news broadcast of the Willis Tower takeover online. Behind him were his brother and sister, fear-stricken. But Elijah wasn't afraid. He felt pity for people being killed there, and anger at the government for staging such an event. His sister, 16-year-old Madeline, began to cry

over his shoulder. He found this mildly annoying, but couldn't blame her. She was the most emotional in the family. Simon, Elijah's 14-year-old brother, just stared at the desktop computer monitor, mouth hanging open and blue eyes wide with anxiety. As the establishment-media's news reporter continued blithering about the two "Caucasian right-wing extremists", Elijah whispered, "You need to get back..." A second later, the lobby and first floor of the Willis Tower exploded. Simon jumped, startled. Madeline shrieked and ran out of the room. Flames and glass spat out of the first two floors of the skyscraper, sending the news reporter into a frenzy as he tried to find cover. Forgetting the camera was on, the reporter exclaimed, "Damn it! They told me they were gonna wait till I'm outta the way!" Then the news feed went black. Elijah swallowed hard and blinked. He knew that this event would bring about even more undeclared wars, more illegal searches and seizures, more harassing and arrests of white Christians and Libertarians, freedom fighters labeled as terrorists. He knew the event was a declaration from the Federal government to all true patriots: You are finished. We are in control. He left the office of the modest single-and-a-half wide trailer and went to his bedroom at the front of the house. His window was open so that he could see if anyone was coming. He turned on the ceiling fan. He closed his door. His mother, sister, and brother knew to leave him alone at this stage. Elijah took a look around his room. Two Scottish-styled claymore swords leaning in the corner between his broken desktop computer and dresser; a black Remington 12-gauge shotgun leaning in the corner

between his bed and the closet; a black leather trench coat hanging in the closet; a box of half a dozen pocket and hunting knives on a shelf; a Guy Fawkes mask from the movie V for Vendetta lying on his bed. Then he gazed down, his curly, thick dark brown hair falling around his face. He had only the sense to remove his glasses and put them on the computer desk before collapsing to his knees and breaking into tears. When he looked up after a few seconds, his face was red with anger. "God...help me..."

CHAPTER TWO: Something Good

Together with the Prime Minister of England, the "Democratic" President of the United States declared war on "right-wing extremists." The terminology was meant to inform the people that the war would never end. The War on Drugs, The War on Education, The War on Terror, The War on Right-Wing Extremists - all designed to rally the Americans to go along with a mislabeled ideology of unending violence and fraud. The President had ordered martial law in the bigger cities of America, under the guise of a "state of emergency." Imagine the President's surprise when 15,000 American military personnel and police officers refused to follow the commander-in-chief's illegal orders. When they did, FEMA, the FBI, and private defense contractors (mercenaries) were brought in to detain the patriots. As usual, the federal agencies and corporate mercenaries bullied and abused them, and when the military and peace officers defended themselves, they were labeled "domestic terrorists" and never heard from again. The main battlefield of the resistance movement was the internet. There were more demonstrations and information distribution online than there was in the streets. However, the patriots who were not fooled by the global governments' pathetic attempts of propaganda and did protest in the streets were usually rounded up and detained in FEMA camps, glorified concentration camps for "domestic terrorists." The leaderless and decentralized world-wide online resistance members known as Unknown hacked the websites of every corporation, government agency, secret society, and cult in order to blast truth across the internet and take down the servers.

This only provoked the western governments to restrict and limit the internet even more. By the end of January, nobody who was not affiliated with the government or wealthy elite could use the internet without a government-issued username and password that was tracked at all times. But it was too. Nearly 30% of western society was aware that their leaders were pawns to the banks, big businesses, and secret societies, with the Vatican seemingly at the top. The First American Revolution against the British was fought with only 1%. It was only a matter of time before a physical uprising occurred, but that was what the elite were counting on. North America and the European Union were under martial law, but the controllers wanted their subjects under complete control: enslavement. And they had a plan to push the people over the edge: an economic collapse. They engineered it just right. By the beginning of February, the brainwashed American people who agreed to their mental enslavement were giving 70% of their income to the Federal government, in order to keep it not only running, but growing. The Federal Reserve kept printing paper money, inflating the currency to the point that it cost $5 for a gallon of milk and $6 for a gallon of gasoline. Entitlements, a misnomer in and of itself, were seriously restricted and curtailed, including Social Security. People died of starvation and exposure in droves. Yet the majority of people continued praising the President, the government, corporations, and the war on right-wing extremism, even as they were being assassinated in the middle of the night for whispering criticisms of their dictatorial ruler. Libertarian Presidential candidate Ron Paul expressed outrage at the handling of

policy and the increase in the making and execution of unconstitutional laws. More of the public began to listen to him, but the media was bought and paid for, so he got very little air time. In the middle of February he pulled out of the race and moved back to Texas, where he ran for governor. Chaos and destruction spread throughout Africa and the Middle East as NATO bombed their enemies relentlessly, without reason. Egypt's third revolution within the last year began. The lawful leader of Libya, Colonel Gaddafi continued to fight valiantly against western-backed Al Qaida and rebel tribes intent on decimating each other with "ethnic cleansing." Every nation in the Middle East except Saudi Arabia and Iran had succumbed to the power and might of the United Nations. China and Russia continued to issue warnings to the United States and England, but they were ignored.

February 2012 Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. "It seems that we have a bit of a problem," said assistant manager Jason Taft. Like a statue, Elijah merely stared at the manager in the manager's office. They were the only two in the office at the time. Elijah knew what Jason was going to say and only hoped and prayed he was not going to be fired. However, he showed no anxiety. Corporate managers, Elijah believed, like dogs, wasps, and demons, could sense fear, and enjoyed it. Resting a thigh on the edge of a wall desk, Jason continued, "HC came to me

earlier and told me you were bothering him; something about plugging?" Elijah glanced down, considering for a brief moment how to reply. Then he leveled his gaze at the manager. "You promoted me to support manager on third shift. I told you I would do my job. I expect the associates to do theirs. If they plug everything in a location it doesn't go, customers will not be happy when they come across what they believe is a $2 can of peas, which at the register actually costs $3.50. Why are you coming to me with this? He basically admitted to you that he was putting things in the wrong location." Elijah didn't like the wavery eye movements that the manager gave him before answering, "Just give him a break, Elijah. He stepped down and you took his place. I mean, now he's gotta do what you say. Just give him a break." "Are you accusing me of favoritism?" Elijah's left eye twitched angrily and he crossed his arms over his chest. "No," answered Jason. "But times are tough for everyone. You know that better than almost anyone. Lighten up a bit." Elijah uncrossed his arms and took a step forward. "I've been 'lightened up' enough, man. It's you damn assistants that need to lay off. I'm doin' my job. Don't come to me with this crap just 'cause one of your 'boys' wants to whine to you about me goin' by the book. Policy says don't plug. I don't care if it's Tobias plugging, or Stanley, Philip or Max or anyone. I hated having to deal with it when I zoned on second shift, so I'm not gonna deal with it now, alright? Jesus, you told me you wanted to see things change on third. Well, I'm tryin'. I've only been support manager for a couple months. I've written up the ones who need to work better, fired the one who won't work at all, and hired the

associates we need to get things done. So why don't you give ME a break?" Elijah didn't even wait for a reply. He turned around and pulled open the office door. "Alright, man," Jason called after him as Elijah walked out, "Just keep it civil, alright?" Elijah's fists were shaking slightly by his side. He breathed out. He could handle the anger easily enough. All he had to do now was wait for the adrenaline to stop flowing. He walked through the backroom of the large retail store and passed a round black man with a light beard who was handling a hand-held computer gun. "Hey, man, you alright?" Tobias asked. Elijah was going to continue walking, but stopped. Tobias had been passed up numerous times for promotion, so Elijah figured he owed him the explanation. He walked back toward him. "Be glad you're not support manager, dude. So fuckin' stupid. HC tattled on me just 'cause I told him not to plug so much crap." Tobias smirked and nodded, understanding. "Yeah, man, he'll do that. I swear, I'm glad it's you and not me." Elijah snickered and as Tobias checked the time on his cellphone, Elijah asked, "What time is it, Toby?" "Almost one. I'm headin' toward the time clock now." "Shit, I wish I was still an unloader sometimes." Tobias chuckled. "Nah, you don't wanna be an unloader, not with Stanford as supervisor."

Elijah scoffed, "Stanford. Why would anyone name their son that?" "Why would anyone name their son HC?" "I think his nickname's gonna be HiC, like the drink." Tobias laughed. "What about Stanford?" Elijah drifted off into thought for a second before replying with a smile, "His last name's Bundy, right? How 'bout psycho killer?" "That's Bridget's nickname, aint it?" asked Tobias. Jason came walking toward them from the office. Elijah moaned inwardly. "I'll see ya later, man," Elijah told Tobias, indicating with his eyes that a manager was coming. Tobias sauntered off. "Alright, man."

Fifteen minutes later, after taking care of some last-minute work that he didn't want to put off on someone else, Elijah took his meal period. Something told him to have his meal in the break room, so he went in and rummaged around in the overstocked refrigerator for his pepperoni pizza. When he'd gone in, he was alone. When he closed the fridge, three people entered. Philip, Max, and Stanley were thirdshift associates that Elijah was directly responsible for. When he was on the clock, he took his job seriously and didn't play favorites. However, when he was off the clock, he was just one of the guys. Philip came in grinning. "Hey, man, 'sup? I got your email last night..." "I need to clock out, bro," said Elijah. "One sec." He put his pizza in the

microwave, walked out of the break room, clocked out, and came back in. "Alright, go ahead." Philip and the other two men laughed. Philip was a rugged white man, 30 years old. He had short dark brown hair mutton chops for sideburns. Since he'd cut his hair last summer, the most unique thing about him was his brown corduroy pants. "Yeah, I got your email," said Philip, "about the park being closed, Eli. Are you for real? Are they turning it into a prison?" The four men sat down around a rectangular table as Eli responded, "Yep." Then the microwave beeped. Eli rolled his eyes and grudgingly got to his feet and went over to get his food. Max said, "That's so wrong, homie. They have all this open space. Can't they build it somewhere else?" Max was a dark haired young Caucasian of 21 years old who liked to smoke a little pot once in a while. He wore a backwards Tarheels cap and eyeglasses. Elijah decided to let his food cool down before trying to eat it. "Dude, it's not about space or whatever. It's about displaying dominance." Stanley, a black man of Eli's height, shook his head sadly. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Shit, man, its bad enough we can't go in or out of a city without showing our papers and ID." "I might have to move to the mountains soon. Good thing I live in the boonies, Eli quipped. Philip said, "Yeah." Only Max laughed at Eli's quip.

After swallowing a bite of pizza, Elijah mused aloud, "I wonder why I was supposed to come in here." "To talk to us," said Philip with false certainty. Elijah turned and looked over his shoulder at the open doorway behind him, just in time to see someone walk away. He couldn't make out who it was. He looked to Stanley, who sat across from him. "You see who that was, Bear Strangler?" Eli asked Stanley. "Nope," he answered, putting his glasses back on. Eli turned his gaze on Max, who was sitting beside Stanley. "Echo?" "Nah, homie. I was eatin' my sandwich." Elijah looked over his shoulder again. It seemed someone overheard their conversation. He smiled, knowing something good must come from it.

CHAPTER THREE: Rebekah

The established media and organized religions continued to push the new belief, new age environmentalism, on the dumbed down public. They increased the rates of slow-killing vaccinations for children and amount of toxins in the city water system. Hoping to provoke the peaceful resistance to violence, assembling in Washington, DC was outlawed altogether. A splinter group of Pledge Keepers, member of military personnel, veterans, fire-fighters, and police officers, formed in Colorado Springs. This new cell consisted of about a dozen corrupt FBI agents who were ordered by their superiors to instigate a civil war, no matter what. Most Pledge Keepers understood that the splinter group, calling themselves Step Forward, was bad news, and tried to inform the people. But a vast majority of the people was still subject to government mindcontrol, and believed the lies about how patriotic Step Forward was. Movies, Television shows, songs, and books were created by the bought and paid for media, bands and authors in order to further their goals of physical confrontation. They desperately wanted a reason to incarcerate the patriotic zealots of America in their FEMA concentration camps, which numbered over 1,000 by this point. Fake conservative pundits such as Bill Riley and Glenn Buck were elevated above real patriots such as Alex Jones and Lou Dobbs to such a ridiculously cartoonish extent that the percentage of society that was awake laughed and made daily parodies of them on the government-controlled internet. The parodies were, of course, removed only hours after they appeared. Only Unknown's websites remain online, protected by their advanced hacking ability.

March 2012 Elijah's friend and co-worker, David Segris, followed him in the flat black 1986 Firebird he bought from him. Elijah had a dark green '98 Ford Taurus. Elijah liked the Taurus, but now that he had the money, wanted something better. He parked Ruth, the Taurus, on the side of the road across from a Junior High School and then stepped out of the vehicle, dressed in a black leather jacket and shades. His shoulder-length dark hair was pulled back into a messy pony-tail. He smiled as he looked at the car for sale parked on the large front yard nearby. David parked the Firebird, Abigail Nicole Texas, behind Ruth and then walked to Eli's side. The one request Eli had of David was that he not change the name of the Firebird once he sold it to him. Eli's sister, Madeline, was also there. "Wow, Eli," said David, removing his blue-tinted sunglasses. "That's a nice lookin' car." Staring lovingly at the black 1968 Plymouth RoadRunner 440. "Yes she is, Dave. Her name's Rebekah." He removed his shades and put on his glasses. Dave snickered. "Naming her already, huh?" Elijah ignored him. He strolled around the car in admiration for the dozenth time in 4 months. This classic automobile, Elijah knew, would be vitally important to not just him, but the entire liberty movement. Only half an hour later, Elijah was leading a convoy in his black '68 RoadRunner. Behind him was Madeline in the Taurus and in the rear was Dave's Firebird. Smiling broadly, Elijah pulled Rebekah onto Highway 17 and floored the accelerator. The 440 V8 under the hood roared with healthy joy. Eli knew she was glad to be back on the

road again. Rock music blared from the speakers inside the Plymouth. He removed his shades and glanced in the rear-view mirror. His sister and friend couldn't keep up. Eli swerved the car over into the left lane and again punched the gas. The front-end lifted up as the monstrous V8 motor hauled the metal beast past three other vehicles at 70 miles per hour. Five minutes later, Elijah was pulled over to the side of the highway waiting for his speeding ticket. When the cop returned his driver's license and issued him a warning, Elijah was inexpressibly relieved. The officer was a Classic American Muscle Car enthusiast, it turned out, and could understand a little speeding after such a recent purchase. Once the cop had gone, Elijah removed his glasses and put on his shades. Then he stomped the accelerator and the rear wheels dug up turf as Rebekah growled onto the blacktop. But Eli wasn't going to play around too much, especially since he noticed four Highway Patrol cars waiting for him not a quarter of a mile down the road. He closed his eyes briefly, seeing a vision of what the patrolmen saw: Rebekah. He blinked and sighed, making sure he was driving the speed limit, 55 miles per hour. As he passed the two new model Dodge Chargers and 2012 Ford Tauruses, all silver and blue, he had a subconscious thought that they were all members of Step Forward. If that's true, Eli considered, their numbers are growing fast. Once he passed them, the Highway Patrol cars pulled onto the road and followed him. Elijah was thankful that his turn was just up ahead. He put on his right turn signal, slowed, and turned off Highway 17 and onto a two-lane road with a big white church on

the corner. The Highway Patrol cars continued going straight on 17. Eli sighed with relief. Even if they hadn't been Step Forward agents of the Federal government, they were corrupt for certain. He wondered if the local police officer had called them, or if they found out through more nefarious means. Either way, Eli knew he had one hell of a fight coming...

CHAPTER FOUR: No Luck

Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Second Lieutenant Jonah Leigh Pattman was an extraordinarily bright and highly moral man, and one of the best United States Army officers in his unit. He'd spent some time based in Korea and was back in the States visiting his family in Florida. He wouldn't find out where he was being stationed next until his leave was over. Jonah considered himself both a Christian and a patriot. He was well aware of the corruption and wickedness in the world in which he lived, but felt as though he could be a source of change from within the system. Once his small vacation was over, he returned to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma to receive his new orders. When he saw them, he was both excited and apprehensive. He looked up from the sheet of paper as he stood in his commander's office. "Why here, sir?" Jonah asked. The captain was busying himself with a bulletin board as he replied, "Airborne, Air Assault, and Special Forces are putting together some kind of new unit. Thought you might be interested." Jonah looked down at the paper again. "Viper Team 9, sir? What's the 9 for?" "There'll be nine of you in the team." The captain finished with the board and went to sit down behind his desk. He examined the left leg closest to him with a sigh. "I should really get that thing fixed. One of these days the whole desk is just gonna fall

over." Chuckling politely, Jonah continued, "What are we gonna be doing, sir?" His commanding officer shrugged. "No idea, Pattman." He put his hands behind his head. "Something to do with security. You'll be the team's engineer." The captain scrutinized some lint on his lapel before disgustingly brushing it away. "In fact, the engineering position is for designing new vehicles and buildings. They need command center that's off the radar...literally." "Wait," said Jonah. "I'll be working with Special Forces, Airborne, and...who else, sir? These orders mention transportation security." The captain nodded ruefully. "Yes, unfortunately TSA is also part of the team." Jonah sighed. "And you thought I'd enjoy this assignment, sir?" "Hey," said the captain, leaning forward. "I recommended you because A, you're the best engineering officer I've got, and B, you told me you wanted to make a difference in the world...well, here you go, Pattman. You and I both know the TSA is bad news, but if anyone can keep 'em in line, it's you, Lieutenant. First Lieutenant." Jonah blinked, clearly taken aback. "I'm being promoted...sir?" The captain smiled and stood up briskly. "Forget the formalities, man. Call me Pete." He walked around the desk and extended his hand. "Good luck, Jonah." Jonah smirked nervously and shook his superior officer's hand. "Uh, thanks...Pete." Then his nervous smile turned into a proud one. "But I don't believe in luck. I'm a Christian."

***

On March 29th, an earthquake with an 8.2 magnitude was felt throughout half of South America, southern Mexico, and the Caribbean islands. Western governmentsponsored seismologists and geologists claimed that the epicenter had originated from the Leeward Islands along the Caribbean plate, about 1 mile below the earth's surface. Anybody who knew anything about anything to do with seismology knew that this earthquake was no natural disaster. According to independent researchers, the "quake" was the result of an underground nuclear explosion in the hidden escape tunnels that belonged to Hugo Chavez, benevolent President of Venezuela. Elijah and others suspected this was retaliation for the nuclear attacks beneath Virginia and Colorado. Elijah and the aware public had known that Hugo Chavez was an enemy of the West, not because he was a socialist dictator who oppressed his people, but because he was a free-thinking leader who spoke out against the United States government's destructive and greedy foreign policy. Chavez not only had tunnels, but a secret base of operations he had constructed in case of invasion or uprising. Apparently, the elite of the Western world had tried to kill him with cancer, and failed, so they hired someone in the Chavez regime to smuggle a bomb into the underground base. And again, the assassination attempt failed. Like the brave Libyan Brother Leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, President Hugo Chavez was on the run. Socialism only works when a benevolent dictator makes big businesses play by the rules and stay in country, and then he can give excess funds to the people. Socialism cannot work in a democracy or republic where all three branches of the government are corrupt and bought by big businesses that write the laws and have

migrated overseas to avoid taxation. All the money goes straight to the corporations. The Western elite were keen to exterminate all socialist dictators for fear that their subjects might become aware of these truths and demand a true Republic en masse.

thanks for that, Andy. If youre going to the mall or school or even a hotel, you might notice a new presence in town. The second news anchor took over. Thats right, Barbara. In accordance with the Presidents wishes, the National Security Agency is now utilizing the combined might of the Armed Forces, private contractors, and TSA to prevent terrorism in not only the big cities, but also the smaller ones Elijah scoffed angrily and closed the tab on the desktop computer before he could hear anymore. Last time he heard something so upsetting, he had to buy another computer. Instead, he switched windows to the Alex Jones Show. Elijah could contain his emotions when watching Alex Jones because the patriot didnt report tyranny as if it were a new brand of sneakers. He reported tyranny as if it were, well, tyranny. Then Elijah caught sight of the time display on the monitor. Crap. He exited out of the window, turned off the computer, and stood up. Im goin to Daves, he told his mother, who was sitting at her own computer in the household office. Alright, take Simon and pick up some milk on the way back. Elijah narrowed his eyes, confused. Uh, you sure? It hasnt gone down in price yet. And I should know, I stocked it last night. Elijahs mind flashed to back when Lydia worked in the dairy department. He

swallowed hard and inhaled as he pretended nothing bothered him. His mother answered, not looking up from her laptop, Yeah. Weve gone without milk for a week. I think we can afford it. Elijah smiled and turned to walk away. Alright. After putting his black leather jacket on, he headed out the door. Simon! As he got into his black RoadRunner, Simon ran out the front door of the house with his shoes in hand. He got into the passenger seat as Elijah cranked the engine. We goin to the store? Simon asked as he put his shoes on. Elijah revved the engine a bit and then put the automatic transmission into reverse. Daves first. He backed up the Plymouth and turned around in the front yard before putting the car in Drive and moving through the open wooden privacy fence and down the narrow, bumpy dirt road. Simon said, Ah, coolwhy? Elijah shrugged. Just to hang out, I guess. Max will be there, I think. Ooo, we can play video games. Elijah smiled. Sure. He turned the gloss black RoadRunner onto the paved street and accelerated. He was at 50 miles per hour in less than 5 seconds. Then he turned on some music Down in Flames by Egypt Central. When Elijah got onto the highway, he was brazenly passed by a young twerp in a rundown Honda Accord. The ugly car had a spoiler that was much too large for it and ground effects that didnt fit the color or condition of the vehicle. Elijah caught up to the

Honda before it got an eighth of a mile down the highway. Elijah pulled the RoadRunner up along the right side of the Honda and glared at him through his tinted window. They were driving at about 60 mph. Elijah rolled down his window. He continued to glare at the Hondas driver until he noticed him. Then he removed his shades, casually glancing ahead of him to ensure a clear path. The single man in the Honda flipped Elijah the middle finger and then floored the gas pedal. When Elijah looked ahead of him again, there was a truck only a few car lengths ahead of him. Smirking derisively, Elijah let off the gas and let the Honda pull away, then moved over behind him and gently accelerated. Simon warned, Eli, be careful. The stupid ricers not worth it. But Eli wasnt interested in how unworthy or ignorant the other driver was, only that he be shown that rudeness would not be tolerated. The smaller Honda swerved over into the right lane, avoiding a minivan. Eli wouldve done the same if some idiot in a black 2010 Ford Mustang GT hadnt sped up slightly, blocking his path. Eli revved the engine angrily at the Mustang. The man in the Mustang activated his police pursuit lights and took off after the Honda. Elijahs eyes went wide and he moved over into the right lane and slowed considerably to the speed limit. Then he burst out laughing. Simon gaped at him. Oh my God, you are so lucky, man. Mom woulda killed you if you got a ticket. Lucks got nothin to do with it, bro.

CHAPTER FIVE: Darkwater Psalms 127:3 5 - Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. Rural Oklahoma Marissa Cready had never even considered that she would be in her current predicament. She knew she was not a perfect mother, but never in her worst nightmares did she ever imagine that the Child Protection Services would be at her front door with Sheriffs deputies. Her 2-year old boy had been given some chocolate by his grandmother earlier that day, and in a sugar-induced hyperactive spaz, accidentally knocked some boiling water off the stove and onto his legs. It was not as if she had left the boy unattended in the kitchen. The grandmother had been watching him in his bedroom as he played with his siblings. The door was closed to keep him from running into the kitchen while Marissa cooked dinner. She had even told his sisters to keep the door shut until dinner time. But the 7-year old daughter had to use the bathroom, and as she left bedroom, shed forgotten to close it behind her. The 16-year old daughter bolted to her feet, but by the time she reached little Junior or the door, hed already scampered out, looking for his mommy. Junior was also hungry, so he had made his way for the oven, where hed seen his mother produce hot food. She had been standing right next to the oven when she

heard the scampering feet of her son. She turned and instinctively reached for his arm just as he snatched the pots handle and tipped it Now she was hiding in the back room with her son in her lap, arms wrapped around him. It was an accident! she screamed hysterically into her cellphone. CPS agent Helena Joltz was a thin, 5-foot-4 half-Indian woman who had better things to do than confront terrible mothers, which is how she saw every woman she met through her job. She rolled her eyes and sighed before answering Marissa over her own cellphone. Look, I understand that, Ms. Cready, Helena said, but Doctor Hurwitz told me that he thought he saw bruises on the boys arm too. She made a motion to the deputies to go around back with one, cigarettewielding little hand. Inside, Marissas eyes went wide in the dark. She tried to examine her boys arm as he cried in her grasp, but found no such marks. She knew Helena was lying, or the doctor had lied, just to kidnap her son. She began to grow angry. I did not hurt my baby, god damn you! How dare you! She stood up in the back of the room and flicked a light switch and then took another look at the boys arm. Hes just got the red welt on his legs, but hes not even scarred! Around the back of the small, modest house, four deputies circled to the back door. One remained at a window, trying to get a clear line of sight at the woman inside. In front of the house, two more deputies stood on the porch, tasers drawn.

Ms. Cready, if you do not comply with my request, I will take your son by force. After turning the light back off, Marissa took her son back toward the closet and set him down, crying, on a pillow. She surrounded his lower body with a blanket and reached inside to retrieve a small revolver. She checked to make sure it was loaded and then held the cellphone in front of her face, glaring heatedly at the window, where she could make out the shadow of a man on the other side. Come in my house and I will blow your fucking head off, bitch. Then she raised the pistol and pointed it at the window. She didnt hear anything for several seconds. Suddenly the front door was kicked open. She swung around, dropped the cellphone, pointed the gun out the door and opened fire once. There was no one there. Taking a panicked breath, Marissa turned to the window. At that very second, three black-clad men in body armor and cargo pants swarmed into the room from both the window and the door. Instead of disarming and detaining her, they simply filled her full of bullets from M4 carbine assault rifles. After, they collected the distressed child from the closet and exited the house, but not before one of them took the womans pistol as a souvenir. The black-clad men were laughing as they exited the house, much to the deputies astonishment. They joked around about the way she died, falling awkwardly, losing part of her head on the carpet. One of the men took off his shades and handed the boy to Helena Joltz. Here, he said, make sure we get our cut, and dont forget that Mayor

Bloomingfield wants this one. Black hair and green eyes is a hell of a rare one. Helena scowled and took the boy as she put her cellphone in her pocket. She told the deputies, The woman put up a fight and we had no choice. The game changed when one of your boys got shot. The lead deputy gaped, None of us got shot, lady! The lead mercenary put a bullet through one of the deputies legs. Then he chuckled. As the deputy screamed in pain and fell to the ground, his friends drew their pistols. Stand down! the CPS agent said. You know we have the blessin of Sheriff Tallon! You wanna be heroes? Go ahead then, motherfuckers! Start shootin! She turned to head back to her black SUV. Lets go, Carlyle. Carlyle, the leader of the mercenaries, leaned forward and smirked at the lead deputy. Dont become the evenin news, boys. These kids aint worth it. With that, he and his two mercs turned and walked away, giving the deputies only the name of their company on the backs of their black flak vests to look at: Darkwater.

We want our country back! shouted a woman in the midst of a throng of protesters outside a relatively new corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The protesters mirrored her declaration with a few of their own. The building in which they stood in front of was not a very intimidating one. It was only three-stories high and didnt have very many windows. The employee parking lot was nowhere to be seen. The only thing about the building to suggest that it was anything sinister was the name at the top Among the hundred or so activists were Elijah, Cindy Smith, and Charlie OCanton. There was so much going wrong with the world, that it was often difficult for Elijah to decide which enemy to tackle first. He chose he would just target the ones he felt like God wanted him to take on. And he wasnt certain, but he felt like God wanted him at this event. Eli, Cindy said, pointing. Theres someone coming out! Waving his sign that said Stop the sex slavery or we will end you even higher, Eli pushed to the front of the assembly. Cindy and Charlie followed. Indeed there was someone coming out. Several mercenaries in fact, armed with only paperwork. They wore suits and polo shirts rather than the usual military outfits. The protesters raged even more. The man on point of the contractor group waited patiently for the protesters to stop yelling at him. He wore a little smile as he did. All of the contractors did. They enjoyed the attention, the pain. After a minute or two, when he sensed it was time, he raised his hands. Alright, I have a statement from the Darkwater CEO, President Hal Burton. Will

you let me deliver his message? Elijah spoke up: Yeah! But dont expect us to believe a word of it! The patriots behind him threw up their fists and yelled in agreement. The envoy shook his head and began reading from the paper in his hand, keeping his smile. Protesters, I understand your concern and your sentiment. However, Darkwater is a business. We do business with many countries and sometimes we must respect their laws and customs, which at times do not seem right to us Americans. But they are the customs of those countries. As such, we do not control or prevent, nor condone, the slavery in those countries, for it is not in our job description. He snickered at this. Charlie shouted, You abduct kids! Im getting to that, said the ambassador from Darkwater. You have heard rumors about Darkwater and other defense contractors, including Dynocorps, kidnapping children and women and selling or trading them to politicians, CEOs, and other influential people around the world. These allegations are untrue and Several of your employees were arrested and charged with kidnapping, murder, torture, and rape last year! Elijah interjected. The man lowered the sheet of paper and replied, Those men have been reprimanded and punished according to the law. A man in the back of the crowd of protesters blurted, My daughter was taken by CPS and never seen or heard from again!

The Darkwater man made the mistake of making a joke at the mans expense. Well, Im sure someone has seen or heard from her He even laughed. The other Darkwater men laughed. The father shoved himself to the front of the mob and attempted to climb the gate. Two police officers pushed him off the gate and sprayed pepper spray in his face. Eli pleaded with the cops, Why are you protecting them? How much are they paying you? Youre our servants, not theirs! Some of the crowd went to help the man on the sidewalk while others began shouting and crying. One of the policemen said, barely audible above the din of angry and panicking citizens, We know that! Stay off the fence! Eli nodded slowly and gestured to Charlie and Cindy to follow him. He left the protest as the Darkwater employees went back into their HQ. Once past the line of police officers at the end of the block, Eli stopped and rested against the brick wall of an apartment building. You alright, man? Charlie asked, concerned. Yeah, said Eli. What time is it? Cindy glanced at her cellphone. Almost five. Lets get something to eat, Eli suggested. Fifteen minutes later, the trio was sitting in a fast food restaurant eating

Genetically Modified food. Charlie and Cindy chose to eat a salad, the least organically manipulated. Eli whispered a prayer over his cheeseburger and then bit into it. So, drawled Cindy, whats on your mind, Eli? Eli swallowed, cleared his throat and then sipped his soda before answering. I have reason to believe there is about to be a lot of violence at protests within the next few months. Cindy said with a shrug, Thats nothing new. The cops are always beating and arresting people for no reason. Eli shook his head. I dont mean cops against protesters. I mean cops against cops, cops against mercenaries, cops against military, military against mercenaries. Then the government is going to bring in the foreigners. Damn, Charlie said, dropping his plastic fork. Cindy told Eli, I think its time for that stand-down you were talkin about. Nodding slowly, staring off in the distance, Eli said, I think youre right

CHAPTER SIX: From the Ashes of a Dream Joel 2:28-31 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun

will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. By the middle of April, 2012, Libyas brave leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had been captured by NATO/Al Qaida forces and executed. At least, the plan was to execute him in what used to be called Green Square, but he never gave up fighting, even to the end. He laughed, spat in the NATO officers faces, and attacked them before they arrived at the square. He was stabbed in the stomach by one of the officers and died en route to the square. News of the Brother Leaders death spread quickly and NATO barely had time to escape the war-torn nation before Gaddafis supporters swarmed the Al Qaida rebels and completely retook the capitol of Libya, Tripoli. Once Gaddafi was out of the way, the western empire set its sights on Syria. With a revolution already in progress, it was easy to topple the current regime and install another puppet dictator. But the elites of the western world had failed to acquire Libya. So they went back, but instead of just bombing the country constantly, they sent in a large number of troops. Unfortunately, the people of America and her allies barely noticed the massacres in Africa and the Middle-east. They were busy dealing with their own problems, namely a run-away economy and the constant fear of terror attacks, which of course were only false-flags executed by the illegitimate federal government. Partly due to the crises in the Middle-east, gas prices rocketed from $6 to $7.50 per gallon.

As if this werent enough, the shadow government had begun their Devils Messiah project. This project was designed to further demoralize and warp Americas already very twisted sense of right and wrong. Public schools taught that the United States of America was founded by people who believed THEY were God. The establishment fervently pushed in their propaganda outlets that the people were gods, which was a philosophy started by Catholicism and the heretical Trinity doctrine. Once the majority were convinced that the only creator in existence was them, the elites agenda seemed to be carried out for them, by the unwitting and dumbed down, brainwashed sheep of the western world. Americas anti-God propaganda spread to Europe. By the middle of April, more than half the western population believed that they were all gods and that no dominant and loving Father existed. The New Age movement became a religion unto itself, but the rulers and powerbrokers wanted no religion. They wanted a secular society, where they were worshiped and revered by the enslaved public. Divine right to rule returned to the western empires. Unfortunately for the elite, the true divine manifestation that they knew was coming had already arrived *** In the desert of Nevada, a run-down, up-armored black 1969 Dodge Charger with tinted windows roared across the landscape and bounced onto a blistering hot blacktop. Dust and smoke billowed behind the classic American Muscle Car as it tore onto the road and screeched sideways, fish-tailed briefly, and then straightened and

accelerated to over 60 miles per hour quickly. Not far behind the Charger was two black GMC SUVs. They too were up-armored, each with a .50 caliber machine gun sticking out of the roof. They opened fire 2014 The large slugs ripped up the pavement in front of them, just inches away from the rear of the fleeing Dodge. Bits of concrete sprinkled the cars back bumper and a Pennsylvania license plate that read PHOENIX. Then a couple rounds took out the metal-plated rear window. Smoke wafted into the cockpit of the car as Abigail Begich desperately piloted the heavy, powerful vehicle. She winced as she felt a piece of glass from the rear window pierce her shoulder. Blood began to drip down her sweaty, dirty bare bicep. Abigail was a beautiful woman with messy shoulder-length hair dyed black and pale, battle-scarred flesh. Her sunglasses barely hung from her face and grim determination and anger barely masked the fear and panic in her eyes. Her attire consisted of a torn black UMCJ tank top, ripped blue jeans, and black combat boots. As the Phoenix swerved the Charger back and forth on the road in order to avoid the .50 caliber bullets from her pursuers machine guns, she reached down between the front seats and collected a sawed-off shotgun. She pumped it with one hand, tossed it up and caught the grip, and then turned around to point it out the now-missing rear window. She didnt expect to see the GMC so close He was about to blow her away. She jerked the wheel to the left as she turned

back to the front and saw three other American Muscle Cars barreling toward her in a V-shaped formation called a wedge. She recognized the flat black 68 Plymouth RoadRunner and smirked just as the other GMCs gunner blew her right rear tire to smithereens. As the Charger swung uncontrollably over the road, the 68 RoadRunner veered to the left, came within inches of the dull yellow 1973 Chevy Camaro, and missed the Dodge as the large automobile plowed into a ditch. The RoadRunner jerked to the right and skidded into the front of the GMC as the truck was going 45 miles per hour.

Elijah snapped awake. April 2012 He was sweating. He knew this was no normal dream. He sat up slowly in his bed and looked over at the alarm clock: 1:37 PM. For a second, he wondered what year he was in, and then he laughed lightly, but only until he had to force himself not to cry. He breathed out and got to his feet and stretched. Abigail Begich. She was an ex-girlfriend of his who disappeared in 2009. She had been a Marine, only 19 years old when discharged from the Corps for misconduct and mental instability. The truth was she had been blindfolded and beaten by some of her fellow Marines as a joke to make her believe shed been captured by the enemy. She did believe that, and ended up killing one of the Marines. She was no Lydia. She didnt have the problem with believing she wasnt worthy

to be anyones girlfriend. She was, however, Elijah believed, a psychopath. He even nicknamed her PMB, which stood for Psycho Marine Bitch. But they loved each other and Elijah had been the only man she trusted, other than her male best friend. He missed her but knew that her disappearance could have meant anything from imprisonment to death, especially since her father was connected with the New York mafia. Elijah took a shower and prepared for work. On the drive, he began to wonder was his dream just a normal dream, or something more? It didnt seem like one of his usual dreams. It appeared much clearer, almost real. He wondered if it had come from God. Choosing to relive the dream in his mind as he drove to work, the music that Elijah turned up in his muscle car was Art of Dyings Die Trying.

CHAPTER SEVEN: Help Im Alive! 1 Timothy 5:5-7 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. She was living for the moment, no different than the majority of the worlds population. Lydia Black was vaguely aware of the corruption and evil that had infested

the power structures of society, but consciously chose to ignore it. Instead she wanted to smoke pot, have sex, and pretend that she truly believed her friends cared about her. But deep down she knew that they didnt and that they were only using her as entertainment to distract themselves from their own problems. This night was no different. Shed gotten together with half a dozen of her closest friends and went to downtown Wilmington, a medium-sized city in south-east North Carolina only a fifteen minute drive from her small hometown. The plan was simple: walk along the river front laughing and joking and if a Federal Enforcer stopped and questioned them about curfew, her friend Kyle would flash his fathers Sheriffs Deputy badge, which hed borrowed for the occasion. If that didnt work, the three women in the group would simply flash some flesh. The tattoo on Lydia's chest usually attracted the "appropriate" amount of attention. Although it was Friday night, the scene was not much different than other nights of the week. Curfew meant only few classes of citizens could be out. There were more Enforcers than civilians. Enforcers were Federal police officers recruited from various national and local law enforcement and investigation agencies, including the FBI, State and local police, NSA, and FEMA. The former cops were corrupt and belligerent, but they were just goons on a power trip, and easy to avoid or defend ones self from. The former FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents, however, were not only more formidable, but also confrontational. To make things even more difficult, all Enforcers wore the same black uniform, so it was next to impossible for the ordinary citizen to distinguish between

cops and feds. Lydia didnt know it yet, but she was far from ordinary. Oh my God, Bobbi! If youd tripped and fell into the river, I would not have helped you out! Lydia and her friends laughed. Much of the city had succumbed to minor riots and protests, resulting in disrepair and vandalism. City services couldnt keep up with the torn down fences, shattered windows, and graffiti all over government buildings. One painted symbol stood out: the red, white, and blue symbol of a resistance faction. Lydia pretended not to see it, pretended not to appreciate it. She smiled slightly when certain no one was watching her. The boys and girls strolled fearlessly along the sidewalk that overlooked a discolored river. The city had been a port, but was now nothing more than a battleground between political dissidents and Federal Enforcers. Lydia and her friends continued to joke around and throw potato chips at each other until two Federal Enforcers stepped out of a bar. One was a clean-cut dark-haired man in his early forties. The other Enforcer was younger, blond and clearly drunk. Like his comrade, he was clean-shaven, but his hair was slightly longer and much messier. Hey! the drunk barked. He was staggering against his comrade, who grudgingly stabilized him. What are you guys doin out this late? Its gotta be nine-thirty! He turned to the other Enforcer. Right? The sober man glanced at his watch. Two.

Lydia gulped. Somehow she couldnt begin to explain, she knew that flashing flesh was not going to get them out of trouble, much less a badge that the feds never respected to begin with. She prayed that Bobbi wouldnt try to offer them more beer. Two PM? the drunk asked before letting loose an obscene belch. The sober Enforcer was annoyed. AM, Heckler. What are you kids doing out this late? Jesse tried to reason with the two men at first. Just takin a walk. We can head back home Is that alcohol? the Enforcer asked, his hand going for a 9mm Glock holstered on his right hip. Bobbi glanced down at the beer in her hands. Maybe. Want it? Yes- The coherent sociopath sharply interrupted Heckler, his colleague, No! He drew his weapon on the young adults and teenagers. Drop everything in your hands and put your hands on your heads, NOW! Its just beer, dude, Jesse said. Heckler uncomfortably shifted his weight and thrust his pistol into Jesses face. Shut up! God damn it! God damn you! How dare you speak to me! Do you know what I can do to you? Do you know what I can do to your friends? Come on, Lorris, lets fuckin kill em right now!

Calm down, Heckler, Lorris said. Kyle was about to pull out his fathers badge, but Lydia reached over and grabbed his wrist. The rebels were momentarily deafened by the discharge of the blond Enforcers Glock at close range. Kyle received three gunshots to the torso and gasped, jolted and collapsed onto the pavement, wheezing. Lydia and her friends screamed and moved away from the Enforcers. Damn it, Heckler! Jesse shoved Lydia toward the two Enforcers and tried to make a break for it down an alley. Lorris fired twice and Jesse didnt make it more than twenty feet. Bobbi tried to use Lydia as a human shield. Lydias other two friends only screamed more and cowered behind a nearby dumpster. Please dont kill me! they each said, all but Lydia, who was frightened into shock. Lydia simply stared ahead at the cold-hearted murderers in uniforms until they turned their attention to her. Nobody else has to get hurt, said Lorris, as long as everyone does what we say. Heckler turned around to see a gathering throng of witnesses. Get back inside! Enforcement business, motherfuckers! Go on now!

Each citizen went back into their shop or tavern and locked the doors and closed the curtains. To Lydia, everything was moving in slow motion. Lorris and Heckler kept their guns trained on her and the couple near the dumpster. The two Enforcers argued about what to do with them. They both wanted to kill them; the difference was that Heckler wanted to kill them right then and there, while Lorris wanted to take them to the police station and do it, out of the public eye. After half a minute of debating, Heckler and Lorris came to a compromise. Go down that alley! Heckler ordered Lydia and her friends. Tears began to run down her cheeks as she began to register what was happening. The shock wore off. The fear overtook her and she broke down crying. Lorris groaned, Oh, come on! He seized her bicep and dragged the blond, blue-eyed beauty down the alley. Bobbi tried to run and Heckler shot her in the back of the head with one shot. When the other two teens tried to flee, both Enforcers opened fire. Bullets made holes in both the teens and the dumpster. Blood splattered Lydias face and cleavage. Lydia shrieked and sobbed and shoved at Lorris. She begged and pleaded as Lorris pushed her onto her face in the alley. Dude, we need to hurry up and get outta here! Heckler told Lorris. Lorris replied, Why? This is our city. He smirked wickedly at his friend. Well just tell the captain they resisted arrest. They had a gun. Didnt you see it? Heckler seemed to falter. Um, sure. He blinked, uncertain.

Lydia curled herself into a fetal position, sniffling. Heckler looked down at Lydia. Shes so helpless. We could have our way with her before we off her. Lorris shrugged. You go ahead. I got a wife, remember? Heckler rolled his eyes at his comrade and staggered toward Lydia and grinned. Suit yourself, man. Hey baby, you got any Irish in ya? Lydia actually laughed. She didnt laugh because Hecklers remark was clever and funny, but because it was not, and lame. And Heckler knew this. He scowled, bent over, and snatched Lydia up by the hair. Dont laugh at me, bitch! I will end you! Blue lights illuminated the river front street. Heckler, you took too long. Come on, shoot her and lets move. He turned his back on them to watch the street. Lydia produced a pocket knife she had in her jeans pocket and flipped it open. Before Heckler could react to seeing the glint of the moonlight on the blade, or Lorris could react to hearing the familiar sound, she drove it straight into his esophagus. As he gargled on blood and dropped his handgun, she wrenched out of his weakening grip and impulsively hurled it at Lorris as he spun around. As Lorris was raising his Glock, the knife flew at him, flipping end over end. The handle hit him in the face and his gun went off, nicking Lydias right shoulder. She yelped, crouched, and collected Hecklers gun as he died in a pool of blood behind her. She brought the pistol to bear and pulled the trigger five times. Two bullets managed to cross the distance of five feet that

separated them and hit the target. One round penetrated Lorris thigh and the other took off several of his fingers. Lorris roared in pain and fell. Lydia turned and ran. As Lorris leaned against the brick alley wall, he shouted at her, Yeah, you better run! Dont ever let me find you! I will kill you! I will kill your whole family! She didnt stop running. She ran out of the alley and down a street. Blood dripped down her chest and arms as she ran, and cried. God help me! God save me! God save us! She ran, and she ran. And she didnt stop until she was in the ghetto, two miles from downtown. She collapsed on the sidewalk, safe from the Enforcers for the moment. She passed out. Enforcers did not go into the ghetto much. Gangs took care of the ghetto. They didnt mind local cops snooping around asking questions about a legitimate crime, but Federal Enforcers were viewed as enemy combatants, and not tolerated. Two black men exited the house in front of which Lydia had blacked out. What the fuck? said the bald one in a white muscle shirt. He held a sawed-off pump-action Mossberg. His brother had long dreads and a polo shirt. Shit, he said. Looks like she had a run-in with an Enforcer.

The bald man glanced around, keeping his shotgun ready. Get her inside, man. Hurry up. As the man in the dreads neared the girl, he recognized her. Fuck, dude. I know her, from when I worked at -- Damn it, D, said the other man. Just get her inside before someone hears us. Before D could pick up Lydia, she woke up and instinctively lashed out. She scratched Ds face and grabbed the pistol shed dropped on the sidewalk. Shit! D shouted. He scowled as he raised his hand at her, but stopped when he saw the gun. Bitch, Im tryin to help your ass! A light humming sound faded into earshot. The bald black man cocked his shotgun. Drone! Cmon, damn it! He raised the weapon. Lydia staggered to her feet and looked over her shoulder at the small unmanned plane that hovered only a few dozen feet away. It was about half the size of a bi-plane. She turned her Glock on the drone. The drone opened fire and sprayed the bald man with automatic gunfire. D took off into the house as Lydia squeezed off the last three rounds from the handgun. She hit the target but it didnt disable it. The drone turned its attention on Lydia. Purple eye-liner and tears ran down her face as she screamed at the drone,

Fuck you! She hurled the gun at the drone. The small handgun bounced off the drones nose and fell to the ground. Lydia turned and ran. A blue laser targeted the back of her torn and dirty hoodie. Miles away, in a Federal Enforcer headquarters, Mr. Lorris was operating the drone from behind a computer terminal. Three other Enforcers stood behind him, cheering and laughing. Lorris himself was not in a jovial mood. He was still pissed at Lydia, and was working through the pain shed caused to his right hand. But vengeance would be his, or so he thought. Unfortunately for Lorris, a violent resistance faction had chosen that moment to attack the HQ for that city. Grenades and Molotov cocktails were thrown through the windows, catching much of the interior of the building on fire. A grenade launcher put a big dent in the main entrance, but the doors were re-enforced titanium, so it would take a couple more shots to dislodge it from the hinges. While Lorris comrades went to battle stations, Lorris remained at the computer terminal at the back of the building. I am going to kill this whore if its the last thing I do! Ironically, the front door caved in at that moment and seven highly-trained former Special Forces soldiers and Marines dressed in green or grey camouflage swarmed into the Enforcement HQ. They took out the Enforcers with ease before making their way to the back. Lorris never even looked up as he pushed the button that would have ended Lydias life. One SF commando fired two rounds from his M4 Carbine into the back of Lorris head. He did not stick around to check the monitor to see if Lorris had succeeded in his final task.

a terrorist raid on the citys Federal Enforcement Headquarters left nine dead and one critically wounded, came the report from a newswoman standing in front of what was left of the HQ the next morning. Local police have concluded that the murderers must have had experience in heavy weaponry and tactics in order to pull this off, and that they are most likely prior service military and police. A photo of a smiling Lorris appeared on the computer monitor next to the reporters face as Elijah McDonnell watched the propaganda with disdain. Sergeant Vince Lorris is one of the deceased. Lorris was one of the heroes of the Louisiana Revolt when he and his unit put down a rebellion of militia terrorists last month. He is survived by his two daughters and partner Oscar. Eli didnt care about any of that, most of which were lies anyway. He was about to close the window on the computer when the reporter said, Also found dead nearby were five potential domestic threats to national security. Their names can be found on the Fox News website. But if you ask me, they got what they deserved. Eli closed the window and opened another, searching on the website for the names of the civilians killed. I didnt ask you, lying fucktard. When he found the names and pictures of the friends of one of his ex-girlfriends, his mouth fell agape. He blinked, closed his mouth, and swallowed hard. He scrolled through their photos. Lydia was not among them. He opened another window and logged into a social media website. He found to his horror that a lot of his friends were concerned about the disappearance of Lydia Black. Eli didnt bother logging out or

turning off the computer. He got up and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Minutes later, Eli walked outside to his car, donned in all black, his leather trench coat, and leather knuckle gloves. His shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back into a pony-tail and he was carrying his 12 gauge Remington shotgun. Eli got into his black 68 Plymouth RoadRunner. The car had been modified since hed acquired it. There was a push-bar on the front, completely tinted windows, and all the chrome and lights had been blacked out. There were no colorful markings on the vehicle except for the small RoadRunner nameplate and emblem on the side. As he drove out of the front yard and down the dirt road, Eli made a couple phone calls on his cell. First he called Lydias cell, but there was no answer. Then he called Dave. Icebreaker, I need you to go to work and wait for me there, alright? Elis voice was shaking. He hoped Dave didnt notice. After a few more calls, Eli hung up and dropped the cell phone in the passenger seat. He turned up the music, Help Im Alive by Metric, and accelerated onto the highway. He paid the speed limit no mind at all. Seconds later, he was at 80 miles per hour passing other drivers as if they were sitting still. Halfway to the big retail store where he worked, Eli caught sight of a police car making a U-turn to follow him. He didnt fret though. It was just the new Interceptor, the 2010 Ford Taurus. Rebekah could outrun the Taurus any day of the week. So as he turned his attention back to the road ahead, Eli was unprepared for the blue lights that appeared behind him seconds before he noticed the 2011 red Dodge

Charger in the rear-view. He groaned, ready to pull over, before someone blew past them in a Jaguar. The Charger gave up on the RoadRunner and chose a new prey. Eli released a sigh of relief. He passed his old 86 Firebird. Dave smirked from behind blue-tinted shades and tried to keep up. Very soon after, the two muscle cars pulled into the supercenters parking lot. The police interceptor sped past; the cop had lost the chase. Rebekah rolled to a halt behind the big store. Abigail Nicole Texas parked behind the Plymouth as Eli stepped out of the car. Dave hopped out of the Firebird, as the Ttops were down, and went to shake Elis hand. I know what this is about. Lydias missing. Right? Eli removed his sunglasses and put on his clear glasses. We have to find her, dude. A black 1996 Chevy Impala SS parked beside the RoadRunner, facing the opposite way. Tobias exited the Impala and made his way between the Plymouth and the Pontiac to Eli and Dave. Hey, Monster. Heard anything? Yeah, man, Tobias said ruefully. D called and told me. She passed out right in front of his house Tobias went on to tell the story that D had experienced. Then he waited for Elis response. Trying desperately to remain calm, Eli said, Were goin into town to find her. Most likely she holed up somewhere and then started walking back in the morning.

Another vehicle drove past them, but didnt stop. It was a blue Crown Victoria. The three men glanced at each other. I hope that wasnt a cop, Dave said. We aint doin anything wrong, said Eli. Tobias scoffed, Since when does that matter? Good point, Eli replied. Yet another car drove behind the supermarket. This one did stop. It parked right in front of Tobias Impala, facing the same direction. It was a black 1983 GMC van, similar to the one featured in the A-Team. The man who owned it was, like the famous owner of the TV vehicle, a black man with a Mohawk. However, Thomas Tyrell did not sport gleaming chains or visible tattoos. Dude, Thomas said as he walked over, I just knew you were gonna wanna look for her. Eli smiled briefly, but then got real serious. Listen up. We have to find her. She hasnt made it back home yet, so she is probably hurt, scared, or lost or all of the above. Weve got to find her, ok? We will, Dave affirmed. We should pray. Eli smiled warmly at his friend. Good thinking, brother. The men stood closer and bowed their heads.

Heavenly father

A song called This is my Destiny by Syntax played in all four black automobiles that pulled out of the supermarket parking lot and onto the highway. Elis cold gaze was set hard on the road ahead of him. He knew she was still alive. He attributed that knowledge to God. But the swelling emotions mixed with the swelling music urged him to accelerate and drive recklessly through traffic. His three friends followed. Halfway to the city of Wilmington, two classic pickup trucks joined the convoy. Justin Rhodes drove a blue 1972 Ford and the grey 1984 Chevy belonged to Mandy Watson. Eli picked up the CB radio handset that rested on his dashboard and spoke into it. Rebel Knight to the Remnant; listen up. See anything unusual, let everyone know over the CB. Over. Terminator to Rebel Knight, announced Thomas from the van in the middle of the convoy. Would three black SUVs headin in the opposite direction count as unusual? Eli responded, Usually, no. But today, yes. He wrenched the steering wheel to the left and hit the brakes. Rebekah skidded across a narrow dirt road through the median that only authorized vehicles were allowed to use. Everyone except for the pickups keep headin to Wilmington, Eli ordered.

Justin and Mandy pulled a U-turn as well and followed Elis RoadRunner. A couple of motorists didnt like that and they made sure Elis team knew that by honking. As Elis car closed in on the SUVs, they accelerated. Eli noticed that the silver 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T behind the SUVs sped up also. Eli said over the CB, Firestorm, Gladius, the Challengers with em! This is Gladius, Justin said from the drivers seat of his 72 Ford, weve got Interceptors on our tail, buddy. I hope this is worth it. Eli knew Lydia was in one of the SUVs. He could sense her. He swerved violently into the left lane in an attempt to pass the Challenger. The driver in the Dodge was not shy. He veered towards Elis car and flashed blue emergency lights, trying to discourage Eli. But it only made Eli angrier. Eli slowed and pulled behind the Challenger. Firestorm, take this motherfucker out! The grey pickup truck roared past Rebekah and bashed into the left rear quarter of the Challenger. One of the black SUVs slowed in order to assist the Challenger but the other two drove faster and began weaving through traffic. Gladius, you take out the Suburban! Justin replied, Understood. The blue truck drove onto the grass and passed the Challenger. Then Justin slammed into the right side of the black SUV. Eli was then reminded of the police cruisers behind him.

Loudspeakers broadcast, Pull over! We are authorized to use lethal force! Eli scowled in the rear-view mirror at the black and white Tauruses. Fuck your authority. He hit the brakes and veered left, churning up the median to pass a big rig. One of the cop cars tried to do the same and ended up colliding with the back of the trailer. The other Interceptor lost sight of the RoadRunner. Elis muscle car leaped back onto the blacktop and the right front fender nicked the drivers door of the Suburban. Eli made the necessary small corrections and pulled ahead of the battle. Im going ahead, he told his friends. You two take care of them. Justin answered, Alright, man. Then he executed a PIT maneuver that successfully put the SUV out of commission. Eli stomped the gas and Rebekahs V8 growled ominously as she rocketed ahead. He could see both fleeing Suburbans. One took an exit off the highway. Eli had to make a decision. Lord, which way do I go? Why would Federal Enforcement Agents get off here? Good point. He got on the CB. Terminator, Icebreaker, Monster! Can ya hear me? Tobias, also known as Monster on the air, answered, Yeah, dude, were right behind Firestorm and Gladius. The two SUVs split up. Im continuing on seventeen. Yall take the exit into

Leighville and follow the other one. Dont engage unless you have to. Call me when they get to wherever theyre going. Got it, Tobias said. The RoadRunner was only four car lengths behind the SUV on the highway when two black-clad men pointed automatic rifles out the rear windows and opened fire. Bullets marked the Plymouth but the bullet-resistant windshield did its job. Eli snarled, Mistake. He reached over into the passenger seat, grabbed his sawed-off Remington and pumped it with one hand. Then he tossed it over into his left hand, took the wheel with his right, and rode up along the right side of the SUV. He pointed the shotgun out the window at one of the men and squeezed the trigger. The right back door then opened and the man fell out of the vehicle. Eli swerved to miss him. The RoadRunner fishtailed but he righted her and took aim again. That was when Eli saw, through the swinging door, Lydia, gagged and bound. A man had a pistol pointed at her skull. She turned her head and gazed at Eli with griefstricken eyes. No hope was left in her. Eli gasped at her battered and helpless appearance before returning his attention to the road. He barely had time to avoid a minivan. Coming up behind the SUV from the left this time, Eli cocked the shotgun again. God, I need a damn miracle right about now. A couple seconds later, Elis car hit a bump and began to fishtail wildly.

Instinctively he slammed on the brakes, but then remembered that braking while losing control was not the correct action. He accelerated and tried to straighten her out, but something made the car spin 180 degrees. Rebekahs left flank slammed up against the Suburban before she lost speed. The Suburban continued forward at 80 miles per hour, but the driver lost control and the heavy truck struck the short concrete wall on the right side of the highway. While the SUV scraped against the wall to a gradual halt down the road, Elis muscle car spun around to face the SUV and skidded backwards into the median several meters back. Eli staggered out of the car and made his way across the street toward the SUV. There was no more traffic. Police had taken care of that. Eli could hear, however, the rumbling motors of his friends approaching. Eli was about fifty feet away from the SUV when he realized hed left his shotgun in the RoadRunner. But he didnt falter. The driver of the SUV exited the automobile and rubbed his face as he looked around. When he saw the bruised, bleeding man coming toward him, the driver drew his 9mm Beretta handgun. Eli wiped his wrist across his forehead, smearing sweat and blood, and removed his trench coat, allowing it to fall onto the road behind him. The driver of the Suburban opened fire. Two shots missed Eli. Eli drew a Bowie knife from a sheath strapped to his right thigh. The driver gulped and fired again. The bullet nicked Elis shoulder. Eli seethed with rage and pain as he limped toward his opponent. Before the enemy could fire again, Eli dodged behind the rear of the SUV. Two more bullets shot past Eli, missing him by six inches. Eli had never stopped moving. As soon as hed jumped behind the SUV, he tossed up the large knife and caught it by the blade and in one fluid movement, stepped around the left side of the Suburban and hurled it at the

driver. The knife flew through the air end over end and sunk four inches into the mans shoulder. He screamed in agony. Before he could recover, Eli walked over to him and seized him by the hair. He rammed his face into the drivers window of the SUV. The glass cracked but did not shatter. The enemy collapsed into unconsciousness. Not wasting a second, Eli yanked open the left rear door to find Lydia staring wide-eyed at him. Her last two captors were dead. It appeared that the one in the far back with the rifle accidentally shot his colleague, and then he was killed when he received a broken neck from the wreck. Lydia just stared at Eli. Eli was shaking, staring back. Then he said, I know. I always know. Tears began to run down her face. Eli pulled the dead man from beside her and then ripped the tape from her lips. Lydias breath became rapid and shallow. Eli knew that her emotions were about to overflow. He reached inside and picked her up. He carried her away from the SUV, her face buried in his shoulder. The unmistakable wet scent of tears stained Elis black T-shirt. The two pickup trucks arrived. We need to hurry, Justin shouted out the window as he reached over to unlock the passenger door for Eli. The pigsll be here any second, dude. Mandy helped Eli put Lydia in the passenger seat of her Chevy before he told Mandy, Ride with Justin. Ill drive yours. Normally Mandy wouldve complained, but not this time. She simply nodded and

made her way to Justins Ford as Eli cut the zip-ties that bound Lydias hands. He then went to pick up his trench coat from the road. Eli placed the trench coat over Lydia, closed the passenger door on the Chevy and waved Justin and Mandy to leave. They did so. He reached into the back of the pickup and grabbed a can of red spray paint. The red V was the resistances international symbol of vendetta. Everyone who saw it knew that it meant exactly one thing: Justice was coming and someone was going to pay dearly for the crimes they committed. And as Eli drove away, there was a red V on the hood of the black Suburban. CHAPTER EIGHT: A Time to Fight

June 15th, 2012 Elijahs Birthday Elijah McDonnell had been in a FEMA concentration camp for almost a week before his birthday on June 15th. He had not had a single visitor because the few people who were allowed to know where he was located were afraid to try a rescue. After he had dropped Lydia off at her mothers and told them to get out of town, he arrived home to find the military and Federal Enforcers waiting for him. In order to keep his family safe, hed volunteered to get in the back of the armored SUV. Hed thought he was prepared for the torture, but he was wrong. One week of water boarding, car battery treatment, and one-sided fistfights had

taken their toll on his body. Thankfully to God, Elijahs mind and spirit was still intact. In fact, the torture had made him stronger. And while the guards and mercenaries posted at the Leighville FEMA camp became complacent and proud that they had caught the local areas biggest resistance faction leader, Elijahs escape was being planned. Elijah slept soundly for four hours on the cold cement floor of his dark cell. He was naked except for his six-day-old pair of boxers. He woke to the sudden sound of slamming doors. As usual, he put up a fight as the two guards hauled him from the cell, but didnt let onto his true strength, strength borrowed. Almost time, my child. A small smile crept around the corner of his mouth. His guards didnt notice. They dropped him in a blood-splattered room. The blood was not his. It had been the blood of previously executed terrorists. On your knees, bitch, said a Federal Enforcer. Elijah looked at him, which warranted the young rebel a shocking wallop to the side of the head. Elijah yelped and fell to one knee. He smiled. He stood up straight, only to be punched in the stomach. Another Enforcer batted him in the back with a baton. Elijah collapsed to his knees, tears running down his face. Your souls fate is now sealed, gasped Elijah. The Enforcer leaned forward and grabbed Elijah by his long brown hair. He yanked his head back and glared down into his eyes. Youve been preachin at us for six days, motherfucker. Im gonna enjoy watching you die.

The door opened again and two men entered. One was the camps prefect, Darkwater operative Carlyle. Elijah recognized him as the man who had taunted and tormented him for six straight days and nights. Before you die, Carlyle said, I think you should know that I was the agent in charge of the CPS operations in that Oklahoma county forgot the name of the county where one of your exes was killed. What was her name? Shit, I dont remember that either Carlyle snickered to his comrades. The anger within Elijah seethed and quickly became rage. Marissa. He peered up at Carlyle through squinted, pained eyes. Carlyle laughed. Oh yeah. Such a stupid whore. If only shed given us her child, I wouldve made sure she got a nice place to stay He looked around the room, which was a huge mistake. A place like this An explosion rocked the building and as the four government agents began to draw weapons and panic, Elijah leaped to his feet and speared Carlyle across the room. Carlyles back slammed into the cement wall. The other three men removed the mad prisoner from the prefect. Get him on his knees, now! Carlyle bellowed. Elijah and the other men in the room could hear music, though they werent sure from whence it came. Their confusion gave Elijah the chance to wrestle from their hold and wrench the baton from one of the Enforcers hand. He began to beat Carlyle in the face with it. Accidentally activating the electrical aspect of the weapon, Elijah did not let

up. Each time someone tried to restrain the man, Elijah just backhanded him across the face and continued smacking and electrocuting the prefect. The door beside them burst off the hinges and the music was heard more clearly again. It was Shinedowns Bully. Prefect Carlyle screamed and wailed, falling to his side in a fetal position as Elijah kept beating him in the head with the baton. Three individuals entered the gloomy, blood-soaked room and put the three captors down with three well-placed shots from illegally obtained firearms. As soon as Elijah was certain Carlyle was not going to get up anytime soon, Elijah dropped the baton and collapsed in exhaustion.

Are you sure this is gonna work, Monster? Max asked Tobias. Not really, Tobias said. But we gotta try. Eight vehicles were traveling south on highway 17 at ten miles over the speed limit. The space between each car was about a hundred yards. The gang spoke with each other over CB radios. Terminator said, Itll work, Echo. Have some faith, man. Hey, you know Im new to this faith stuff, homie. Im not used to just doing something and expecting God to make sure everything turns out alright.

Icebreaker asked, Why arent the police following us? We just passed two Sheriffs deputies and a State Trooper. Philip Gramm answered, They know what were up to, man. Theyre gonna let the feds take care of us. Alright guys, said the acting leader of the gang, Monster, Get ready. You know the drill. From the passenger seat of Davids supped up TransAM, Max asked the driver, Have you ever shot anyone before, dude? David shook his head as he followed a black 80s GMC van. No, man. I havent. Just remember, were doin this for a good cause, and a good man. At the head of the pack, James Jimmy Pacello AKA Toybox, tapped the brakes on his white 95 Chevy pickup and swung the truck left. He led the team across the opposite side of the road and barreled through a chain link fence with razor wire at the top. The 12-foot-high fence gave way to Toyboxs up-armored heavy pickup as guards began shooting. Behind and to the right of the truck, Terminators GMC van smashed through another section of fence, taking part of a guard tower with it. When the tower swayed due to one of the legs collapsing, a guard fell 25 feet into the cold mud. Hed live. The third car in the compound was Icebreakers Tex. The TransAM splashed through the mud as rock music blared from the internal and external loudspeakers. Since the right side T-roof was off, Max was easily able to stand up as the car came to a

sloshing halt beside a large tent that was the concentration camps cafeteria. A sniper on one of the guard towers took aim at Jimmy as he parked his truck halfway inside the cafeteria and exited the vehicle. Max brought up an SKS rifle and opened fire. The sniper dropped to the deck of the tower and avoided the gunfire. Meanwhile, Terminators GMC had crashed into a more solid edifice. The bricks crumbled to the strength of the vans push-bar. Then he moved the van back a bit before crawling into the back, grabbing an AK-47 and kicking opening the back doors. The other cars in the gangs convoy combat-parked in tactically advantageous locations that would allow them to escape quickly, always facing a potential exit. As Thomas Tyrell, James Pacello, Max Carter, David Segris, Rasheed Cobbler and Philip Gramm kept the Federal Enforcers and military guards busy with assault rifles and submachine guns, Tobias Baxter, Bridget Hartsell, and Chantell Williams departed speedily but cautiously from their automobiles and kicked their way to the main prison complex, which had been forcefully opened by Thomas van. The trio stepped through the hole. Two Federal Enforcers were waiting for them, pistols drawn. Tobias and Chantell opened fire first with their own pistols. Bridget made her way over to a door and pulled it open as Tobias readied himself to shoot any enemies on the other side. Come on, Tobias said, leading the two women through the door and down the empty hall.

They could hear screaming and scuffling. They moved faster down the hall toward the sound. It was coming from a room. Tobias tried to open it but it was locked. Damn it, he groused. Stand back, he told the others. He squeezed off several rounds along the sides of the heavy metal door and the heavy-duty lock. Then he ran at the door and threw his shoulder into it. The big door caved in and slammed hard onto the cement floor. Tobias, Bridget, and Chantell pointed their handguns at the three men who were not on the floor and pulled their triggers just once. Almost simultaneously, three bullets dropped the three men. Tobias looked over at Elijah as he stopped beating a man. Elijah collapsed, exhausted, onto his side. Then he smiled wearily up at Tobias. What took ya so long, Toby? His three friends just stared at him in awe and guilt. Elijah breathed heavily and said, Could one of you guard the door? And the other two pick me up? Tobias gestured to Chantell, who was an emotional wreck, to be lookout, while he and the stone-cold Bridget moved to collect their friend and leader. Dude, Tobias said, we had to prepare and everything I know, said Elijah, as he was hauled to his feet, not too gently. Bridget said, Some of us thought you were already dead, or transferred to a secret prison further away.

Nope, gasped Elijah as they helped him out of the cell. Still here. What did they do to you? asked Tobias. Chantell was following them, eyes wide and moist with fear and shock. Elijah replied, Nothin too inventive. Carlyle tried a few mind games, brainwashing and stuff. Didnt take. I saw that, Tobias said, referring to Carlyles unconscious condition. The four friends arrived at the hole in the wall. Tobias peeked out to see two of his colleagues standing guard beside the van. Psst. Philip and Thomas turned around. Thomas asked, Did you find him? Is he alive? Yeah, said Tobias. Whats goin on? Whys nobody shooting? Philip answered, They left. All of the feds and soldiers just retreated. We dont know why. Thomas said, Someone called it over their radios. I think theyre surrendering the camp. You mean the park, said Elijah, stepping into view. Philip blinked at Elijahs haggard appearance. Thomas let out a sharp breath. Tobias and Bridget helped Elijah out of the building and Thomas opened the

vans back doors for him. As they were guiding him into the van, Elijah asked about casualties. Thomas shook his head. None dead, but David and Max are real shook up. They aint seen action like this before. Elijah nodded, eyes on the ground. Then he looked at Thomas. And you? He sat down on the edge of the back of the van. Thomas shrugged. Elijah then turned to Chantell, who was still staring into space. Get her home, Elijah told Tobias. Get her family to safety. Shes done. For the first time since the rescue, the small black girl actually looked at Elijah. Ill be fine, Eli. I just need some time. Elijah shook his head. Ive seen that look before. Dont argue. Lets get outta here before the badguys change their minds and return with more people.

The war between Iran and the west was not going well for the Persians, or the Israelis. The American governments stanch alliance with Israel made the west look even more of a bitch than most previous endeavors. Even some European governments and third-world dictators condemned the hellish practices of the American invaders in Iran. The atrocities committed against Iran made those committed against Libya look

like humanitarian aid. The peoples of every nation were helpless, at the bloodthirsty and power-hungry whim of their evil and sometimes illegitimate rulers. Texas seceded from the United States at the end of June. Federal Enforcers, the military, and mercenaries were sent to subjugate the state, but were for the most part unsuccessful in nearly all ventures. Only when the American government called on the illegal immigrants from Mexico to take action did the tides turn in their favor. On July 4th, there was another terrorist attack. This one, like the attack on the Willis building in Chicago, was a staged event by the United States government. Six white so-called Christian militia members affiliated with the fake underground movement Step Forward raided and set off explosions in a nuclear power plant in New Orleans. Some investigators claimed that the explosives had been set years before extremists conducted the raid. Those investigators either disappeared or met with questionably accidental ends. The detonations caused the nearby underlying fault line, called the New Madrid Fault, to shift radically, which in turn started a series of cataclysmic earthquakes. America was split down the center as plutonium and uranium polluted the atmosphere and flooding Mississippi River. All of the dams collapsed. The Mississippi River overflowed nearly half of the states it had run through. Nobody on the east coast risked going west and nobody in the mid-west could escape the radiation that had migrated across the Pacific Ocean from Fukishima, Japan that still contaminated the west coast. The United States of America was no longer dubbed united.

The Federal government used this catastrophe to call for a more secure union with Mexico, Texas, and Canada. Mexico, of course, agreed. Canadas parliament resisted at first, but when the Queen of England disbanded the Canadian government permanently and the United Kingdom absorbed Canada. The northern nation of America was forced to join The States and Mexico and form the New American Empire. The only outlaw nation was Texas. South Carolina joined Texas on July 31st.

CHAPTER NINE: Knights and Lords

John 4:21-24 - Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

August 3rd, 2012 Two Sheriffs deputies sat in a parked dark brown Dodge Charger marked as a cruiser for the Sheriffs Department. The driver was a muscular, tanned redneck with a crew-cut named Jonathan Kyle. His passenger was Deputy Stanley Brown. Stanley had been a co-worker of Elijah McDonnell until February, when he became a jailer at the county Sheriffs Department. In April, he had been made an honorary deputy due to the revolution and substantial loss of life. Hed been promoted through attrition. That was when he was paired with jailer Jonathan Kyle and given a squad car to patrol Brunswick County. Despite the fact they had been riding together over four months, they did not know each other very well. One of the reasons for this

was because Stanley, a black man, was extremely suspicious of most white people, especially ones with deep Southern accents. Like the majority of society, both men had been accustomed to the police state for which they worked. They knew that the world was descending into chaos and crime, but they saw themselves as protectors of the people, even though the people were the ones they were fighting on an almost daily basis. Their Charger was parked on the side of the road behind the concrete partition that was three-and-a-half feet high. Razor wire coiled across it. A few meters down the wall was a gap where the police officers could exit onto the road. Very few traveled Highway 17 now. Only people above upper-middle-class could afford the rising gas prices to drive their cars. Of course, there were car thieves who also used the road, but they usually stayed on the smaller streets to avoid contact with police. Because of this, checkpoints and sentries rarely caught actual criminals on the highway. Deputy Kyle checked the clock in the Charger. Well, its almost five, dude. We should do one more round and then head back. Stanley nodded. Alright. The patrol was quiet. Deputy Kyle enjoyed talking to people, but he found out early on in their time together that Stanley did not, and would not offer a prolonged conversation about nothing important. Finally, Stanley did say something, which surprised his comrade. What do you think about these militia people? asked Stanley.

Jonathan Kyle glanced over at Stanley. After a shrug, he said, Wellas far as Im concernedthey give me job security, know what Im sayin? He laughed nervously. Yeah, said Stanley absently, staring out the window. The reason why I ask is because I used to know someone, at my old job, who told me something like this would be going on around this time, if things didnt change. They were at a stop light, waiting to turn off the highway. Deputy Kyle said, Really? I wish it wasnt like this. But I guess thats what happens when people want everything for free. Nothins free, Stanley agreed. Damn straight, said Jonathan as the light became green. These fuckin liberals dont understand that. And I dont even know whats the conservatives problems is. I was a conservative but I aint attackin nobody, especially the police. The cruiser pulled into a parking lot. Stanley stated, Yeah, theyre all idiots. Im not liberal or conservative. I hate politics. He removed his eye glasses and wiped them off on his uniform sleeve. The two men exited their cruiser as two other deputies were walking toward them. One of them was a young white man with dark blond hair and the other was a Hispanic woman much shorter than the men. Jonathan smiled at his friends. Hey. Whats up? Sheriff Ingraham wants to talk to both of you personally, the blond deputy said.

Jonathans smile faded quickly. What? Why? The man replied, I dunno. Were goin on patrol, buddy. Alright, said Jonathan. As the two men passed each other, they bumped fists. The Hispanic deputy smiled politely to Kyle but gave a real smile to Stanley. He knew she liked him but he had no real feelings for her. Besides, Stanley was married with children. So he returned a polite smile and walked past her with Jonathan. The two deputies entered the Sheriffs office inside the building. Sheriff Ingraham was sitting lazily at his desk. All of the United States Sheriff Elections had been canceled but the media had used the term indefinitely postponed in order to keep people calm. Though the Sheriffs Department was allied and associated with the Federal Enforcement Department, they were not directly subordinate to them. If a county had a decent, Constitutional Sheriff, they could adequately fight the encroaching Federal government. Unfortunately, Brunswick Countys Sheriff was nothing more than a puppet of the Enforcers. You wanted to see us, Sheriff? Deputy Kyle said. Sheriff Ingraham nodded and gestured to Stanley to close the office door. Then he said, DHS wants a family brought in for questioning tomorrow. Youre both working tomorrow, so I want you to bring them in. Its just a mother and father. Their kids disappeared and are linked to the attack on Leighvilles FEMA camp couple months

ago. Deputy Kyle inquired, Whats their name, sir? The Sheriff answered, McDonnell. I used to know someone with that last name, Stanley commented. Ingraham said, I doubt hes one of them. I cant imagine you knowing a domestic terrorist. That was when Stanley knew that he was about to go apprehend a former coworker and friends parents. Do this right, Ingraham said, and youll both be corporals by the end of the month. Dismissed.

Stanford Bundy was escorted into the Leighville police station. The police station was squalid and unkempt. Leighville, after all, was a very small town, though it was rapidly growing into a prison city. A chain-link fence with razor wire surrounded the small building and parking lot. Behind the police station, workers and digging machines were constructing a larger structure. The interior of the police station looked even worse than the exterior. While the outside walls were white and blue, the interior walls were covered, mostly, in peeling grey paint. The cops and Enforcers inside seemed bored. Exciting events rarely

happened in Leighville, unlike the larger city of Wilmington, North Carolina. Stanford Bundy was ordered by one of the two Enforcers to take a seat in one of the offices. Stanford did as instructed. He waited for fifteen minutes before another person finally entered the room. He was a man in a white polo shirt with a badge on it, with a Glock on his belt. He sat down behind his desk and gave Stanford a big smile. You were sent to investigate one, Elijah Patrick McDonnell while he worked at, lets just say, the large retail store down the street. Stanford was a weasel of a man, balding with beady eyes. He was a coward. If he could have gotten out of his original deal with the Federal government, he would have. He began to regret his decision. Yes, Stanford replied. The cop said, You were asked to gather a psychological profile based on your direct observation and interaction with him. What have you got for us? He began shuffling papers around on the desk. Right, said Stanford with hesitation. Uh, wellhold on, its been months since Ive seen him. Why are you bringing me in now? The officer put down the papers and folded his hands in front of him. Stanford, we had him. We had him in a prison. We thought we understood him. We thought we could predict him. We thought we had him pegged. But his friends and family busted him out of prison and theyre now on the run. You want the short answer? We didnt need you before. Now we do. He doesnt access the internet anymore and he no longer

uses a cellphone, so we cant monitor him that way. Our satellites cannot seem to find him either. So please, continue, Mr. Bundy. Stanford Bundys eyes found their way to the name plate on the mans desk. It read, McDonald. Well, Stanford continued, Umhis friends started out not believing anything he said, but once shit started coming true, the shit he was saying, they decided to join him in his resistance faction. He invited me and Im sure he knew I wasyou know A spy, Officer McDonald said with a knowing, wicked grin. Go on. Stanford went on, There is one McDonald leaned forward. Yes? He was excited. There is this one girl. Umhe talked about her all the time. I mean, he talked about a lot of girls, but this onewas different. The way he talked about hershe was more special to him than everyone he ever knew put together. If you want to get to him, I guess you gotta go through her. Officer McDonald was nodding. Yes, Sonja, right? Yeah, said Stanford. Well, we have a lot of info on her. We could go after her, but the Canadian government isnt being very helpful right now. Theyre openly condemning our foreign policy, which is weird, considering they went along with it for so long. Stanford was silent for a few seconds. Look, he knew I was watching him. I

think. I think everything I know about him, you already know. Or he wanted me to know. The cop sighed. Theres gotta be something, man. Otherwise youre worthless to us. What about family? Did he ever mention family, other than his mother and father? Brother and sister Which are with him now, said McDonald with a smile. Stanford became even more nervous. I I dont know, sir. Oh, what about his other sister? The one in the Army? McDonald shook his head frivolously. Shell be activated later. Tell me about his faction, he said in a mocking tone. Oh. Well, it included Tobias, Max, uh, Philip, and I think Stanley Dude, I need last names. Oh. Uh, Maxshit, I forgot. PhilipTobias last name is Baxter, or Benson. McDonald nodded and swiveled in his chair to look at a chart on a wall. Stanford got the feeling he was just doing that to give him time to contemplate what to do with him. Lydia Black? offered Stanford. The cop exhaled and turned back to the man. Yes, she too is missing. We believe she has left the state, probably not with McDonnell.

Well, couldnt you find herand use her to get Eli Elijah out in the open? McDonald considered this for a second, nodding slowly. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. Yeah, I suppose, Mr. Bundy. But you were put in there to give us a psychological profile. Now, we know a lot about this man, but we had hoped you could provide us with some morefirst-hand knowledge. You know, like, his weaknesses, his strengths, what he loves and what he hates. I mean, we have a lot of that, actually. But something different, something more would be greatly appreciative. Cause as of right now we have no idea where he is The mountains, said Bundy. He mentioned going to the mountains. A lot. Im sorry, I just remembered. Wonderful! exclaimed McDonald. He stood up. Thats great. Thanks. That will be all. He reached forward to shake the mans hand. Stanford tentatively took McDonalds hand and the officer snapped handcuffs on him. You are being detained for aiding and abetting a known domestic terrorist, McDonald told the shocked Stanford Bundy. If you resist in any wayyou will be shot. Stanfords eyes expressed pure terror as two Enforcers entered the office and finished cuffing the mans hands behind his back. I did what you wanted, sir! Yeah, said the cop. You did. But name one time thats ever worked out? To the Enforcers, he ordered, Take him to the Wilmington FEMA camp. As he was hauled off, Stanford cried and shouted all the way to the big black

van.

Elijah McDonnell carried what appeared to be a black M4 Carbine in his right hand as he used his left hand to steady his descent down a steep embankment. Dirt and clay slid beneath his tan combat booted feet. He braced himself against a pine tree before moving around it and down to another. Behind him was Simon, also carrying an M4. Both were wearing MILES (Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) gear, which included a vest with laser receivers scattered on it. Included with his gear was an Mp3 player transmitting the song Knights and Lords by Audiomachine to his ears through earbuds. Elijah motioned silently for Simon to get behind an outcropping of rock at the bottom of the hill. Meanwhile, Elijah crouched behind a tree and directed his rifle up the incline. Seconds later, two individuals arrived at the top of the incline. Elijah and Simon opened fire with their Air Soft BB guns. Both contenders expressed dismay but only one of them lost their footing at the top of the hill and slipped. The other, Max, shot at Elijah with an M16 assault rifle. He had not seen Simon, so the 15-year-old boy was able to tag Max in the chest with a yellow BB. HaHA! Simon exulted exuberantly. The other contender had come to a sliding halt at a pine tree only six feet away

from Elijah. Im done! Max declared, partly annoyed and partly excited from the training. Elijah pointed his M4 BB rifle at Mandy Watson, who was struggling to take aim with her paintball gun. Stop or youre dead, Firestorm! said Eli. As she was only in a sitting position behind the pine tree uphill, Mandy swung the paintball gun wildly and squeezed the trigger. Simultaneously Eli fired once and shot a BB at her right shoulder. She dropped the paintball gun and lay down on the slope, out of breath. Several multi-colored paintballs had splattered against the tree that covered Eli, but only one grazed his Army green camo jacket. He was still in the fight. Unfortunately, Simon was not. He was complaining about how Eli should have shot her before she got him. Two paintballs had hit his shoulder and neck. Sorry, bro! Eli said, running down the slope. Simon shouted, Yeah, sure you are! At least you got one! Eli shouted back. Then he muttered, Six more to go. At the bottom of the hill was a makeshift fort that consisted of old pieces of a Winnebago mobile home, broken concrete blocks, and mounds of soil. Eli knew some of his rivals were hiding there. He was about twenty yards away when all six remaining contenders popped up from behind the fort and opened fire. However, Eli was just the diversion.

As Eli dodged paintballs, streams of water, invisible lasers, and almost invisible Air Soft BBs, six more fighters closed in on the fort with their own training weapons. Although not all of them carried MILES equipped weapons, all twelve combatants wore the MILES vest so that it was fair. Talitha Lyhannon Corsi was a beautiful woman with bright red hair and bright blue eyes, usually. She was the leader of Elis simulated rivals and it was Tobias job to protect her. The objective of the exercise was for Eli or anyone in his group to take out Talitha, while the objective for Talithas group was to protect her and take Eli out of the game. Before Elis six had even closed in, she knew something was wrong. She had scanned the area but saw nothing. However, she sensed her enemies close. As soon as her instinct was to stop shooting at Eli and look left, she did so, and barely had time to dive behind a pile of dirt before the stream of water from Cindy Schiffs water blaster lanced across the fighting position. Tobias shot Cindy several times with his paintball gun. Hold on! Eli yelled to his friends. To Talitha, he said, Weve nearly got you surrounded, Young Lady! Surrender and your death will be quick anduhpainless, I guess. From her position in the dirt, Talitha smirked and declared, You can take my land, but youll never take my freedom! Eli laughed, shaking his head. He whispered, Good girl.

More loudly, he said, This aint your land! Its mine! Then he ran down the rest of the slope, firing a single BB every second, while his team provided covering fire. Just as Thomas Tyrell was about to point his real M16 assault rifle at Eli, who was only about a dozen feet away now, Eli dropped to his knees and rolled the rest of the way to the fort, keeping his plastic rifle above his head so he didnt inadvertently break it. Thomas fired a blank but missed. The laser transmitter also missed. Eli was resting on his back against a wall that used to belong to a mobile home. Man, whined Thomas, I know I got you! Without looking, Eli pointed his weapon over the wall at Thomas. Thomas backpedaled frantically, only to be hit by several paintballs. Then a large man holding an M16 shot Thomas five times, causing his vest to ring loudly, which signaled his defeat. Eli lowered his rifle and turned to crawl around to where he thought Talitha was holed up. At this point, the only person in a compromising situation was Elijah. To make matters worse for him, he could not see or hear his rivals. Then he heard one of his own say something about their rivals were all trying to escape through the hole in the line made by Cindys death. Now that he knew where they were going, Eli knew how to keep from being shot as he pushed himself to his knees. Eli saw Philip and Justin shoot each other with water guns as the two groups ran from the small clearing and into the woods. Eli quickly caught up with his team, though he was exhausted from the constant running. Only adrenaline kept him going.

As he ran alongside Samantha Nelson, Maxs younger and very small sister, he said to her, Stick with Loki and I, ok? I got a plan, Sunflower. He exhaled heavily. Alright, said Samantha. Dont pass out before you get to do the plan. Ha ha, Eli said sarcastically. Run up and tell Loki. Sure. Somehow, though John Louis was more out of shape than Eli and Samantha, he was further ahead than anyone else in Elis team. Eli figured it was because he had been closer to Talithas group when they fled the fort. John and Samantha slowed down and ran alongside Eli. What are we doing? asked the red-headed John. Eli slowed to a walk. He wheezed and leaned against a tree. Then he said, Were gonna hang back. Let Jeffrey and Jimmy push them into hiding. They cant run forever. Then were gonna go in there like the marksmen we are and take each one of them out with one well-placed shot to the chest. Leave Firebrand for me. He smirked, despite his condition of exhaustion. Dude, are you ok? asked Samantha. You need a time-out? quipped John. Eli scoffed, Oh ha fuckin ha. Im good now. Well walk. Lets go. The trio began their walk through the forest.

Talitha, Madeline Sharpton, and David Segris came to a small stream. Talitha looked around quickly. Where is Tobias? she asked. David said, Did you really think he could keep up? As big as he is? They got him for sure. Madeline groaned. I hate this. Talitha giggled. I love it. Shit, that leaves three of us. Yep, said David, they have twice as many people as we do. Talitha gestured to the babbling brook with her Air Soft MP5. Drink and then well keep going. They cant be too far behind. Oh my God, complained Madeline. Cant we just hide and ambush them? David said sardonically, Where? In the trees? Yes, Talitha said with an inane smile. In the trees. Fuck, grumbled David. Madeline smacked his arm, but was too tired to put any force behind it. Then she informed Talitha, We cant climb pine trees. Maybe you can, but Im too tired to even try. And even if I wasnt tired, I still couldnt climb them.

Talitha ignored her atrocious use of the English language for the moment, but made a face. Then she shook her head and said, Be the bait. Ill shoot them when they come our way. They wont even suspect it. What? Madeline said, Yes they will. Eli will. That sounds like something hed put in one of his books. They heard footsteps in the undergrowth. There here, whispered David. He tried to hide behind a pine tree, but was not thin enough. What are we gonna do? He readied his paintball gun. Madeline sat down. She didnt even care. Talitha had another idea. She walked over and removed a paint-grenade from his jacket pocket. Hey, he objected. Talitha handed it to Madeline. There. Come on, dude. Talitha and David ran off, following the stream. Madeline snickered

mischievously to herself and held the paint bomb behind her back. When David and Talitha were several dozen yards away, they heard a loud pop behind them and then two men, James Pace and Jeffrey Daniels, let out exclamations. From the sound of it, Talitha discerned that James had been the one to catch the explosion while Jeffrey was just expressing shock and awe. She only got one of them, Talitha said, mostly to herself. Huh? said David. One of what?

As they ran, Talitha simply rolled her eyes. Never mind.

Eli, John Louis, and Samantha Nelson strolled up to Madeline, Jeffrey, and James as James and Madeline were splashing each other in the creek. Really? said Eli. Its fuckin cold as shit out here. James grinned up at Madelines brother. She blew me up. Eli looked around, incredulously. Jeffreys left shoulder had a splotch of green paint on it, but otherwise, he was untouched by the explosion of color. Eli smirked, shaking his head. Let me guess, he said to Madeline over the din of the two in the water, Talitha put you up to this. Sorta, Madeline said, climbing out of the creek. I was sick of running. She flicked water at her brother. Eli lifted his light BB rifle with one hand and shot a branch behind her. She yelped. Dont do that! she screamed. Eli looked to Jeffrey. You good, man? Yeah, Im good.

Good. James was covered in green goo and was busy washing it off in the stream. Were all good, brother. Eli turned from James and Madeline to his three remaining team members. This ends now, he said dramatically. We got Bible study in like fifteen minutes.

The evening had come. The wind-chill was but a minor nuisance to the waiting woman. Her red hair gently swayed behind her in the air. Her cold blue eyes stared ahead silently, ever so still. If only her friend could be the same way. Ouch, said David. My legs stuck. How the hell? Shh, Talitha snapped. She was resting gracefully in a tall hardwood tree that provided great coverage of the ground below. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to notice her in the bough, especially since she was wearing dark green and black attire. David, however, found himself hanging upside down several trees away. Help! he called to Talitha. Good, she muttered, you can be bait.

She saw the figures coming through the forest below just as the sun began to set. Already tasting victory, Talitha took aim with her MP5, which was not exactly the best weapon for a snipers shot. A strong gust of wind came just as she squeezed the trigger and blew the light yellow BB off course. It whizzed past Elis line of sight, almost a foot away. Contact! he shouted as he leaped behind a tree. Unfortunately, the wind had caused Talitha to lose her seat in on the large tree limb. Fear took over and she tried to grasp the tree as she rolled sideways. This just caused her to roll completely upside down. She fell four feet and landed on another branch, but it wasnt as thick as the one above and it broke. She continued to fall, but figured if she was going to be injured, she would take out Eli with her. She pulled the lever back on the MP5 and tried to take aim again. Then she hit another limb and held onto it beneath her shoulder. She knew shed have bruises later. She was only a couple dozen feet from the ground now and she pulled the trigger on the BB gun. Jeffrey Daniels shoved Eli aside and took the BB to the face. He winced and dropped his M16, grabbing at his hurt cheek. Eli just looked at him with surprise. When he turned to Talitha, she was falling to the ground while pulling back the lever again. Eli dropped his empty M4 and drew his Colt 1911 BB gun. As ordered, John and Samantha took cover and waited. Eli had told them he himself wanted to shoot Talitha. They both fired at the same time. The BBs hit each other in the air and

ricocheted away from them. Talitha landed, crouched, and back-flipped. Show off, Eli said with a smile. He fired at her as he rushed forward. She dived behind a tree, switched the MP5 to rapid-fire, and again tried to shoot Eli. He spun backwards, narrowly avoiding three BBs, and pressed his back against a tree. Getting tired yet? asked Talitha from only a few feet away. Eli smirked and shook his head. Not in the least, hun. He removed his jacket and MILES vest, wearing only Army ACU trousers, tan combat boots, and a black muscle shirt. Talitha tried to sneak up on him. He turned, emerging from behind the tree, and pushed her MP5 aside as she squeezed the trigger. Then he dropped his own pistol and, as per the rules of the game, so did she. They were too close to shoot each other with BBs, without being seriously hurt. By this time, all sixteen of Elis friends and family had arrived to watch the skirmish. Eli drew a toy combat knife from his belt behind him as Talitha produced a Nerf sword. She took a couple steps back and smiled, gesturing for him to attack first. Shaking his head, Eli stated, Ladies first. Go Elijah! shouted his brother Simon Sharpton. Talitha lunged

CHAPTER 10: Beneath and Above

Nobody knows who this daredevil is, but he sure is giving the police a run for their money! reported a government-sponsored journalist from a news helicopter. He was looking down at a jet black 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge speeding through the streets of Philadelphia. Isa 48:6-11- "From now on I will tell you of new things, Of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; You have not heard of them before today.

So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.' You have neither heard nor understood; From of old your ear has not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; For the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, So as not to cut you off. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another. Oh yeah, baby! screamed the maniac in the drivers seat of the muscle car. Youll never take me alive, motha fuckars! He had a slight Irish accent. And he did not know he was a clone, the identical duplication of Elijah McDonnell himself. His name was Daren. After turning up the music on the radio, Narcissistic Cannibal by Korn, Daren swerved into the right lane and sped around several cars, sneering in his left side view mirror. He laughed wildly. Thats right, god damn it! Get some! A black unmarked 2010 Ford Taurus police car tried to move over to pursue him but a civilian traveler became alarmed at the situation and, uncertain of what to

do, tapped his brakes and tried to pull over to the right, in front of the Taurus. The Taurus braked but was too late. The front-end of the Ford smashed into the back of the Volvo. With a triumphant smirk, Daren turned the GTO back into the boulevards center lane and floored the accelerator. The lanes ahead were far from clear of traffic. Daren expertly veered between the other cars, even predicting when they were going to do something out of the ordinary, like hit their brakes or speed up. Before long, the only police vehicle tracking him was gunmetal grey 2013 Ford Mustang GT, and the helicopter above. The reporter on the media chopper said into his microphone, It looks like this is a two-man fight, everyone. The infamous domestic terrorist known only as Daren has eluded all but one police car, the prototype Mustang. The Mustang was a prototype, at least as far as the public was concerned. It was the first fully automated, machine-gun-firing police pursuit vehicle. It obviously was not a prototype, but the government wanted their subjects to think so because if the people ever discovered just how advanced the governments technology actually was, they would not be content. The grey Mustang revved up behind the GTO and two machine gun turrets rose from the sides of the hood. Bollocks! Daren said when he saw this. He jerked the steering wheel to the left and slowed, allowing the Mustang to come alongside him. Then he pointed a Colt .45 1911 handgun at the pursuit vehicle and fired several times through the open passenger side window. The bullets did not

even dent the drivers side door, nor did they scratch the impervious glass. Daren dropped the pistol in the passenger seat and sighed. Bloody hell The Mustang sideswiped the GTO violently. Daren angrily responded in kind. However, before Daren could do anything more, his mind was bombarded with images and sounds. He saw a dark-haired woman in a flash, and then himself, but without the scar across his face and with a lot more hair. Then he saw the burning landscape of Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago. Finally, Daren heard a repeated whispered voice: Sarena. Sarena. Sarena. Throughout this ordeal, Daren was overtaken by a sense of familiarity with all of this, as if hed lived it, though he did not believe he did. When he came back to reality, it was much too late to stop the muscle car from crossing a spike strip and barreling sideways into a roadblock of police cruisers and SUVs. Sparks shot from the wheels as the rubber was torn from the rims. He only had time to laugh insanely at the cop who was fleeing the out-of-control Pontiac before the muscle car crashed into the side of a Chevy Tahoe.

Utter cold and darkness permeated the windowless cell in which Lisa Sharpton and William McDonnell were sitting in chairs back to back. They were blindfolded, gagged, and their hands were cuffed behind them. The door opened and four men entered. They slowly, ominously walked around the parents of Elijah McDonnell and Madeline and Simon Sharpton. We know that your son is going to the mountains, said Enforcement Special

Agent McDonald. However, we are not privy to certain bits of information. One example of this is the exact location and how many members he has in his criminal organization. Special Agent McDonald removed the gags. Lisa smiled haughtily. Its just a Bible study group. William was more belligerent, and much louder. Everythings a criminal organization to you people! Stanley Brown and Jonathan Kyle glanced at each other. Sheriff Ingraham just watched, his arms folded over his white button-up shirted chest. Stanleys hand slowly rested on his sidearm. All of a sudden, McDonald drew his own and shot William McDonnell in the side of the head. Stanley and Jonathan both jumped back, shocked. Lisa began to sob, but then began laughing. You idiot, you shot the wrong one, she mocked. Im a mother. I wont give you a damn thing. She spat at the agent, but couldnt see to aim, so she only got the side of his hand. McDonald holstered his pistol and raised his hand to strike her, but Stanley interjected. He said, Wait! Leave me alone with her for a few minutes. Yeah, said Deputy Kyle, and then looked at Stanley as if he was crazy. Wait, what? The Sheriff nodded to the special agent. McDonald walked over to Stanley. He looked like he was about to say something, but was too angry to form anything

coherent, so he just left the room in a huff. Ive never seen him like that, said Sheriff Ingraham. I better go talk to him. Come on, Kyle. The two men left the room, leaving Stanley alone with a corpse and Lisa Sharpton. He went to her and removed her blindfold. Dont say anything, he said. Let me talk for a bit. I knew your son. I worked with him before I got this job. Hes a good guy, just a bit misguided. Dont you guys get it? We have to make this country safe and strong so that nobody fucks with us. Lisa looked up at him. She appeared serene but sorrowful. I pity you. Please kill me. It doesnt take much. Whose property is he staying on? Stanley asked her as if he hadnt heard what she told him. Is it Cindy Smiths? We got Stephen Gobson and Charlie OCanton last month and the month before, so we know hes not with them. Come on, Miss Sharpton, just give us a clue so you can go home. I am home, she said. Elijah mentioned you once or twice. Said you were a Christian, I think. How can you sit by and watch an innocent man be shot like that? She began crying again. We cant fight them, Lisa, Stanley said quietly. Theyre too powerful. Fuck you, you coward. Lisa spat on Stanleys boots. Elijah also told me you were a Delta Force sniper. And if the government told you to shoot him, youd do it. Youre a coward. Youre just a piece of shit with no fucking balls. But Gods gonna judge you, mother fucker. Hes gonna put you through shit a hundred times worse than what Im going to go through. I will not be tortured.

Stanley was hurt by what Lisa said. He turned and left the room. Two minutes later, Special Agent McDonald, Sheriff Ingraham, and Deputy Kyle entered and began beating her. Due to a spinal injury Lisa acquired many years ago from diving a hundred feet into a 3 foot river, the first back-hand caused her neck to break and she died instantly without any pain.

The sun had gone down. Elijahs friends, and their immediate family, all sat around a large wooden table in a log cabin that barely had enough space for all of them. Canned food, freshly roasted deer, beef jerky, and instant mashed potatoes were spread out before them. The large room was lit only with a candle in the center of the table and several more placed strategically in the area, not to mention the full moon that shined through one of the grimy windows. Elijah had not wanted to be the leader of the group initially. He considered himself more of a guide or watchman, a man who warned Christians and nonbelievers alike of coming judgments and tragedies. However, after much convincing, especially from his closest friend Talitha, he accepted the role as leader, but only as a teacher of the Christian Way. This, of course, quickly evolved into role as leader of paramilitary tactics and strategy. They were, after all, at war. As the leader, he reluctantly accepted the seat at the head of the table. Every time he had tried to sit in a place of humility, the group would tell him to move up. Always to his left and right were his brother and sister, Simon and Madeline. On the other end of the fifteen-foot table was Talitha. They liked to keep each other in full

view. I did not, Eli tried to shout over the cacophony of excited voices, No, I did not tell her that! He laughed. She totally inferred it. Philips mother asked Eli after the laughter had died down, Have you decided on a name for the group yet? Everyone who wanted to offered their own suggestions to Eli for a group name. Hes looked them over but in the end, he had to stick with the name hed chosen for a book he had tried to write before the world started its collapse. Eli nodded. The Remnant. Everyone pretty much liked it. They were all Christians and knew the significance of it. The Bible stated several times that remnants would emerge from catastrophic circumstances and calamities to rebuild and flourish, and this collective of thirty seven Christians wanted to be one of those small, but cherished groups. Eli took a bite from his deer and then stared across the table at Talitha. They were close, but only friends. At most, she was like a sister to him. But there was a time when he thought she was the one. He desperately tried to make her the one, in his own eyes, as well as hers. But it was not meant to be. Though they cared for each other deeply, their souls were to remain separate. Cindys oldest daughter, who was, five years old, caught him looking at Talitha. She smiled across the table at him. He moved only his eyes and then narrowed them at the little girl. Then he smirked. The little girl giggled and went back to eating. All of a sudden Eli screamed, his mouth and eyes wide open. He leaned back in his chair and his head lifted up but his eyes clenched shut. He continued to scream

until Simon and Madeline put their hands on him. The Remnant became worried. They began talking all at once, some asking if he was ok and others saying how strange it was. Still others prayed. Talitha had was standing by Eli by the time the noise died down. What is it? Talitha asked him, just as concerned for him as his blood relatives were. Tears welled up in Elis eyes as he looked from Talitha to Simon and Madeline. Mom and dads dead. *** By the beginning of August, every nation that was not allied with the West was fighting Israel. So far, it was a conventional war. But everyone knew it was only a matter of time before someone decided to just push the big red button. Russia and China played the part of the big brothers, intimidating the other powerful nations into keeping out of the war. Russia was ruled by angry, impulsive men who wanted revenge on America for the fake destruction of the Soviet Union. They were barely held back by the more rational Chinese, who knew how to rule with an fear and an iron fist without making the people hate them. Iran was crumbling. Most of Africa too was in no condition to continue their part in the fight. The governments of Russia and China held a summit with Japan, Pakistan, and India to make a decision. They settled for the mutual destruction of Israel and Iran, but afterward North Korea got involved and convinced Japan and China to join them in uniting the Korean nations. China, Japan, and North Korea formed the Asian Union and their first conquest was South Korea.

Using the same propaganda techniques utilized by previous American dictators, North Koreas Kim Jong-un cult of personality became nearly indestructible. Even the South Koreans were fooled. But when Chinas leaders told The United States of America to stay out of Kim Jong-uns business, and to remove the troops stationed in the southern nation, the Korean dictator managed to join North and South Korea into the United Korean Empire with only minor military skirmishes. South Koreas president, Lee Myang, shook hands with Kim Jong-Un on August 8th, 2012. Due to the increased rejection and devaluation of the American dollar, inflation had skyrocketed to such heights that gold was over $4000 per ounce and the West was considering a digital currency. The Federal Enforcement Agency of Americas Department of Homeland Security took further measures to ensure peace by enacting a nine Oclock curfew and several other arrogant policies. Handguns became completely illegal on August 11th. Protestors and activists were shot on sight anywhere near important buildings or people. Fear had been instilled. People rarely left their homes anymore. Those who did only did so because they had to. Banks began to foreclose on homes illegally, but the government enforced their wicked acts, both with police on the scene and with anti-Constitutional judges in the courtroom. Any American who did not have the means to pay their mortgage in full by August 13 th would not have a home. Millions of people were evicted, making the Great Depression look like a footnote in history. The Greatest Depression had begun. So too did the riots and the civil disobedience.

Gas was over $20 per gallon. Big retail stores did not sell out; people just stole what they wanted or needed. The death toll rose and blood quite literally flowed in the streets, in the gutters. When it got worse, parents ate their children and children reported their patriot parents in exchange for three days of shelter and food. After those three days, the government would decide to train them for the Youth Brigade, send them to genetics laboratories for experiments, or just secretly kill them.

*** Samyazaii and Azael watched the terror and the sin and the death from atop a high mountain. It was a gloomy, foggy night. The two dark angels were both handsome and strong, but Samyazaii, the chief among the two, had much larger grey wings. He was also taller and more muscular. Azaels wings were a subdued, brownish golden color. While his brother had black eyes, Azael had glistening yellow eyes. Aside from the wings, their eyes, and their demeanor, the two Nephilim appeared completely human. Both wore long black cloaks, open to expose their chest and abs. Samyazaiis cloak had the sleeves torn off. Our time has arrived, my beloved brother, Samyazaii said in a deep, otherworldly tone. We have been released from Tartarus and shall descend upon mankind and do as we have done before. Azael smiled wickedly. To create and to destroy; to bring forth life that will one day bring death. The smaller angels voice was much lighter and snivelly.

Samyazaii turned to his fellow fallen angel. Let us fly together and utterly frighten the children of destitution. Let us, brother, descend this mountain with vengeance and wrath. This old English shit is fuckin annoying, Azael said. Can we please speak like them? Its so much fuckin easierdude. Samyazaii turned to his brother. He was clearly annoyed. Dude? I was on a roll, Azael. You know, the whole threatening glare and doomsday poetry? Who in Tartarus are you glaring at, man? There are no people up here. Samyazaiis wing twitched. He sighed. I was glaring, he said, pointing down, at them you know what, just do what you want, alright? Azael gasped. Dont give me that crap, dude. I took the blame for you when you made us all fall in the first fuckin place. I did not make you fall! retorted his brother. You all agreed to come with me to check out the hot babes, ok? So dont blame me. Yeah, but I took the fall, ya know? They made me the scapegoat for the whole deal. Wah wah wah, Samyazaii mocked with his thundering voice. All youve ever done since we left Tartarus was bitch and moan. You sound like my wife. Azael scoffed, Ashtoreth didnt have to spend all that time in a black howling abyss, now did she? Huh? Nooooo. She got to rule not one nation, not two nations, but three nations. How the fuck did that happen? Samyazaii seized Azael by the throat. Shut up and fly, mother fucker. The Nephilim hurled his friend from the mountain. Then he spread his wings

and leaped off the cliff himself. He began to wonder why his wings were not flapping. Azael screamed back up at Samyazaii, You imbecile, weve been incarcerated for thousands of years! Weve forgotten how to fly! Miles below, a human couple was arguing outside their mobile home in the woods. The flannel-wearing man was extremely adamant about not burying the dead dog until morning. He was too tired from chopping wood. The woman in the house coat was complaining about how bad the dog stank up the mobile home, under which it had passed away. Streeter, said the man of the canine, can just fuckin wait, alright, woman? He aint goin nowhere! The woman replied, Streeter? Tonight hes Reeker! Im tryin to cook possum stew and all you care about is sittin in front of the boob tube! The man said, It doesnt even work! Neither do you! said the woman. And besides, when does it ever stop you? You just sit there and stare at it like the News is just gonna come on all of a sudden and give you a newsflash, like, Hey, dumbass, get off the couch and talk to your wife. The cancer aint just gonna disappear from her lungs! God damn, Horace. Horrace gawked at his wife. You have cancer? Suddenly there was a lightning strike nearby. Horace and Mrs. Horace jumped and clung to each other. Oh my God, the Misses stammered. D Did you see that? Horace rolled his eyes. I fuckin felt it, hun

Another lightning bolt crashed behind them. Horace fled for the mobile home and dived under it, forgetting about his wife. Oh my God, time to hide! Crazy shits happening! The woman crawled under the mobile home beside him. Maybe its God. Maybe hes mad cause we was fightin again. She began to pray in the prone position. Lord, were sorry Shhh, said Horace, who was between his wife and the dead dog, I think I smell something out there. His wife whispered back, Why the fuck would you say that? Did you just hear what you said? You said Shhh, I think I smell something out there. What the fuck is your malfunction, Horace? What the fuck does shushing have to do with smelling and god damn it, Horace, its the god damn dog, you idiot! The fog parted slowly. Horace ignored his wife and squinted through the darkness. He began to gag on the reeking corpse of his dog. There was definitely something out there. The couple began to hear voices, hushed at first. Then they became louder. Mrs. Horace cringed at the horrible tones of their speech. No, I dont care, Samyazaii. They already know were here anyway. Well, they do now, Azael, you retard. What do you suggest we do, oh holy genius you? Ask them politely to come out from under the house? Its not a house, dude. Its a mobile home. Dont you remember? Atlantis had them Just shut up, ok? Then he cleared his throat and declared, presumably to the

couple beneath the abode, To the wretched souls cowering with the carcass of laziness and the corpse of rage, I bequeath thee to emerge and stand before your gods! Really? Azael said to his brother. Youre Shakespeare now? Bequeath thee? Seriously? Unable to withhold his cough any longer, Horace let it out. Well get to you in a minute, said Samyazaii. To the other angel, he said, Look, youre not even trying. And Im getting pretty damn sick of you always putting me down like Im not your superior, cause I am. You, said Azael, are such a baby. Fine. Im sorry, alright? Can we just get on with the flaying and raping? Id actually like to try it in that order. Samyazaii turned toward the mobile home and groaned. Great. Now theyre running. Certainly the humans were running. Theyd managed to squeeze out the other side and leg it across a small open field and into the gloomy forest. Azael shrugged. We move like lightning, dude. We can catch them whenever, ya knowbro? Ya know, bro? He grinned at his rhyme. Samyazaii slapped him in the face. Without a word, Samyazaii walked away as Azael rubbed his face. Ow, said the younger angel. That hurt. A tear rolled down his cheek. More than you will ever know. A second later, Samyazaii called from deep in the dark woods, I got em. Azael became happy. Good. Im gonna start having sex with Reeker.

CHAPTER 11: Rerouted

Dan 11:40 - 12:4 - "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

The President of the United States managed to convince the people of America to allow him to suspend Congress, effectively making him a dictator. The truly ignorant masses of America also demanded that the U.S. Constitution be totally revamped or suspended. He was all too happy to comply. The puppet dictator enjoyed his power, for he knew it would be over soon. He was ordered by the secret cults that controlled the country and the world that if he confronted China and Russia directly, the eastern and northern nations would back off and allow the United States to enter Israel and defend them so that the Zionist government did not yet have to fire nuclear weapons as a last ditch effort to keep their power.

Doing so, the President sent even more troops overseas to the Arabic and Jewish nations, while removing Americas military presence from the Asian ones. With most of the countrys Armed Forces deployed to Israel, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan, there were very little at home to continue the police state installed by the Powers That Be. This void was speedily filled by defense contractors, Federal Enforcers, The Immigrant Integration Initiative (Triple I), and the dehumanizing Presidential Youth Brigade, a horrid, Nazi-like program that trained children as young as 10 in the art of violence. On September 4th, Captain Jonah Leigh Pattman returned to a town he knew well, Leighville, North Carolina. This small town had been the home of a man who he used to consider his best friend. Hed lost contact with the man over six months ago and was looking forward to catching up, if his duty allowed. One thing did worry Jonah, however, and he thought about it constantly as he drove his maroon 1988 Chevrolet Cheyenne down highway 17 between Wilmington and Leighville. Elijah McDonnell had always made negative references to the Federal government, and even posted some controversial things on Facebook back before he lost contact with him. He wondered if Elijah was in prison for being a rebel, or if he was even still alive. Jonah turned down the music in his truck, which happened to be So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold. Jonah was almost 6-feet-tall, thin but strong, and had dark hair that was shaved into a high-fade. As he was driving that day, he was wearing shades, a black beret, and the standard Army Combat Uniform. The newly promoted captain was not alone

on the road either. Behind him were three black humvees, two dark blue Suburbans, and a Bluebird bus. He was leading a convoy. The convoy turned off the highway and entered Leighville. Jonah guided his companions through the town to the local police station, which had been reconstructed as a mini-Fusion Center for multiple intelligence, security, and law enforcement agencies. After finding a place to park, Jonah exited his pickup truck and walked over to the lead humvee after it too hard parked. Captain Pattman waited for Special Agent Marcus Reynolds to get out before asking him, Do you want to talk to the police chief or the Agent-In-Charge? Special Agent Reynolds answered curtly, AIC, Captain. Reynolds was a brash, sardonic man by nature. Hed been forged by the military and Feds into a narcissistic, sadistic killing machine. He was one of the first of a relatively new breed of Federal agent, a Regulator. This was his first mission as a Regulator. His mission today was to regulate, as his title suggests, the behavior, conduct, and lives of every member of the joint-task force and any civilians who he encountered while the Enforcers, Darkwater operatives, and Youth Brigade hunted for missing agents and militias. Reynolds medium brown hair was neither excessively short, nor maintained, like one would expect from a militarized Federal agent. He wore a light brown leather duster over a black shirt and dark brown trousers held up by suspenders. He looked like a modern cowboy, because that was how he saw himself. He even had a big

revolver holstered on his hip. Two Enforcers were forming up the two dozen or so Presidential Youth Brigade kids outside their bus on the parking lot. The six Darkwater mercenaries followed Reynolds and Pattman into the building. Once inside, the operatives relaxed and began talking amongst themselves in the lobby. Pocketing his shades, Jonah asked the woman at the front desk where the Agent-In-Charge had his office set up. The receptionist directed him to an elevator down the hall that had not been there just three weeks ago, and then to the last door on the third floor. Wow, this place has really changed, Jonah mused, thinking back years to recall his last time viewing the police station. Jonah led the Regulator and the lead contractor, Trisha Astor, to the elevator down the hall. The slow ride to the third floor was silent. Jonah more or less stood at Parade Rest until the doors opened. When the three got to their destination, Reynolds told Jonah to wait outside. Confused, Jonah did as instructed. He waited for five minutes before Reynolds, Astor, and Special Agent McDonald exited the office. McDonald reached out to shake Jonahs hand. Im sorry for that, Captain, but its OPSEC. Im sure you understand. Jonah shook McDonalds hand but wondered what information was so sensitive they did not want him to hear it. Thats alright, sir. I understand perfectly. Operational Security is very important. Whats the mission, sir?

Just routine patrolling for militia movements and a Sheriffs Deputy who went missing a few weeks ago, answered McDonald. Jonah cocked his head and furrowed his brow. Missing? Was he captured or did he go AWOL? Reynolds interjected, They think AWOL. He clearly had no love for local law enforcement. McDonald sighed. Yeah. The Sheriffs Department is the one area the Federal government has been consistently having trouble keeping under control. They just wont stop being cowboys. Reynolds looked at McDonald, but the Special Agent pretended not to notice. Anyway, weve got you guys an entire hotel to yourself. Its the one right next to the Wal-Mart on seventeen. Didnt that place get sacked? Jonah asked. The Wal-Mart? Yes, it did, replied McDonald. We tried to control the riots best we could, but in the end, the people wanted food. He just laughed as if hed told the most amazing joke ever. Jonah couldnt even bring himself to give the man a polite smile. Ok, thank you, sir. McDonald shook Jonahs hand once again. Alright, man. Nice meeting you. Ive heard a lot about you. All good, of course. He then turned and disappeared behind his office door.

Yet again, Jonah was left befuddled. He looked to Reynolds and Astor, but they were already moving for the elevator. Later that afternoon, after Jonah had unpacked his belongings in his hotel room, he went to take a shower. When he came out of the shower, he found a man standing there pointing a Glock at him. He recognized him from the photograph shown to him by the people at the Fusion Center. It was former Sheriffs Deputy Stanley Brown.

The prison had once been a mall. There were no lights, except for small fires scattered around the place. There were no human guards. There were no bars or fences. The only things that kept Daren in the mall with over three hundred other inmates were the drones. There were several of them. Some flew around the prison outside. Others hovered inside. Still more walked like human beings. Daren was brawling half-naked with another man in what used to be the food court. Now it was just a place where dozens of people slept and the robotic guards brought their meals, which were barely edible. On one of the tables was a boom box playing Pop Evils Last Man Standing. About fifty people were surrounding the ring of chairs and tables, cheering and throwing food and screaming. Some of these people did not even appear human. One man had one eyeball in the center of his head and was almost twice as tall as anyone else there. He was also the strongest. Daren never really caught his name. It was something that started with a B. Daren just called him Brow. One womans skin was completely pitch black,

though Daren didnt think she was African American. Her name was something even more unpronounceable than the Cyclopes name, and began with an O. Daren simply referred to her as Black Beauty. Despite her oily appearance and savagely disheveled hair, she was not unattractive. The number of mutants in the prison was almost equal to the amount of humans. In fact, the man Daren was currently facing off against had a bulbous forehead and massive hands. Everything else about him was normal. Daren shuffled his feet back and forth and laughed maniacally as his foe, who he called, Big Hand, recovered from a roundhouse kick to the skull. The Irishman played an air guitar. He shouted the lyrics, Were goin head to head! Can you handle it! Im takin you down! Im taaaakin you down! The crowd laughed and cheered more. Thats what you think! declared the opponent before charging. Daren barrel kicked to his right, letting his bare foot smack Big Hand in the face. Landing expertly, Daren ducked beneath Big Hands swinging massive arm and came back up to his rivals right side. He threw a left cross to Big Hands face and then slammed his right knee up into the pit of his stomach. Big Hand doubled over and swung wildly. Daren dodged his arms and then leaped spinning into the air. A spinning back kick to the forehead put Big Hand on his back. Youre the first to hit the floor, mate! Daren jeered, throwing up his fists. Yeah!

The intensity of the cheering increased. Brow and Black Beauty pushed through the chairs and into the arena to congratulate Daren, along with the rest of the prisoners. By what would seem to many as a strange coincidence, both Brow and Black Beauty had a similar speech impediment. Due to Brows massive jowls and incredibly deep voice, vowels were very difficult for him to say, so he usually didnt. Black Beauty, however, had a mental disorder, or so most believed, which caused her to frequently, and inconsistently, pronounce whole words or sentences wrong. However, both of them said Darens name exactly the same every time. Dren! Brow said, You win fight. You cln leadr. Black Beauty scowled at Brow. Let let let Dren be, large one. For if he wishel to be our leadler, he wilt do do do it. And and he would net need suches a battkef to proof his power. Her face twitched slightly. In addition to her dark flesh, Black Beauty had yellowgreen eyes with slit pupils like those of a serpent. She had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, as did Brow. She also had long, sharp nails on each finger and bare toe. Black Beauty preferred to be nude, but her utter black flesh made discerning shapes and folds nearly impossible. When one human called her a Black Hole, Daren took offense and killed the man. This had earned him a place of affection in Black Beautys evil soul. When he had told her that he used to eat newborn infants, this drew her even closer to him, since she had enjoyed strangling them. However, when Daren tried to inquire deeply into her past, Black Beauty refused to give him any details, or even tell him what kind of creature she was.

Daren glanced back at Big Hand, who was still unconscious. He then said to his two friends and the festive convicts who gathered around him, I decided not to kill the basterd since I killed his sister last week. Some of the inmates, including Brow, laughed. Black Beauty only grinned demonically. After the congratulating was over, Daren moved into Big Hands cell, which was twice the size of the store in which he had been sleeping. This new one used to be a novelty shop that sold medieval weapons and trinkets. Daren hoped to one day find something useful in his new dwelling, although the entire mall had been stripped of anything that could be used as a weapon before the prisoners had arrived. He allowed Brow and Black Beauty to move in as well. He figured now that hed beat Big Hand in a fight, hed have some enemies. Big Hand had been the leader of a clan, a group of similar mutants in the prison that maintained the status quo of the internal barter system. The prisoners did not have much with which do trade, but when they did want to trade, it had always Big Hands clan of forty or so mutants that made sure it was fair. Now that Daren was staying in Big Hands old room, which was right next to the food court, the hub of trade, Big Hand would have to take Darens old place, or find a new one. Or, if he felt adventurous, Big Hand could attack Daren in his sleep and make an attempt at the weaker humans life to get his room back. However, several inmates had tried to sneak up on Daren in the past, when hed first gotten to the prison, and none of them lived to tell the tale. While he was moving his stuff into his new place, Daren got another vision. He dropped his box of junk and fell to his knees, clutching his head. Black Beauty and

Brow were behind him. Wht isit? boomed the 10-foot-tall Cyclopes. Daren groaned, Ugh, its another vision. Some girl this time. Really short. Wearing a uniform. Looks like U.S. Marines. Then he stood up, apparently fine. Black Beauty and Brow glanced at each other. Black Beauty said, This describer appeals to be be be the one they c c call Phoenix, Dren. She turned to Brow. You are brother, the Argos, met have her, yes? Is these corrent, Brontus? It was at this point, while Daren was collecting his things from the floor, the Irishman was glad hed gotten used to Black Beautys weird way of speaking. In fact, he actually found it a bit cute. A bit. Brow or Brontus nodded and said, Args ws sln by the Phnix, Abgl Bgich. Me sk her death in dreams. The two monsters followed Daren into his room and he placed the box on the counter. He turned to Brow. What? You see her death in dreams? No, said Brow. Me SK Seek, Dren, Black Beauty sighed. He seeks her death in his dreams. Daren nodded. Aye. This Abigail Begich is not the only person Ive been having visions about and dreaming about. Someone called Sarena. Someone who looks just

like me named Elijah. I think I have to find them. Brow said, Dren, you wrk fr gv gov govrn Government, said Black Beauty with a groan. Brow continued, You know tings, true? You know pple, true? Mybe Dren call fvor in? ScpeEh-scpe this prsn? Daren shook his head hopelessly. Then he punched the box and knocked it off the counter. I was feckin burned by the United States government, yeah? I was supposed to do a job for them, yeah? They fucked me over! He kicked the glass on the front of the counter. Bloody CIA. Bloody FBI. Bloody NSA and TSA and every other god damn alphabet soup agency there is! Darens rage was exciting Black Beauty. She was biting her bottom lip and grinning lustfully, while inching toward the man. However, Daren said, I do know a guy in a gang. Brow said, Wht gng? The IRA, said Daren. Well, its not a gang, but a group of Irish freedom fighters. Black Beauty had heard of the Irish Republican Army before. They are those you were ordered to blame for for the false fag tarror attack on the Naval Complect, corrent? False flag, Daren corrected her. Cigarettes had very little to do with it. But yes, you get the idea. The only problem isI only have one friend in the IRA ever

since the Feds made it look like I tried to blow up the Naval Complex with IRAobtained explosives. And Im not really sure how to contact him from in here. This confinement, said Black Beauty, confines too one whom was once Her lips quivered involuntarily in the middle of her statement. - wowowowowonce in this Army of which ch ch ch we are now spoke. Daren was giving Black Beauty a look of both intrigue and amusement. Lass, he said, You are truly one unique character.

Elijah was on his knees praying in the woods a mile from the cabin. The five Oclock sun shined down on him through the trees. He was unaware that he was being watched from a distance by several individuals. He whispered, My Almighty Father and CreatorI dont know what to say right now. All I know is I have been feeling like I should return to Leighville, for the people weve left there. Maybe not all of them, obviously. I miss some of them and want them with me. We need more people, more Christians, more patriots. Tell me, Lord, what should I do? He paused for a moment. Those who were observing him moved closer without sound. Eli continued after a long breath, I miss Sonya too, my Lord. I miss Abigail. I miss Jonah. I need them. I need them if Im to remain strong, God. Please. Answer me. Give me a sign or dont, but please just answer me. I will do whatever you ask of me, God. By now seven invisible demons were nearly upon him.

Then Eli said, In the name of your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

*** In the grey-toned spirit realm, seven shadow demons were behind the nearly still 26-year-old Christian as he prayed. Their hands reached for him, in an attempt to corrupt him or make him ill. Unfortunately for them, Elijahs guardian angel, Sophia, was standing ready. The white-cloaked and silver-armored celestial protector sliced her fiery cerulean blue sword down between the demons and the man, severing several black arms. She expertly brought her blade back up and beheaded one demon, and in the next second slashed through the torso of another. Three demons howled in agony as tongues of fire danced on the ends of their shortened limbs. Two demons had vanished in a cloud of shrieking terror as they were banished to Tartarus by the Wise Womans weapon. The other two demons flanked her on either side, each swinging a short sword. Their target was not the angel, for it was not in their authority to attack one of heavenly descent directly. Sophia blocked the sword on her right with her blade of blue flames, while defending Elijah from the other sword with her armored forearm. The jagged, rusted blade dug into her arm and the lecherous creature hissed at the guardian. The demons sword began to corrupt Sophias wrist guard, but she kicked the demon to her right away and brought her sword across and struck the other in the neck. He was sent to the Abyss and his sword went with him. The black veins that had formed on Sophias silver wrist guard evaporated into the still air.

The three mangled minions and the sword-bearing demon charged Elijah at once. However, when he had finished saying his prayer, they all ran into an unseen portal that led to the Abyss. Sophia relaxed. When she saw two men walking toward Elijah in slow-motion, she narrowed her eyes at them. She quickly deduced they were in the physical world, but were moving at near lightning speed. Sophia was still faster. However, their intent was to kill Elijah, not to damage his spirit or health. Having sheathed her sword, Sophia drew a bow from her back and rapidly fired two arrows. The first arrow went into the ground a few feet in front of the closest intruder. This caused a root to move slightly up from the forest floor, which Samyazaii had not seen until he stumbled upon it. At his speed, this caused him to fly uncontrollably into an oak tree. Sophia fired another arrow

Eli heard something behind him hit a tree, followed by an Oof! and he spun around to find a man laying on his face only a dozen yards away at the base of the oak tree. His companion was just coming into view with a tree-chopping axe and a hateful scream. As the man swung his axe, Eli ducked and rushed out of the way. What the fuck! he exclaimed. Who in the hell are you? I, declared the Nephilim, in the hell am Azael, you filthy scoundrel!

Again Azael took hold of the axe with both hands and swung it down at Elijahs head. Eli stepped back and stumbled on a rock. He fell on his back and looked up in fear at the fallen angel. Eli asked, incredulous, Are you fuckin kiddin me? Azael laughed, readying his axe again. Do I fuckin look like Im fuckin kiddin you, you stupid Christian! Thankfully, someone shot Azael in the head with an arrow. The winged devil collapsed, dropping the axe forward. Eli rolled aside and the axe burrowed into the dirt. He swallowed and crawled backwards until his back was against a tree. Then he looked up into the sky. What is this! he shouted at God. Where are your fucking angels? Talitha jogged over to Elijah, keeping her bow and arrow pointed at the unconscious Samyazaii. She said over her shoulder, I know you said you didnt want to be bothered but something told me to come out here anyway Eli let out a breath. Yeah, or someone. He drew his silver Kimber .38 Super handgun on Azael. I dont know how to kill them. I dont know if its even possible. We need to get the fuck out of here. However, before Eli and Talitha had gotten three steps away, someone else appeared. It was Sophia. Eli and Talitha spun around and pointed their weapons at her. Who the fuck are you? demanded Eli.

I am your guardian, said Sophia. Eli spat, Satan pretends to be an angel of light! Prove it! What you demand is impossible to do, Sire. Shit, Eli said, throwing up his hands. When he realized he wasnt pointing his gun at anything, he pointed it at Azael. Why are you here? Sophia answered, The world has been thrown into chaos, an unaligned time line and reality. This has been accomplished by a single human woman. What are you talking about? Eli said, GodI mean, please get to the point before these things wake up. We have some time, Sophia said, In fact, that is what we are here to discuss: time. Father wants to set things right. The events that have happened since this year began on your calendar were not meant to happenyet. Eli was silent for a bit. He motioned with his pistol for her to continue. She did: It is up to you, but Father has commanded me to ask you to go back and put things right. Time travel? said Eli. Samyazaii moaned and began to move. Keeping her eyes on the Sophia, Talitha put an arrow through the Nephilims left eye. He stopped moving. Talitha then targeted the celestial being. Sophia was both impressed and uneasy. This would be a human concept, Sire, and one surprisingly accurate.

This is not supposed to go down like this, Elijah reminded the angel. She lowered her head in shame. Father always knew it would, Sire. It was the only event left out of written prophecy. Only Daniel and John of Patmos were informed of it. Elijah understood. When God told them not to write what he told them. Yes, Sire, replied Sophia. Please dont call me that. Yes, Elijah. Eli lowered his pistol. So whos going? Into the past, I mean. The Remnant, said Sophia. However, first you must apprehend Baraqiel, who was in charge of the second heaven at Raqia. He is the only Fallen One who has the power to travel through time. Then you must travel into the future. You must then apprehend the demon Abezethibou who is imprisoned in the Red Sea. Elijah did not seem to have a problem with the time travel. When Sophia mentioned the Red Sea, however, his eyes widened. We gotta go all the way over there? No. Talithas remark surprised Eli not only because he was expecting it from Sophia, but also because she had not spoken in, what was for her, a long time. She said he is in the Red Sea. In the future he will not be. She smiled at Eli and then looked back at Sophia. Right? Sophia smiled brightly. Exactly. Abezethibou is a great and powerful demon

I know who he is, said Eli. Son of Baalzebul, Satans right-hand demon. Fucked with Moses. Has only one wing. The holy guardian nodded once. What about these guys? Talitha asked, indicating the two Nephilim with her bow and arrow. Apparently, shock had prevented her extroversion from surfacing until recently. Sophia said, Samyazaii and Azael have been released from the Abyss and they have taken human forms in order to bring destruction and death to the world. Yeah, said Eli. So what are we gonna do about them? Talitha shrugged and said, before Sophia could respond, Nothing. Were going into the future, so its not like theyre going to find us. She finally lowered her bow. Eli stared at Talitha, and then Sophia. Alright. He holstered his gun and nodded. Alright, he repeated. So the Fallen One Barawhat is it? Baraqiel, Talitha said. Sophia smiled. Baraqiel, said Eli with a slightly annoyed look on his face. And my whole team goes? Sophias smile widened and both Eli and Talitha felt like the angel was excited about something. In part. Eli turned to his friend. Why do I feel like Im about to be surprised? I dont really like surprises, Tali. Please tell her.

Tali smirked. We should continue this discussion where its not freezing cold. My friend here does not complain much, but when he does, its usually because hes cold. Eli turned, agitatedly, back to Sophia. Yes. Yes, this is true. We can talk on the way back to the cabin. Very well, Elijah, said Sophia. Fifteen minutes later, the trio was walking up to the cabin and Eli was laughing. Tali was smiling as she walked behind him. Sophia appeared to have just told them something both amusing and surprising. Two guards were standing by the front door of the house. Philip and Samantha walked toward them, keeping their hands on their sidearms. Everything alright, man? Philip asked. Oh yeah, said Eli, coughing the last laugh out. Get everyone around the table, Phil. Hey man, said Philip. You know I dont like to be called that. Eli shook his head and put his hand on his friends shoulder. Im sorry, dude. I just heard something thats gonna have me out of my mind for at least ten minutes.

***

Jonah Pattman sat down slowly in the chair opposite the bed in his hotel room. Stanley Brown sat on the edge of the bed, never moving away his eyes, or the sight of the pistol, from the Army officer. Stanley sighed. He was shaking he was so anxious. He shook his head and looked into Jonahs eyes. First of all, said Stanley. Im the good guy here, ok? I didnt do anything wrong. I sawLook, Ive seen a lot of people die, alright? I was a sniper in Afghanistan andother places. Alright? So Ive seen some shit. But I watched as a an Enforcer, ok? shoot a man at point blank range, for no reason. And that man he shot was the dad of a dude I used to know. So yeah, I joined the resistance. Or whatever it is. So my friends, my resistance friends, tell me that some new group of of Enforcers and little kids dressed up like Nazis are comin to town to look for me, and militias and resistance cells. I do a little police work and come to find out you, Captain Jonah Pattman, used to be this mans best friendI watch your best friends dad get shot right in the head. Jonah lowered his head. Im just following orders Dont give me that bullshit! screamed Stanley. Dont you fuckin dare say that shit to me! He chuckled sadly. Heh, I once told Elijah Id pop his ass if my superiors ordered me to. Would you? Would you fuckin shoot your best friend if your major or colonel told you to? Jonah was silent for a couple seconds before looking up, his eyes watery. Im not sure. Mahway was watching as Stanley yelled at Jonah angrily, waving his gun

around. The demon knew it would be easy to possess Stanley, so he did. He entered him and made Stanleys anger become a rage. Stanley stood up, shouting and waving the pistol in Jonahs face. Jonah stood up and raised his hands defensively. A couple seconds later a shot rang out. A second after that, another shot was fired from the same hotel room.

What happened to theres a reason for everything? asked Cindy Schiff at the dinner table. But nobody was eating. Sophia was standing at Elijahs spot at the head of the big rectangular wooden table. Each human has free will to do as they please. Each human is capable of choosing one of two destinies: good or evil. Even so, evil men and angels have conspired together to do unspeakable iniquity upon the Earth, so that the Elect of Father are even wiped out before the appointed time. So basically, said Eli. The god of this world, Satan, is trying to get his apocalypse onmuch sooner than God would like? But wouldnt have God prepared for this? Eli sighed and then answered his own question. Of course, thats why were here Sophia smiled and nodded. Indeed. Satan only believes he will be able to destroy Fathers Elect before the appointed time of Judgment. Father wants to use you to make Satan appear foolish; in addition to the many other instances Satan has

appeared foolish. So, Talitha mused, were the punch line in the Almighty Practical Joke? Everyone laughed. Even the angel chuckled. This would not be too far from the truth, said Sophia. However, Father does not consider this a matter for which laughter is merited. You have beautiful eyes, said Simon, Elis brother. Theyre so blue. Sophia smiled warmly. Thank you, Sire. Eli sighed. He stood up from the table and looked out the window. As he gazed upon the setting sun that cast dozens of radiant and brilliantly beautiful colors, Eli thought about what Sophia had told him earlier before they came to the cabin. It was what had amused Eli so much. How many is in a Legion? asked Eli. Sophia stated evenly, Ten and one hundred. A thousand, muttered Eli. He watched his breath fog up the glass in front of him. Then he said, Alright. Were gonna need to prepare No preparation required, Sophia told Eli, walking up behind him. Father has taken care of everything, Elijah. Madeline Sharpton giggled from her seat at the table. Of course he has. Hes Father. Eli nodded with a smile and turned to Sophia. What about my future self?

Sophia said, Such things are not for you to fret. Ok then, Eli said. To Baraqiel we go. Remove your weapons, Sophia told him. She turned to the rest of the group and nodded. Everyone. Eli shrugged and did as requested. The others removed their weapons as well. After the sixteen members of The Remnant had laid their weapons on the dinner table or their chairs, Sophia got on one knee. I suggest you do the same, she said. Hesitantly, everyone got on one knee and watched as Sophia lifted her eyes and hands to heaven and prayed silently. Within seconds, a man appeared in a white flash in the middle of the room near the dinner table. Sophia looked to him, her eyes downturned in reverence. Prince Sideriel, the Prince of the Host of the first heaven - the great warrior prophet Elijah and I request entrance through Velum, which is the Veil that separates heaven and earth. Eli raised a brow and muttered, Now Im a warrior prophet? He dared to look at the celestial prince. Prince Sideriel had wavy brown hair that extended just past his shoulders. He had human-like dark eyes and a tanned complexion. His height was just over six feet and his apparel included a dull golden crown and a white cloak. A long sword hung from his waste, but it was not glowing hot and he had no wings. All in all, he appeared to be like a normal human.

When he saw Eli peeking at him, Sideriel smiled. Stand! he shouted jovially. All of you! For some of you are Chosen and others are Called, Helpers of the Chosen! Your place will be where the grass never stops being green and the sky is forever blue! He laughed and helped Simon to his feet when he stumbled from being dumbstruck. Sophia stood and smiled. My Lord, would you permit us access to the second heaven through the Veil? Wait a second, said Eli. I thought Baraqiel was fallen. Why are we going to his realm? Sideriel chuckled and walked over to Eli. He extended his hand. Give me a firm handshake, young man! You are a wise one, are you not? He is, Sophia said. Eli just looked back and forth between the two angels. Well, can this wise one get an answer that makes sense? Is it not written, whispered Sideriel, that even the Adversary goes up daily to accuse Gods people? Eli consented with a nod. Prince Baraqiel and his entire Legion of angels disrobed and took on the garments of sin and death, Elijah, said Sideriel. However, they are permitted to return to their realm of heaven as they wish, continuously battling the angels posted there to guard against further intrusion.

Ah, said Eli. So Baraqiel can only go into the second heaven because he was the boss of it, whereas Lucifer can go straight to the seventh cause he held the appropriate rank or position. Sideriel nodded, his smile never wavering. This is the truth, my friend. So? said Eli, glancing upward. Sideriel looked up and scrutinized the ceiling. Eh, he joked, The rafters look stable to me. First, said Sophia. You all must know that once your mission is accomplished, your memories of the events you experience in the past and future will be omitted. Father is allowing this reality to continue as if you had not departed from it, so that when you get to the future, things will be as they would have been if you had not gone. I get it, said Eli. Simon said, I cant wait to see what the future looks like! Sideriel went over to Simon and placed a warm, comforting hand on the small boys shoulder. Youth, it is regrettable that your words are hollow and your excitement misplaced. The future you are going to witness will be as nightmares manifest. Sideriel gathered the men and women around. Take heed, my friends. The journey in which you will embark will be treacherous and fearful. Be sure to go to your families, to your companions, to your relatives and your loved ones. Go to them now and bid farewell. For none of you will remember this moment even if you do come back alive. And surely some of you will not return alive.

***

August 1st, 2012 Elijah McDonnell, his brother and sister, and his father and mother were gathered around the small table in their double-wide trailer for his sisters 16th birthday. There was a small cake with sixteen candles on it burning bright. They were singing Happy Birthday. Then Madeline blew out the candles and her family applauded and cheered because it was finally time to eat the cake. Ten minutes had not passed before they were sitting in the living room with their cake and ice cream discussing the New World Order. Did you hear about that terror attack in London last week? Elijah asked his mother. She licked the ice cream off her spoon before she answered, Yeah, how obvious can they be about it. Hello, false flag! Simon piped, I know, right? Then he dug into his cake again. I wonder why they havent done anything here yet, commented Eli. Its August and they havent done anything major, except for the London one. Theyre probably waiting for November or December. Get everyone at the last minute when everyones complacent. Lisa, Elis mother, said, I still think theyre gonna wait at least another year before they collapse the economy.

Eli shrugged. Well, they still wanna do that whole New Age religion bullshit this year. They wont be able to do it next year. You know, the whole December 21st thing. Well, I hear HAARP like a mother fucker at night, and the chem-trails are everyday now, Lisa said. And all those tornados went through Oklahoma two weeks ago. Yeah, said Eli. Madeline said, Hey mom? What Madeline? drawled Lisa with a barely restrained smirk. She knew what her daughter was going to ask. How come I dont see any presents? You must have done a really good job hiding them. Eli looked over at Madeline. She was trying to remain a good sport about not seeing any wrapped gifts anywhere in the house, but he could tell that she was hurting. Both he and his sister were natural empaths, but it didnt take an emotional transmitter or receiver to discern her insecurity. When youre done with your cake, we need to go to Wal-Mart, her mom said, seemingly ignoring her question. You havent bought it yet? Oh, we bought it, said Eli. When he saw that his mother was glaring at him, he added, But you know, its just one thing Madeline frowned and pouted. What is it, a frickin car?

Eli busied himself with eating while Simon looked away, both trying to hide their smiles. Lisa didnt. William McDonnell snickered under his breath. Madeline saw this and gasped with delight. We are the worst secret keepers, said Eli, and continued with an imitation of Jeremy Clarkson, in the world. They all laughed. The family of five took two cars to Wal-Mart. One was Elis black 1968 Plymouth RoadRunner, Rebekah. The other was Madelines dark green 98 Taurus, which was called Ruth. When they arrived at the supercenter, Madeline saw from a distance the candy-apple red 1966 Ford Mustang convertible. She squealed from the passenger seat of Ruth, Oh my God! Is that it? Is she mine? Lisa was driving the Taurus. I dunno, she said as she turned into the parking lot. When they parked, there was an old Suzuki pickup truck two parking spaces over. Lisa and Eli tried to convince Madeline that theyd bought her the truck, but she didnt believe them for a second. The Mustang, instantly christened Appaloosa, was a V6 and much better on gas than the V8 Plymouth Eli drove. Eli tried to convince the 16-year-old girl to race him down highway 17 but she wouldnt. There was nothing majorly wrong mechanically with the Mustang. She only needed a paintjob, a patch in the black canvas top, new tires, and a headlight. Madeline was ecstatic, so much in fact, that she did not think to ask anyone how much it cost.

On the way home, Eli took the lead in his Plymouth while Madeline followed and Lisa drove the Taurus behind them. Eli thanked God that his mother did not ask him to go shopping today. It was his day off from work and he did not want to have to go into the big retail store where he worked. Halfway to the house, Eli saw Justin Rhodes pass him going in the opposite direction. Justin drove a 72 Ford pickup truck. It was hard to miss a black muscle car like Elis, especially being followed by a Mustang with the top down and a girls blond hair blowing in the wind. Justin honked his horn at Eli and Eli returned the gesture. The RoadRunner made the traditional comical Beep Beep sound. Elis family and Justin smiled. Lisa picked up the CB radio that was in the center console. Hey, Elijah. Use the handles, mom, said Eli over his handset. I mean Minnie Mouse. Lisa laughed. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, Rebel Knight, why dont you and your sister head down to the beach and show off the car to your friends. You said David uh whatever his nickname is andum, the other guy are gonna be there. Eli smiled and lifted the modular CB handset and replied, Alright. Hows that, Black Rose? Wanna go cruisin down at the beach? Heck yeah! exclaimed Madeline. I wanna go, Simon said from the passenger seat of the Taurus. Lisa picked up the radio again. Simon says I mean, Rock Sharpe says he wants to go too, Rebel Knight. Pull over so you can take the little shit.

Yeah, responded Eli. Just let me find a spot to pull over, Minnie Mouse. These stupid walls are everywhere around here. All along highway 17 there were three-foot-high concrete barriers. The construction crews had put them up when they were building a new road an overpass, but after they were finished, the walls remained. Eli and his family knew it was just part of the gradual police states way of controlling traffic and travel. Once Eli had found a place to pull over, at the mouth of a gravel drive way, he let Simon get into the passenger seat of his Plymouth and prepared to get back on the road. Unfortunately, the blue police lights he saw out of the corner of his eye indicated that someone had other plans. The dumb cop parked beside the Mustang, halfway between the three cars, the left half of his cruiser resting on the side of the blacktop. Eli groaned and waited in his seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel. Simon knew the deal. He glanced to the cop and then at the glove box where both the registration and .38 Special revolver was. The officer marched up to Elis open drivers side window. Eli was not happy that it was a local Leighville cop. Nice bumper sticker you got there, the officer said sarcastically, referring to the Ron Paul 2012 magnet on the steel door. Youre parked illegally, sir. Let me see some ID. Eli produced his drivers license, but not before shuffling through his Military ID and Pledge Keepers cards. He wanted the officer to see them, just in case he was a patriot. Eli also liked scaring cops with terrorist paraphernalia.

The cop examined the Drivers License for a second and then handed it back to Eli, which was strange according to Eli. He looked up at the cop expectantly. I just pulled over to let my brother in, Eli explained nervously. He gestured back with his thumb. He was in the green Taurus with my mom. I see, the policeman said with a nod. Well, this is private property, alright? So you need to be on your way, sir. Eli nodded and swallowed hard. Consider it done, sir, he said with a sigh and a smile of apprehension. The cop noticed the mans sweat. It aint that hot out, is it? You seem a bit nervous, sir. Is there anything in your vehicle I need to know about? Shit, thought Eli. Here we go. Nervous? Oh, no. This is how I always am. Plus, I havent really had a good experience with cops in the past. Used to get pulled twice a month for speeding or not stopping completely, or something like that. The cop nodded. He looked over at the Mustang. Is that your sister? he asked, but something inside Eli told him he already knew the answer. Perhaps it was the tone with which the man said that instead of putting emphasis on sister. Yeah, Eli said to the officer. Eli continued speaking, even though the officer was already moving toward the convertible behind the muscle car. Its her birthday; we got her that car. Eli turned and quickly nodded to his brother. The officer stood over Madeline and smiled creepily. Hey there. My names

Officer Onassi. Can I see your license and registration for this vehicle please? Simon cautiously passed the revolver to Eli. Madeline rummaged around in the glove box for the registration, hoping it was there. Lisas left hand went for a Glock 21 in the middle console while her right hand touched the door handle. She glared daggers at the cop. Madeline handed Onassi her papers. He examined them for a second. Then he said matter-of-factly, Most 16-year-olds dont get a Mustang as their first car. Madeline answered, The Taurus was my first car. Well, not technically. My mom was teaching me how to drive and gave it to me when Eli got the RoadRunner. Officer Onassi smiled and glanced at the Taurus to his right. He saw the mother glowering at him. He looked to the RoadRunner to his left and saw Elis penetrating stare in the side view mirror. He turned on his heel and headed for the cruiser. Im gonna run this. Ill be right back, He opened the door and was nearly hit by a passing car as he got into his cruiser. Both Eli and his mother found themselves wishing he had been. Eli turned to Simon. He knows somethings up, bro. You take this. He handed the small pistol back to his younger sibling. Ill use this if I have to, Eli whispered, nodding down at the four-inch fixed blade in the sheath on his belt. Simon nodded and gulped, concealing the gun under his thigh. He pointed timidly to the open drivers side window. Eli turned and saw the cop smiling at him.

Everything alright in there? asked the cop. He was nervous now too. His smile was just there to try to keep the family content. He knew it wasnt working. Fine, said Eli. Just fine. Officer Onassi nodded and went back to the Mustangs driver. Well, Im not surprise that nothing came up, said Onassi. Just make sure you get that headlight fixed, alright darlin? Madeline nodded quickly. Mhm. I will, sir. Onassi walked around the back of his cruiser and pulled open the drivers side door. As soon as he sat down, something told him to pull his hand back, and when he did, a semi ripped the door off the hinges. He sat there in shock and anger for half a minute before Eli rapped on the passengers side window. The cop reached for the window button instinctively on his side, but there was door button because there was no door. He leaned arduously across the center console and lowered the passenger window. What? the cop blurted angrily. God damn it, what do you want? Eli smirked and nodded at the missing door. That was a warning. Then he turned around, got back in his car, and the family drove off, leaving Officer Onassi in a state of rage and terror.

CHAPTER 12: Through Fire and Sand

Joel 2:3 - Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste nothing escapes them. It was close to 5:00 PM when Rebekah and Appaloosa arrived at the beach and parked in one of the small lots between a seafood restaurant and a pier. When Eli exited his muscle car, he was wearing a grey muscle shirt that read Remnant on the back. Beneath it was an upside-down anarchy symbol overlaid by a blue cross. The blue slash through the anarchy symbol also formed the horizontal part of the cross. Of course he also wore blue swimming trunks and sandals. Next to the RoadRunner, Madeline got out of her Mustang convertible wearing a pair of jean shorts and a tank top. Her medium length blond hair was in a ponytail, as was Elis long brown hair. They stood together in front of the two cars and looked around at a few of the other vehicles there, while waiting for Simon to get out of the RoadRunner. Thats Thomass van, Eli remarked, nodding to a black 84 Chevy. He pointed to a white Nissan T100 pickup. And thats Davids. I wish hed bought the Firebird from us. Yeah, said Madeline as they walked the pier with Simon in tow. It wouldve been cool, us drivin down the road in my convertible and the T-tops Firebird. Eli scoffed, You hate that. You always complain about getting your hair all

messed up. Madeline smiled and smacked Elis arm lightly. Hey. Only when its super windy and my hairs down. No, said Eli as they walked down the steps of the pier. All the time. They crossed the hot sand. There were a lot of people at the beach. Eli put his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun as he scanned the beach for his friends. Simon mimicked this action, trying to hold onto a bag of towels and a cooler of drinks. Someone beyond the crowd hollered, Elijah! Eli recognized the voice as Samantha Nelson, sister of Max. The two siblings had once been co-workers of Eli, but not anymore. Madeline pointed. Over there, she said. Eli, Simon, and Madeline plodded laboriously through the soft sand beneath the scorching sun. They passed by several people tanning and even a couple playing football before coming to a group of friends. Whats up yall? asked Eli. Thomas Tyrell came over and they bumped fists. Whats up, bro? he asked. Took long enough. Sorry, Eli said with a smile. Shit came up. Todays my sisters birthday. David Segris walked over and said to Madeline, Happy birthday. How old are you now? Still too young for you, Eli joked.

They laughed. The short, petite, brown haired Samantha asked Madeline, What did you get for your birthday? Madeline opened her mouth to answer and then smiled. Ill show you later. Eli and Simon laughed. Eli said, Were all goin to dinner at like seven still, right? The group nodded and agreed. John Louis, the red-headed jester of the group, said, Hey, this Frisbee isnt gonna play itself. Wow, that almost sounded wrong. Max guffawed, squinting at him due to the sun. He took the Frisbee and walked away. Come on, guys. Philip was the only person in the group who played Ultimate Frisbee on a regular basis. Hey. We need to split up into two teams. While everyone was talking and laughing and trying to tackle each other in the sand, Eli turned and gazed around. He had the eerie feeling of being watched. His eyes finally found, despite the glare of the sun, a man standing in the shade by a shower stall. Eli narrowed his eyes and tried to get a better view of the man, but the man disappeared from view beyond the pier. Eli turned back around as Theophilus Graham, Philips older brother, asked Eli if he wanted to be a team captain. Naw, said Eli, his mind elsewhere. Not really. After a great game of Ultimate Frisbee, everyone chilled out on their towels and

talked. Ten minutes later, Samantha told everyone she was going to her micro-bus to get something. Watching her leave, Eli became uneasy. He sensed something wrong. A dark cloud blocked out the sun. He looked up at where the sun had been. He looked back toward the pier but did not see Samantha.

Samantha had walked past the shower stall and a man jumped out and grabbed her. He put a blade to her throat and ordered her to stay quiet. He then dragged her back into a vacant public restroom. As he was locking the door, Samantha wrenched the mans arm from her throat and tried to flee, but the attacker just grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back into his strong grasp. She screamed and tried to elbow him, but it did not work. The assailant moved her further into the restroom. She struggled to look right, to view the man in the mirror. To her utter horror, she saw that the man who had taken her hostage appeared to be Elijah McDonnell. And to her utter shock, Elijah McDonnell shouldered his way through the supposedly locked restroom door. The doppelganger threw Samantha across the room and turned toward Eli, brandishing his five-inch knife. Behind Eli was Max, Samanthas worried brother. Samantha remained in the corner between the wall and the sinks. What the fuck? Max breathed frightfully. Itsyou. Certainly the man looked exactly like Elijah, except for a few minor details. His hair was much shorter and dyed black. As opposed to Elis slightly unshaven face, this mans face sported a full beard and mustache. The most striking difference, however,

was the long scar that ran diagonally across his face. He smirked at Eli and Max as if he was insane, and he slowly moved his blade from side to side in front of him as if taunting them. Eli swallowed and blinked. Are you my evil twin? he breathed, keeping his fists balled in front of him. The twin chuckled. He glanced over his shoulder at Samantha, as if he just now remembered she was there and wanted to make sure she didnt try anything. Then he said, Perhaps, perhaps. Even with a knife, said Eli, you cannot take all of us. I am Daren, the sociopath declared confidently, I dont even need this. With that, he tossed the blade behind him. Samanthas eyes went wide as she threw up her hands to catch the small weapon. Daren lunged forward at the two men. Both Eli and Max stepped forward as well. Daren dodged to his right, avoiding Maxs punch, and grabbed him by the throat. He lifted him two feet off the ground and slammed his back onto the tile floor, cracking both the ceramics and the mans back. Samantha shrieked and moved forward with the knife. Stay! Eli ordered her. He turned and seized Daren by his black T-shirt and swung him around, pinning his back against the sink. Youre my clone, arent you? Daren winked and elbowed Elijah in the side of the head. Then he shoved him aside and ran out of the restroom. Seconds later, after Eli had recovered and went out behind him, he found that Daren had somehow vanished. He was nowhere to be

found. Also, the raincloud overhead had opened up and sent rain down to disperse the beach-goers. Eli ran back into the restroom and knelt over Max, who was in excruciating pain. His sister was using her cellphone to dial 911. Fuck! Eli yelled as he got to his feet. He kicked a garbage can over. God damn it! What should we do? Samantha asked him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Theres nothing we can do, Sam, said Eli. Well get him to a hospital, ok? Well tell the police it was some guy in a mask. I doubt there were any other witnesses. If we tell the police it was my clone, theyll either think Im insane or arrest me. Shit! Again he kicked the overturned trash can. He walked outside to find his friends coming toward him. What happened? asked John. Is everything alright in there? Eli shook his head and began crying. He fell to his knees on the sandy cement outside the restroom. John, Madeline, Simon, and most of the others went into the restroom while Jeffrey Daniels remained outside with Eli. The stout bearded man crouched in front of Eli. Dude, whats the matter? he asked. An alarmed David came back out of the restroom. Its Max, dude, he told Jeffrey. He got hurt. Eli rubbed his sand-covered arm over his teary face. He winced at the scratching pain, shaking his head at Davids words.

Someone came andfucked him up. Then Eli thought of something. The knife. He ran back into the restroom and pushed through his friends and family. Wheres the knife? he asked Samantha. She handed it to the man. Eli took it and ran outside. He bumped into four Wilmington police officers. They immediately took him to the pavement, disarmed him, and cuffed him. It wasnt me! Eli argued. Ask my friends! The four cops glanced at each other and around the restroom. I dont see any friends, one of the officers observed. From his position on his stomach, Eli shouted, Remnant! Contact! One of the cops, a sergeant, had apparently been a veteran. Fuck! He released Eli and drew a tazer. Jeffrey Daniels was the first man out of the restroom. He tackled the armed sergeant away from Eli. One cop held Eli down while the other two were met by David, Thomas, Philip, Theo, and John. Simon and Madeline watched from just inside the restroom. Samantha remained with her brother, but was yelling for someone to tell her what was going on. John and Thomas hauled the police officer off of Eli. Both men had problems with police and authority. Thomass parents had both been shot by Leighville local police for no reason, other than they called about a domestic disturbance. John hated the government and had no problem with dying in battle, as he was a recovered suicidal Christian.

The cop swung wildly with his night-stick and landed a blow across Thomas Tyrells temple. He fell. John slammed the cops back up against the brick wall of the restroom, blocked the cops baton strike, and decked him repeatedly in the face. After the brawl, the police were cuffed with their own shackles and Madeline released Eli from his. The Remnant dragged the semi-conscious policemen into the restroom and left them in the stalls. That was when the ambulance arrived. We need to leave him, Eli told Samantha, gesturing to Max. Hes got a back injury; we cant move him, Sam. Then Im staying too, she stated. Im his fucking sister. Madeline was sobbing. You cant! she exclaimed, running to Samantha and Max. No, shes right. Someone needs to tell the story, Eli said. He knelt beside Samantha. Do you remember the story? Samantha turned and looked at Eli. She nodded. I do. Eli put a comforting hand on her bare shoulder before standing up and turning to the bruised and battered group. We get in our cars and we get outta the city, separately. We meet up at our job in Leighville in half an hour, got it? As he was saying this, Madeline had placed her hands upon the unconscious Max. He turned and watched her. Nothing unusual seemed to be going on. He remained silent, as did Samantha. Madeline, however, was whispering prayers. Then Max woke up. He smiled at Samantha and Madeline. His pain was gone,

his back healed. Hey, he said. Samantha laughed with relief and hugged her brother. Then she hugged Madeline. Relieved as well, Eli smiled. Alright. I wanna be outta Wilmington in thirty minutes or less. Seconds later, The Remnant was staring at the tires of their vehicles. Theyd all been slashed. Eli turned to Simon and Madeline. Yeah, it might actually take a bit longer than thirty minutes.

Hours later, The Remnant, minus Theophilus and Philip, were sitting at a restaurant directly across from the big retail store at which they worked. They were all silent. Nobody wanted to think about what had happened to the Graham brothers, or the events that had recently transpired, but they had little choice. David and John had tried to alleviate some of the tension with jokes and sucking the straws in their empty glasses, but Eli just cast them dirty glares. Theyd been there for nearly forty-five minutes when Elijah said, Theres a small town near the mountains called Boondock. Well get different cars and disappear there. We cant go back home, or theyll find us. What about your brother and sister? inquired David. They didnt do anything

wrong. They can go homeright? I dunno, said Eli. Simon said, I dont want to go home. Madeline began crying again and Simon tried to comfort her but it didnt work. The thought of leaving forever her mother was simply too much to handle. Eli sighed. He wiped a tear from his eye and cleared his throat. What are we gonna do? Jeffrey asked. Thomas, who had a welt the size of a baseball on the side of his head, told everyone, How about revenge? On the cops? Eli said. Nah. We need to find this Daren guy. A clone, commented David. Thats weird. He looked exactly like me, said Eli. Except for some little shit, like hair anda scar. John said, Well, Im down for hunting him and killing him if you are. Eli looked at John, and then at his five other friends and family members. He said, I dont think we need to kill him, but we do gotta find him. Max said, Well, where do we start? If he was a clone, does that mean he works for the government? Most likely, Simon answered him. Eli nodded in agreement. Yeah, most likely. We know the kinda technology and

resources and money the government has. And its just like them to send me to kill me. They love that shit. I just dont know why he attacked you first. Guilt-ridden, he looked over at Samantha. She only said, I dunno, and then rubbed her throat where the man had placed his knife. Eli knew what she was thinking. What did you do with that thing? Samantha asked him. Eli responded, The knife? Its in the car. Didnt want to leave evidence. Most likely the cops will sweep the bathroom for hair and shitNot literal shit His friends laughed. Even his sister laughed through the sobbing. Eli continued, But, uh, you knowbest not to leave them something obvious like a knife with fingerprints. A waiter walked over to their two tables, which had been conjoined as one. He asked them, Are you guys gonna order? Um, said Eli. Yeah, uh, sorry bout that, man. Ill just have a couple slices of pizza. After The Remnant had ordered, they continued their discussion. They were talking about living on the run when Theophilus and Philip Graham walked over. Hey! Eli said, happy to see the brothers. Phil, Theo, whats up? Where yall been, guys? Philip and Theo sat down. Theo said, We dropped Philips SUV off at the house and picked up my car. We didnt want to draw any more attention by driving a

car being described in an APB. Theophilus Graham was a thin but strong and agile ex-Army Special Forces soldier living off of benefits from Veterans Affairs. He was 32-years-old and had grey eyes, reddish-brown hair, and a beard. He also had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from two tours in Iraq. He was the only other veteran in The Remnant, so he and Elijah shared a special brotherly bond. Ah, Eli smiled wanly. The old Duster. We eating here? Theo asked Eli, sitting across from him at the end of the table. Right next to where you work? Is that the best idea? Eli shrugged. At least well see em comin. Philip chuckled. Yeah. Good point, said Theo. Im glad the rain stopped. The group was sitting by a window that afforded them a decent view of the supercenter at which many of them worked. If the police showed up to investigate Eli and his friends there, theyd have the advantages of knowing how far along in the investigation the police are, and also being able to escape without attracting too much attention. What if they see our cars? David asked. Theyre lookin for em, right? Im guessing, said Eli, the cops are not going to be expecting fugitives to be eating in a restaurant together across the parking lot from where most of them work. Madeline, who had finished crying and was sitting closest to the window,

noticed three Leighville police Dodge Chargers and four Wilmington police Crown Victorias enter the parking lot of the big retail store. That was when the waiter and two others brought their food. Madeline remained silent, not wanting to alert the waiters that they were serving wanted felons. Once they left, Madeline told Simon to tap Eli on the shoulder. Eli turned to his brother and saw the cops through the window. He sighed and told The Remnant, all of who had noticed the police cars by then, Im finishing my fuckin pizza before we leave.

Fifteen minutes later, Eli exited the restaurants restroom wearing a different outfit than hed been wearing when he departed from the beach. He had advised everyone months ago to keep a Go-Bag in their vehicles so they could blow town on short notice if it was required. Included within this bag was a change of clothes and fake IDs. Eli had chopped his pony-tail off and shaved his beard, except for a tuft on his chin and his mustache. His new outfit consisted of black jeans, black New Balance sneakers, a white muscle shirt over which he wore a dark purple button-up shirt open to just below his chest, and a black fedora on his head. Three knives were sheathed on his black belt and on his hands were black leather knuckle gloves. He packed a Colt .45 1911 semi-automatic handgun in a holster at the small of his back, concealed only by the tail of his purple button-up shirt.

When everyone else had changed clothes, they all walked out of the restaurant at the same time, just as the waiter was watching them on the news above the restaurants bar. He gaped and dropped a glass of water. It shattered on the floor. Elijah McDonnells photograph appeared on screen and he reached for the bars telephone. The ten members of The Remnant tried to look natural as they moved for their vehicles. But it was pointless because everyone around them noticed them for their cars; Elis 68 RoadRunner, Madelines 66 Mustang, Theos 72 Plymouth Duster. Thomas drove a van that looked like the one from The A-Team. Samantha drove a van that looked like the one from Scooby Doobie Doo. And all of The Remnants automobiles were parked in the same vicinity of each other, in the large parking lot opposite the restaurant. Theyre comin this way, announced David. Eli opened his car door. Who? Simon pointed and shouted, The cops! Eli spun around to see the seven police cars coming toward them, their lights and flashing. When the cops noticed that the fugitives had seen them, they blared their sirens. Lets move! commanded Eli. Channel 36! He leaped into the drivers seat of the RoadRunner. Simon got into the other side. Eli started the car and put her in Drive, glad that he and his team combatparked instead of parked facing the curb. They didnt have to back out of their parking

spots. Rebekah launched forward, the front of the car lifting unevenly from the massive power produced by the V8 engine. Eli spun the car to the right and led the others out of the parking lot. The police pursued. Rebel Knight to Remnant, Eli said rapidly over the CB radio, weve all got different cars with varying speeds but all the cops can haul ass! We need to use the bigger, powerful cars to protect the smaller, slower cars. Once they get away, we can get away. Got it? Everyone got it and acknowledged so over the air. Eli slowed down slightly, allowing Madelines Mustang to take the lead as the pony car drifted through a red light going right, between Rebekah and the curb, followed by Davids pickup truck, Samanthas micro-bus, and their bodyguard Jeffrey Daniels in small but quick silver Dodge Avenger. Elis defensive friends included Thomas in his black van, Theo and Philip in the Duster, and John Louis, who drove a red 1972 Mercury Cougar convertible. This is gonna be hard, guys, Eli broadcasted. We need to knock the pigs off the road, ok? Start with the Chargers. Madeline asked over the radio, Are we going north or south? South! replied Eli. We need an open highway and they wont be expecting it! Hit this turn perfectly, guys! The turn Eli was referring to was a U-turn that had a light between the southbound and north-bound lanes. If anyone in the convoy did not complete the U-turn properly, they would be caught by the police or worse, wrecked.

The light at the U-turn became green. The three drivers who had been waiting for the light to change began their slow roll forward and left. Madeline tapped her brakes and slowed her car just enough to be able to drift around the median. Though she managed to right the Mustang, the tail-end swung into one of the cars to her right. This was enough to make all three drivers in the right lane pull off the road and come to a halt. Davids pickup truck took the curb a little better, since it was lighter. Samantha didnt have much of a choice; she had to slow down considerably to get around the median if she didnt want her micro-bus to tip over. Playing rear guard was Jeffrey in his Dodge Avenger. The Avenger drifted around the bend and he punched the accelerator. The car lurched forward and came alongside the left side of the micro-bus. Thomas decided not to take the turn at the light. His black van bounced over the concrete median and he turned left right behind the micro-bus in the right lane. Terminator! Eli shouted over the radio after he made the U-turn himself. You forget something? We aint tryin to run away! Look, two of the Crown Vics are tryin to intercept Oh fuck it! Ill do it myself! Two of the white and blue cruisers had driven over the median and nearly hit Madelines Mustang, which barely just missed them. In the passenger seat of Elis muscle car, Simon clenched the seat beneath him as his eyes went wide. Eli had stomped the gas and the Plymouth roared up onto the concrete median and past the van and Avenger. As the closest Crown Victoria was attempting to come alongside Davids pup

truck, Eli turned the wheel right and pressed the pedal harder into the metal of the cars floor. The RoadRunner sped off the median and bashed the rear bumper of the cruiser, causing it to waver in the left lane. Eli hit the cruiser again, this time trying a Pursuit Intervention Technique, or PIT Maneuver. This caused the cruiser to fishtail even more wildly, and when Eli knew it was going to spin out, he moved over into the right hand lane. Then he moved over into the left lane again and attacked the second Crown Victoria. A light ahead turned red. Eli backed off the cruiser just long enough for him to say over the CB, Hit your brakes at the light, Black Rose! Everyone be ready! Madeline did not respond but Eli knew shed gotten the message. At the light, she braked. The cop, which had slowed to avoid colliding with someone else doing a U-turn, was easily totaled by Rebekah going over 50 miles per hour. As the Crown Vic rolled into the grassy median, Eli pulled the battered RoadRunner back onto the blacktop and picked up the CB handset. Get up to speed! he said, and then swung the RoadRunner around. The Plymouths tires smoked and squealed as the 180 took place. Madelines Mustang, Davids truck, and the micro-bus all sped past him as he drove down the passing lane the wrong way. Jeffrey moved over into the right lane and the two vehicles passed each other. Suddenly Eli hit his brakes. The Duster, Terminators van, and Johns Cougar all passed him on the highway. Eli sat there facing the police cars, which had evidently been ordered to stop. They were just resting there with their damaged friend, the first

cruiser Eli had knocked off course. Eli wondered why they were not chasing them anymore, but decided to stop wondering and start driving. He spun the RoadRunner around and raced to catch up with his friends and sister. Channel Joseph, said Eli over the CB radio. Once he was sure The Remnant had changed channels, Eli said, Drive to the church across the street from Justins place. Park there. I wont be long. Five minutes later, the fugitives were parked at a small church. Eli drove his RoadRunner down a dirt road across the highway from the church. At the end of the dirt road, he stopped between a 72 Ford pickup and an 88 Cadillac El Dorado. Simon, Eli told his younger brother, get in the Cadillac, alright? Before Eli even knocked on the door of the small owner-built studio house, Justin opened it, a look of concern in his hard blue eyes. Dude. Whats goin on, man? Youre all over the news. Eli drew his Colt .45. I need your Caddy. Youre gonna have to report it stolen or theyll say youre an accessoryto whatever theyre accusing us of. Alright, man, Justin said, digging into his jeans pockets. Want the truck too? Eli shook his head and looked around. Nah. Your mom can do without her Sable, right? A minute later, Samantha was driving a white 2003 Mercury Sable. She had to leave the bus at the church because it was not conducive to a successful escape. Elijah was driving the Cadillac. Simon was sitting in the passenger seat of Thomas Tyrells van.

The Remnant drove only five minutes before Eli turned them off the main highway and onto a side road. At the end of the road was a home, outside of which was a white 89 Pontiac TransAM and a flat black 90 3 series BMW. Eli ordered his people to form up their vehicles on the road facing out in case someone showed up. Then he walked up the dirt path to the front door and knocked. A large older black man in glasses answered the door. Hey man, whats up? He saw the cars combat-parked behind Eli and moaned. Aww man, what you got yourself into now? I need your cars, Eli said. The two out front will do. I dont got much time, Carl. Eli made sure Carl saw the pistol at his side. Carl took a step back into the house and reached for the keys on the wall. He handed Eli the keys to both the TransAM and the BWM. Dont dog em, man, said Carl. Have you been watching the news? Eli laughed. Carl began to regret his decision. No. Why? Eli smiled thinly and backed away. Nothing. See ya, man. It was not long before the white TransAM, driven by Eli, sped onto highway 17 going south. Philip drove the BMW and David left his Nissan behind in exchange for the Cadillac El Dorado. The Remnant members who had their original vehicles - Madeline, Thomas,

John, Theo, and Jeffrey continued together on the highway. Several hundred car lengths behind them was Philip and Simon in the BMW and Davids Cadillac. A fourth of a mile ahead of them was Eli in his recently acquired TransAM and Samanthas Mercury Sable. This way, any police who picked up on the five fugitives in the middle would track them and be completely unaware of the four escorts. When Elijah turned off the highway, it was just past 8:00 PM and the sun was setting beautifully over the western horizon. He guided the others to an abandoned farm and they hid their eight vehicles in the barn and on the back side of the house, where they would not be seen by passersby. As soon as everyones cars were parked, Eli gathered The Remnant around inside the condemned house for a much needed prayer. They knelt in a circle and Eli removed his hat. They all held hands. Heavenly Father, we thank you for allowing us to escape our persecutors. We thank you and praise you for your wisdom and glory and power and mercy. We ask only that you deliver into our hands the man who started this mess; the one who calls himself Daren. Protect and lead us, Oh God. Provide our meals and strengthen our faith. In the name of your holy Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

The ten members of The Remnant were on their knees, their heads bowed. Unseen by them, but surely not unknown to them, there were fifteen angels in the room with them. There were ten guardians, one for each Christian. There were four cherubim stationed at each corner of the large living room, each having four faces. The

countenance facing the center of the room was that of a young man. The face on the right side of their head was that of a lion, and on their left side was the face of an ox. The face looking outward behind them was one of a fierce eagle. The cherubim held flashing, fiery swords in front of them, pointed straight upwards. Their wings were as pure white as snow and expanded around the room to the point that the tip of each cherubs wing touched the feathers of another. The fifteenth angel in the room was the archangel Prince Uriel. Like the cherubim, Uriel had a large wingspan, but unlike them, his wings were not white. Instead, they blazed like fire, each lick of flame taking the form of a red hot feather. On his left side there was a long sword of red fire in a golden scabbard. His orange hair stood on end like flames, celestially swaying as if by a breeze. His eyes shined white and he stood just behind Elijah. Prince Uriel was glaring at the demons that were standing and crouching at the entrance of the old dilapidated farm house. There were hundreds of them. They sought to corrupt, make ill, harm, torment, and kill The Remnant, for they knew who they were and what they would accomplish. Among them was the demonic leaders Ogias and Sihon, who were once, in the days of Moses, the kings of Bashan and Heshbon, respectively. The height of Ogias was barely less than ten feet, while his brother Sihon was only 87. These monstrous spirits had six fingers on each hand and large double sets of mangled incisors. Their subordinates were nothing short of nightmarish in their own right. Mahway had been the titan son of Baraqiel, one of the original 200 fallen angels who took human wives. Mahway too was a giant, almost as tall as Sihon. He

had double rows of teeth and six fingers on each hand too. His white hair was unkempt and his biceps and chest were scarred from battle. He grasped in his hand a sizable battle ax. Along with other renowned demons there were quite a lot of shadow demons, disembodied unclean spirits that sought nothing more than to possess, injure, cause disease, or even kill. They had no discernable features. They stood at varying heights, but some were as tall as Ogias. All of these entities howled and shrieked and hissed at The Remnant as Elijah prayed to the Lord in Heaven. The demons tried to get to the Christians, but the angels around the room stood there in defiance and did not allow them entrance into the room. The archangel Uriel stepped toward them and raised his hand by his side, as if he was holding something. Ogias got one foot into the door and Mahway wrapped his arm around the frame and pulled his upper body through. In his palm ignited an orb of sapphire flame. Uriel stood firm before the spirits of darkness and brought his arm back slightly. The demons snarled and roared in anger and insolence. We will destroy them all! Mahway proclaimed. Uriel smiled knowingly and shook his head slowly. You will not. Then he hurled the blue fireball forward with all his might. The flames incinerated every unclean spirit in the doorway, creating a swath of sapphire light between the archangel and the crater dug outside. The demons that had not been

caught in the attack instantly retreated, fleeing the entire property. Some of them had blue flames coming off them as they ran. Lowering his hand, Prince Uriel turned around just as Elijah had finished his prayer. He declared to the guardians and cherubim, Nothing shall befall these elect before our presence is removed from this plane of existence in preparation for the great End. So it is said, so it is done.

Yeah, I did what ya said, mate, Daren said over his cellphone as he sat in a black 2012 Ford Mustang. He let out a sigh and rested his wrist on the steering wheel. Yeah, theyre proper scared and your bloody pigs did their job tooBack to base, eh? Got another mission for me? Daren frowned. He leaned forward, clenching the steering wheel. Im not stupid, mate. Whats goin on? You fuckin me, man? Dont screw me over, ye hear me? I got all your bloody skeletons right in my trunk, ye feel me? A few minutes later, Daren was off the phone and driving north toward Raleigh, North Carolina. His phone vibrated. What now? he snapped. After a moment, he said, No, the Max kid is definitely gonna need a fuckin doc, ye get what Im sayin? Daren heard that Max had not been admitted to a hospital. He groaned. Well, its not my bloody fault, now is it? Im tellin ya, mate, I damn near broke the kids back. He should at least Fine, make sure all the lights are green and the pigs are occupied and Ill be there in an hour.

Daren snarled and threw the flip-phone at the windshield as he drove. He shook his head and scowled. The left side of his face twitched as nearly uncontrollable rage surged within him. Turning up the volume on the radio, which was playing Bye Bye Beautiful by Nightwish, Daren floored the accelerator and brought the Mustangs speed up to 80 in no time. Unfortunately, it was not Gods will that Daren reach Raleigh. On Interstate 40, he could not move over into the left lane when another vehicle was trying to merge onto the interstate from the right. He sped up, honked his horn, and flipped off the man trying to merge. The mergers left tire snapped to the left, coming off the axle. The entire Buick sedan he was driving pitched awkwardly to the left and Daren instinctively swerved to his left. The big black Chevy Tahoe, however, was still there in the left lane. He immediately had a sense of dj vu, right before he was sandwiched between the two automobiles. Of course, coincidentally, there was a Highway Patrol officer just two cars behind Daren. And the Tahoe was being driven by an off-duty Wilmington police officer.

It was only while his friends and siblings were asleep when Elijah left the farm house and drove the quieter Sable away. He had no intention of leaving them for good. There was someone he wanted to see before he quite possibly ended up dead or worse. He drove back the way hed come on highway 17 and took a right onto George

II Highway. In Burning Spring Lakes, another small town, Elijah drove down a dead-end road and came to a house that was almost at the end of it. He parked the car, got out, and walked up the steps to the front door. He knocked and waited, glancing at his watch. He was appalled to see that it was 2 AM. He sighed, hoping shed answer. The door was answered by an older woman. She looked tired and angry. Yeah, was all she said. Eli said, Can I talk to Talitha? I know its late, but its really important. Um, said Talithas mother. Yeah, I guess. Im going back to bed. Shes in the bedroom down the hall on the right. Eli was grateful. Thank you. Thank you very much. When he got to the bedroom, he hesitated. Eli knew he was putting her life in danger by coming there, but he felt like he had to somehow tell her, warn her. He decided not to knock, but just push the door open. He realized as he stood there in the threshold watching her sleep that this might be considered by most people to be stalking and a tad creepy. He sighed and ignored the voice in his head telling him to run away. Tali, he whispered. On her stomach, Talitha Lyhannon Corsi just moaned. A second later, when she became conscious of someone standing in her bedroom, she rolled over onto her side and looked at Eli. When she saw him standing there, she leaped up and ran to hug him, stumbling over a lot of blankets.

What are you doing here? she asked, her voice muffled by grogginess and Elijahs chest. Theyre looking for you. I had to see you, said Eli, holding her tightly. You knew Id come. Yeah, murmured Tali. But not so soon. What the hell happened? Eli let her go and gestured to the edge of the bed. They sat down next to each other. He replied, Wellmy clone attacked my friends and I. Then he escaped. Then I got framed for what he did. Then I attacked some cops. Then we ran away. Thats about it really. Tali nodded. Sounds like an exciting day. Elis head snapped around and anger flashed in his eyes. Exciting? Really? Is that how it sounds to you, Talitha? Im sorry, she said. I dont know what to say. Eli sighed and shrugged. Im sorry. Its fuckin stressful trying to stay alive, and keep nine other people alive too. Jesus Christ, what am I gonna do? I was just about to ask you that. Eli looked at her. He put his arm around her. I know what Im asking you would you come with us? Uh, she stammered, her eyes rolling upward. After almost a month of not talking to me, she said as she then turned to him, you suddenly want me to leave my family and education and be on the FBIs Most Wanted list?

Eli snickered at his own presumption, his hand gradually tightening around her waist. He nodded slowly and looked her in the eyes. Yeah, he said softly. Cause if youre not with me, Im gonna be constantly worrying about you. Talitha turned away and stared at the closet door. I made a Go-Bag, ya know? Just in case Eli remembered from experience not to get his hopes up with this girl. He swallowed and looked at her neck as she was staring at the closet. When she abruptly turned back to him, Eli quickly reaffirmed his eyes on hers. You already know, Eli reminded her, how this ends. Tali blinked. Do I? His upper lip trembled as he scowled at her. Dont fucking act like you dont. It doesnt matter where in the world you are; you cannot fight them without God, and without us. The redheaded beauty lowered her head and rubbed her eyes. My family Can come too, finished Eli for her. They can be helpers for the Chosen, if theyre not Christian. God tends to show his mercy a lot in reality and scripture. The Bible says even unbelievers can be rewarded if they help a believer survive whats coming. As long as they dont betray them. Talitha leaned her head on Elis shoulder. But our livesour jobs and school; if we go, we will never have any of that Its already gone, said Eli. And you know it. Its all meaningless, as you know.

Ive taught you this before. Dont forget so soon. He almost couldnt resist kissing Talitha on the forehead, so he did. This fucking sucks, she said. Eli smirked. Im sorry. Ill try to be more cuddly next time Talitha looked up at him through her messy red hair and smiled thinly. No. You know what I mean. Yeah, and I think its supposed to be cuddlier instead of more cuddly. Cuddlier sounds stupid though. Who the hell says that anyway? Sounds like a gardening utensil. Talitha chuckled and said, Go get the cuddlier and cuddle the tomato plants. Eli smiled and lifted her chin up with one finger. He kissed her gently on the mouth and stroked his hand along her cheek. Im going to find my clone tomorrow, whispered Eli. Hopefully hes still in the state. You got time to think, ok? If you want to join me, I will be at the gas station on the corner, waiting, at noon. Alright? Tali did not want to respond. She nodded once. Eli stood up and Tali propped herself up on the bed with her hand. She watched him walk to the door. Elijah turned before he opened the door and said, Remember what I told you, ok? If you decide not to come, I will return to the Leighville Wal-Mart on the first of November, no matter what. If Im not there, Im either dead or captured. Talitha was good at keeping her pain inside her wall, but Eli could see it. He

watched her nod once and then he said goodbye and walked out.

Eli had two more people to see before he could return to the hideout. He knew he had to hurry if he wanted to return before someone woke up. It was nearly 4:00 AM and he had to make the fifteen minute drive back to Leighville. Halfway up George II Highway, he passed a Burning Spring Lakes police cruiser and cursed under his breath. He kept his eyes on the red taillights in the rearview. When he saw them brake, he mashed the pedal. The Sable went around a bend at 65 miles per hour. When he saw a place to turn off, he slowed and made a right turn onto a side street. Then he turned the car around and parked it on the side of the road, facing the highway. Eli switched off the lights. Seconds later, the squad car, a new model Chevy Impala, sped past at 70 MPH. He didnt appear to have seen the parked Mercury. Eli inched forward along the slippery grass until he could see both ways down the highway. The cop was nowhere in sight. So he turned on his headlights and pulled onto George II. When he finally arrived at Lydia Blacks house in Leighville, he parked the car in the lawn and turned it off. He sat there for a minute, trying to figure out what he was going to say or do. He knew that Lydia was living with her mother and step-father, though she never stayed in one place very long. However, Lydia loved her mother and was the favorite daughter, so Eli knew she would always return here. Eli stepped out of the car and closed the door silently. He took a quick look

around. Michelle Blacks property was not especially large, but it was adequate. There was an uncut backyard and a recently cut front yard. Beside the double-wide trailer was Michelles Nissan Xterra and her husbands older pickup truck. The house was on a corner, with a ditch running along the larger street in front of the house, making the side of the house the most accessible. Fortunately, Eli knew Michelle well enough that shed let him in without too much explanation. Eli just hoped she had not seen the news. He stood on the porch and rang the doorbell. He waited for almost a minute before an older woman with dark shoulderlength hair came to the door. She had clearly just been asleep. She opened the door behind the screen door. Yeah, whos that? Michelle Black asked, squinting as she tried to make out who it was on her porch. Um, its Elijah, stammered Eli. Elijah McDonnell. I need to talk to your daughter, Lydia. Its really important. Is everything alright? the concerned mother said, blinking the tired away as she leaned against the doorframe and opened the screen door. Eli inhaled deeply and nodded slowly. Uh, yeah. I mean, its nothing to worry about, Michelle. The woman nodded blearily. Come on in, Eli. When Eli knocked on Lydias bedroom door, she opened it immediately. Eli lowered his hand and blinked, shocked that she answered so fast. He peered into her eyes and saw similar surprise.

Something told me someone was coming, Lydia told Elijah. Wasnt expecting you. Whats up? I didnt wake you, did I? asked Eli. Lydia shook her head and opened the door completely. Come in, dude. Eli looked Lydia up and down. She was in her underwear, which consisted of black lace and a big T-shirt with some anime character on the front. Eli sighed and sat down on the foot of Lydias bed. She climbed into the bed and rested on her side, not particularly interested in looking at Elijah. Somethings happened. Have you seen the news? Eli asked. I dont really watch the news, said Lydia. But my mom doeswhen shes super bored. Eli leaned forward and rubbed his tired eyes before he began wringing his hands nervously. Remember when we talked aboutrunning away together and killing badguys and shit? Lydia turned onto her back and looked up at the back of Elis head. You cut your hair. Yeah, Eli said. Anyway, do you remember that? Sure. Well, the police think Ive committed a crime or something so now I have to disappear. Ive got about a dozen friends helping me. I aint really sure why theyre helping me, why theyre coming with me. Most of them have families and livesI think

theyre gonna realize how serious this is and come back. Lydia sat up behind Eli. If Eli had looked over his shoulder, he would have seen the utter worry and fear in her blue eyes. She said, Im sorry. Eli smiled briefly, shaking his head. Its not your fault, hun. I mean, for everything, Lydia explained. How I treated you. All of it. I just well, you know. Eli turned on the bed and looked at her. Yeah, I know. Can you decide to come nowor not? Lydia looked down at the bed sheets that she was toying with. I dont know. Its so Sudden, said Eli. Scary, Lydia said, staring into his eyes. Ive got my mom and thats pretty much it I know, said Eli. And if you lose her, you lose yourself. Right? Lydia smiled at the only man who knew her as well as he did. Something like that. Eli stood up. If you wanna come with me, you can bring your mom, but thats it. Meet me at the big gas station on the corner of George II and Highway 17, if you choose to come with me, ok Lydia? Lydia clambered off the bed and gave Eli a hug. Eli smiled, looking over Lydias

shoulder at the open oak chest on the floor in the corner. He could see the purple rose and love letter he gave to her on top. She had been reading the letter before he showed up. Eli pulled from the hug and touched Lydias cheek with the palm of his hand. Everything is going to be ok, sweetheart. Lydia frowned and backed away, wiping a tear from her eye. Eli, I have something to tell you

Elijah knew that by the time he reached Shallotte, it would be almost 5 AM. He had to hurry. He raced south on Highway 17 and encountered no resistance until he was preparing to turn off the interstate. Headlights appeared in the rear view mirror, and then vanished. For a moment, Eli assumed that the driver had simply turned off the road. He relaxed for a minute and slowed to make the right turn onto the exit ramp. As he did so, Eli saw a parked, unlit Shallotte police car parked in the grass on the left, facing the direction Eli was headed. Thanks to the Sables headlights, Eli saw the single police officer turn look at the oncoming sedan in his rear view mirror. Eli was aware that he was driving slightly too fast for the curved exit, but if he was not a wanted felon, he would not have done what he did. Eli accelerated and sharply turned the wheel, causing the 2003 Mercury to drift around the semi-circle. Once the straight-away was ahead of him, Eli firmly gripped the steering wheel and sped forward. He came to Whiteville Road and took a sharp right. A glance in his rear view mirror afforded him the sight of blue flashing lights. He saw the lights before he

even saw the Crown Victoria. It was at this point that Eli realized that it had been occurring a lot this year. Look at the dashboard. Eli glimpsed the needle on the gas gauge going beneath Empty. He growled as the sedan sped across an overpass. On the other side of the overpass, Eli saw three more police cars blocking his path. He quickly examined his surroundings and found that unless he wanted to crash through a roadblock or a barrier on either side of the road, he was going to have to surrender. So Eli stopped the car as far right as he could and turned the car off. He sat there as still as possible, gripping the wheel tightly with sweating hands. The police cruisers ahead of him did not move. The one to the rear pulled over behind him. The police officer came over to the drivers window and Eli lowered it. The officer said, Did you know I was there when you pulled that little stunt, Mister? Eli shook his head, but said nothing. He was confused as to why the man was not arresting him for being a fugitive. The officer continued, Why did you keep speeding after I put on my lights? I dunno, shrugged Eli. Got scared I was goin to jail, I guess. You know, said the cop, you look just like a man Wilmington Police have in custody. They circulated his photo. Apparently though, he was released into Federal custody. You aint him, are ya?

Eli chuckled nervously. Yeah, Im a state-sponsored terrorist. Pffft. Do I look like I would be someone the Feds would be interested in? The cop chuckled. Alright, man. Can I see your license and registration? Aw man, said Eli, pulling out his wallet. I just bought this car from a Justin Rhodes in Leighville. I dont have it registered in my name yet. He handed the cop his ID. And your driving it like NASCAR, son? That aint too wise. Alright, Ill be right back. Eli watched the flashing cars ahead turn and drive away; one by one, their blue flashing lights stopped flashing. Eli sighed with relief until the officer came back to the window. He handed Eli his ID. Well, Im gonna give you that ticket for reckless driving, said the cop. But Ill let you slide on the speeding. Its not a good idea to go drifting around here. You might run into one of these cops round here who thinks hes a regular Fast and Furious wannabe, try to chase your ass and write you up for everything under the sun. Eli laughed anxiously as he took the ticket from the cop. Yeah, Ive had to deal with those before, but usually I havent even done anything major. Like swerving or speeding slightly. One time I got pulled for driving one mile an hour too slow. But those cops were from Leighville and Southend. The officer nodded and smiled. Alright, sir. You have a good night. Drive safe. Eli nodded back and said, Thank you, sir. Then he started the car and slowly drove back onto the road.

Minutes later, Eli arrived at a 24-hour Wal-Mart supercenter. He parked near the grocery entrance and went inside. He found a manager and asked her if Ember was working. She told him that Ember had not been to work in several days. Eli left the Wal-Mart with a sinking feeling in his gut.

*** Daren sat in the back of a black Chrysler 300. Beside him was a man in a suit and shades. Driving the luxury sedan was another man in a suit and shades. Daren sighed, staring out at the sunrise. He glanced down at his digital watch. It was 6:30. Bloody hell, whispered the half-Irish Federal asset, would you stoic buggers please tell me where were going? When they didnt reply, Daren groaned. Bleeding bureaucratic basterds. The Chrysler turned off the paved road and onto a gravel road, both sides of which was shadowed by trees and foliage. Daren cleared his throat. He was beginning to worry. He scratched the part of his scar that unnaturally creased his forehead. Finally the black sedan came to a slow halt outside what appeared to be a twostory safe-house. There were guards on the roof with AK-47s, M4 carbines, and sniper rifles. There were sentinels patrolling the grounds and two men stood guard in front of the heavy metal door. Both the driver and the man sitting next to Daren exited the vehicle. Daren did as well, taking a quick look around. He swaggered confidently from the Chrysler up the path that led to the safe-house. Once inside, he was greeted by friendly faces: his NSA

handlers. Dont bloody scare me like that, mate, Daren told one of the NSA operatives. Your agents didnt say a damn word the whole way up here. The two men shook hands. The NSA operative laughed, which made Daren even more nervous. Oh come now, Daren, chuckled the operative. I told my agents not to say anything due to the sensitivity of your next assignment. Daren knew he was lying but didnt press it. What assignment? Please, the operative said, have a seat. Daren sat down around a square table with his handler in addition to three other men. He didnt recognize the other men, but they made him uneasy. Freeman, Daren said pointedly to his handler, what the fuck is goin on here? Who are these people? He gestured at the other men at the table. Freeman introduced them. Daren, this is Harry Goldman. He gestured to an elderly white gentleman wearing a grey pin-striped suit and gold tie. He was mostly bald and had beady dark eyes. Hes in charge of, lets just say, one of Americas biggest banks with several connections to international money-lending institutions. Daren just looked confused. He chose not to care, which alleviated much of his confusion. He glowered at the man sitting next to him. And who the fuck is this guy? Why is he bloody starin at me like that? Freeman said, This is Henry Pacinik

Before he could continue, Henry interrupted, Id be more than happy to introduce myself, Agent Freeman. My name, Daren, is Henry Pacinik, and Im staring at you because am well aware of your notoriety as an asset. However, our organization does not need notoriety, but subtlety. Im sure you understand. And what the fuck do you do? asked Daren. Henry Pacinik replied, I sell fucking encyclopedias. What the fuck do you think I do? Im the CEO of Shill, the second largest oil company in America. How the fuck would I have guessed that? Daren scoffed, turning to Freeman and jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the bespectacled middle-aged man. Is this mother fucker for real? Freeman indicated the third man with his glasses as he wiped them off with a small white handkerchief. Moving on, said the operative, who was becoming quite annoyed, this is Colonel Midas Merovingian. Hes a full time U.S. Army officer and part time soldier of fortune. Daren turned to the 40-year-old man with a mustache who, like the others, was wearing a suit. Wheres his stars? Daren asked sardonically. The Colonel replied, equally as sardonic, Probably on someone older than me. Im not a general, son. Darens upper lip trembled and he stood up slowly, his knuckles on the edge of the table. Dont call me son again, Colonel. Freeman cleared his throat and replaced his glasses upon his face. Now that we know each other, lets talk business. Daren, sit the fuck down.

Taking his seat, Darens eyes never left the Colonels. After he was seated, Daren turned dramatically to face his handler, who was seated adjacent to him. Right, said Daren. Finally. Why the bloody hell am I here? Do you recall, Freeman said, a certain operation in Allentown, PA and also Brockville, Ontario? Daren sighed, letting his eyes roll back as he looked upward. Yes, of course. That was my first mission, last year. Dont ask me to do that shit again. Those two women are too well protected. I couldnt get close. Its not them, said Merovingian. Our best thinkers believe that there is no way in hell were going to be able to stop this resistance cell from forming. We want you to infiltrate it. Daren blinked at the Colonel. Pardon? Goldman said, We want you to go to one of these many women who, for some reason, feel the need to be loyal to this Elijah McDonnell guy, and pretend to be Elijah McDonnell. The Irishman was silent, glancing back and forth between the four men to see how serious they were, and then burst out laughing. You people are bloody lunatics! he exclaimed. What, Henry Pacinik said, makes you think that? Allow me, said Daren, getting to his feet, speaking with elaborate hand motions, explain to you idiots why this is fucking impossible. Let me, if you will,

explain to your god damn dumb arses why this little operation of yours cannot succeed Just get on with it, mumbled Freeman. Last time your think-tank, Daren reminded the group with the proper handquotes, thought they had shit all planned out and thought out, they managed to get their asses handed to them by a mother fucking legion of angels and, oh, let me see He leaned forward and shouted, The fucking Remnant themselves! He cleared his throat and folded his arms over his leather-clad chest. I dont especially trust their ability to do any he paused just long enough to once again make the appropriate hand gestures, thinking. Is that all? Freeman asked, knowing it wasnt. Daren continued as he paced the room. Let us please delve back into the minds of the men and women we call our enemies, shall we? Most of them would never surrender, never denounce their god, and never fall for someone who just so happens to look like their friend and leader Daren leaned over Merovingians shoulder and pointed at his own face. with a mother fucking scar across his face. He walked around and sat down in his chair. Freeman and the other men just looked at him expectantly. Freeman opened his mouth to ask if that was all, but Daren interjected. Besides, Daren said, hes already warned them that clones exist for the sole purpose of infiltration and the like. Freeman quickly put in, And they know Elijah well enough to know youre not

him, right? Daren propped his feet on the table and leaned back in his chair. Pffft, Im a good enough actor, mate. That wouldnt be a problem, except for the soulmate. God damn, do I fucking hate her. What do you propose then? Colonel Merovingian inquired. A deliberate devious smirk spread across Darens unshaven face. I approach themas me. The men were silent until Freeman narrowed his eyes and leaned forward in his chair, nodding slowly. That may work. Theyre going to kill him, Pacinik blurted. He did frame the man. Daren was shaking his head as Freeman said, Not necessarily. These bastard Christians are all about forgiveness. If Daren approaches them, apparently betrayed by the Federal government Which, stated Daren, his hands interlocked behind his head, lets be honest, is probably gonna happen for real anyway Freeman ignored Darens accurate observation. And lets say he decides, perhaps, maybe to turn to God because hes seen the error of his sinful ways Daren scoffed, Come now, lets not get crazy. I think it could work, concluded Freeman. Everyone except for Harry Goldman approved of the operation. He stood up and pounded on the table with his frail boney fist. This is foolish! I say we just make

another clone of Elijah McDonnell Daren got to his feet, drew a small hidden dagger from a sheath on his right combat boot, and plunged it into the old mans ribcage. Goldman gasped and collapsed, blood draining from his face and through the hole in his side onto the floor. Nobody moved. There, said Daren, showing everyone his blood-soaked hands, now Ive made myself a traitor, an enemy of the state, a terrorist. While Pacinik and Merovingian gawked in terror, Freeman was nodding thoughtfully. I like it.

CHAPTER 13: Knights of Anathiel

December 17th, 2012 More than fifty patriots lived on a 12-acre property in Asheboro, North Carolina. The property itself was mostly forest and foothills. Several wood cabins and mobile homes were spread out on the property, but not too far that the inhabitants couldnt come to each others rescue quickly, if need be. There was no fence, as such, just a few unassuming wooden stakes with signs that demanded that nobody trespass, or otherwise theyd likely be shot on sight. There was a light flurry of snow that evening. Only a few people were outside working. Everyone else was inside, keeping warm by wood stoves and space heaters powered by diesel generators. Two of the men laboring outside were Philip Graham and Jeffrey Daniels. They were chopping wood for the stoves and fireplaces. They had to work fast, as the sun was steadily descending over the horizon. It was going to be a cold night. A dozen other patriots patrolled the boundaries of the property, rifles and handguns at the ready. One of them, John Louis, came close to the two laborers as he walked his beat. John rubbed his gloved hands together and smiled cheerfully at them, despite the thick fog of depression that affected him. Got enough wood, guys? How are you gonna get all that to the buildings? asked John.

There was quite a lot of firewood. Philip and Jeffrey had worked hard, but forgot to bring a pickup truck or wagon to haul the stuff in. Philip shivered lightly in his brown leather jacket. He smiled sheepishly. Aah. Yeah, Ill go and ask one of the guys if we can borrow their truck. Philip turned and trudged off in his heavy work boots. Jeffrey called after him, Hey man, get that flatbed. It worked good the other day. Alright, answered Philip without looking back. John said to Jeffrey, Dude, I know youve been workin hard and everything, but how can you not be cold right now, wearing that? It was true Jeffrey was wearing nothing more than a pair of jeans, boots, and a T-shirt. He shrugged and smirked. Ive been workin since noon. Aint that cold to me, man. Plus Ive grown my beard out and it helps. Suddenly, the ground began to tremor. Jeffrey and John steadied themselves against a couple of stumps. When the minor earthquake passed, they exchanged nervous glances. Man, Jeffrey moaned, those damn earthquakes have been happenin more and more. I know, John sighed. Do you think Elis contact in Alaska is gonna do it? Jeffrey looked down, screwing his face up in confusion. Do what? John said, Take out the array?

Oh. I dont know. Shes just a girl, a young girl. I dont know how many resistance people are in Alaska butI dunno, man. They stood in silence staring at the wood until Philip drove up in an old Toyota pup-truck. On the back was a flatbed trailer. Shouldnt you be patrolling? Philip asked rhetorically as he stepped out of the truck. John clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Man, I fuckin hate doin this. Its cold. Its not like anything is gonna happen. The feds have left us alone for months now, man. Philip was clearly above John in rank. He smiled and shook his head as he bent over to collect some firewood. Go patrol, dude. With a groan that let out visible carbon dioxide, John huffed off to continue his guard duty, shotgun under his arm. Jeffrey and Philip collected the wood and filled up the bed of the truck and the trailer. Then they got into the vehicle, Philip in the drivers seat, and headed back toward the center of the property. They began their route of dropping off firewood at various dwellings, hitting The Remnant House last, since that was where they lived. The Remnant House was a large wood cabin that had been built by nearly every member of The Remnant, which had grown slightly over the months. There were four windows, one on each side of the house. There were small openings in the walls of the house that were just large enough to fit the barrel of a rifle, but they were covered at the moment. Covered, no one would be able to distinguish them from the

rest of the house. There was one visible door. It was a heavy metal door that could withstand a direct barrage of .50 caliber bullets. Unlike most of the houses on the land, this one had a chimney and fireplace. The interior was Spartan, which was fitting since the spiritual warriors of the Elis resistance faction resided there. The twenty-one members of The Remnant lived in the house, their families and close friends in other accommodations throughout the 12-acre stretch of land. Eli had a very good reason for that: he trusted, in varying degrees, every member of his team, but not necessarily their families. Also The Remnant needed to stay together as much as possible in order to ward of the evil spirits that constantly assaulted them. Once Jeffrey and Philip had come in from the chill and closed the door, Eli gestured at the large dining table in the center of the candle-lit abode. Take a seat, guys. Theres something I need to tell you Jeffrey cast Philip a look of curiosity, but Philip was glancing around at the several people gathered around the big oval wooden table. They sat down and waited for Eli to speak. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts. Someone needs to tell John when he comes in tonight, ok? said Eli. Everyone either nodded or muttered acknowledgements. Eli continued, Our contacts in Ontario said that the military has completely taken over most of the cities, even the smaller towns. There were mixed reactions from his friends and family members. Those who

knew Eli best, knew why this was important to him, gasped and expressed looks of sympathy. Those who didnt know that his ex-girlfriend lived in Ontario, Canada simply glanced around in confusion, though there werent many in that category, since Eli spoke of her often. What are we gonna do? asked his sister Madeline. Eli crossed his arms in front of him, keeping his eyes down. Im going up there to save her. I need volunteers. Several people began speaking at once, but Eli heard James over most of them say enthusiastically, I would go, but I got kids, man. No fathers, no mothers, said Eli. Simon and Madeline, definetly not. Simon chuckled, We didnt wanna go anyway. Its so sad, Madeline said, her brows twisted with empathic pain. And scary, she added. Ill go, announced Elis best friend Jonah Parsons from the seat closest to Eli. Unfolding his arms, Eli placed one hand on Jonahs shoulder. Thanks, Jonny. I figured youd be the first. He smiled. Me too, said Philip. Ill go too, man. Eli nodded. Another volunteered, and then another. Two volunteers later, Eli was surprised when Lydia Black mumbled, Ill help you. Her voice was nearly inaudible. She was a shy girl and hated speaking up in front of a lot of people, unless she was in the throes

of excitement. She looked pointedly at Eli from a chair only a couple feet to his left and added, Ill help you get your ex-girlfriend. Eli nodded and went to give her a hug. Thank you, Lydia. Ten minutes later, Eli was sitting by himself on the concrete blocks that made the front steps of The Remnant House. He was huddled forward, his hands deep in the pockets of his black leather jacket. He could hear everyone inside, talking and preparing for supper. He glanced at his watch as he saw John approach. It was five till 9:00 PM. Youre early, Eli said with a weak smile before rubbing his cold nose. You still got five minutes. I can smell the food from all the way out there, John said, stopping in front of Eli. Besides, my replacement showed up. Whats with you? Eli shrugged. Remember that girl in Canada I told you about? Im goin to get her. Sweet, John said with newfound motivation. When do we leave? Eli had figured the once-suicidal John Louis would want to go on a reckless mission that had a high risk factor. He smirked and stood up with a groan. His knees were getting worse, like many other veterans and industrial workers all over America. The things the government had put in the water, vaccines, and been allowed to flourish in the unsafe industrial world had been designed to slow-kill people, and it seemed that it was working. I dunno, man, groaned Eli as he leaned against the closed door. When he

remembered that John had been on guard duty for the last couple hours in the cold, and probably wanted to be in the warmth of the house, Eli stepped aside. He then said, Probably tomorrow or the next day. Alright, said John. Ill pack tonight. He headed for the door, but noticing Elis reserved demeanor, John stopped just short of the steps and asked, You alright, dude? Eli shrugged. If he was a smoker, hed probably have chain-smoked half a dozen cigarettes since he had come outside. He looked over at John and then past him into the dark forest several meters away. Just thinkin about things, man. Sonya LydiaEmber and Tali. Lydia chose to come with us, man, butEmber and Tali He sighed, looking down. I feel like an idiot. Yeah, said John, you got girl problems. Welcome to the club, dude. He patted Eli on the shoulder. But hey, well save em one day. Youll feel better once we find Sonya, right? Eli nodded, forcing a thin smile. Yeah. Yeah, man, Ill be good. Thanks. Now get in there and get something to eat. John happily complied, stepping past Eli and entering the house. John stood there holding the door open. Come on, man. With a sigh and a relenting smile, Eli stepped through the door and closed it behind him. *** The ground and trees were dead and broken. The snow on the ground had a

brown tint to it and the sky was almost black with clouds. Every few seconds, lightning would strike somewhere nearby. There was a dilapidated single-story house on the corner of the cracked street. The rusted chain link fence around the house was half fallen. A lonely swing swayed with the wind like a creaky pendulum, barely held up by a dead trees largest limb, which was broken down at an angle. On the street was a convoy of five military vehicles, but the speed at which they appeared to be moving was negligible. Anathiel was an angel with the appearance of a female, though spirits do not have a gender. She was a fallen angel, one who had been worshiped in Egypt, as Anat, and in Mesopotamia as Antu. Muslims knew her as Al-lat. Anathiels demonic titan son, Shamgar, and often misrepresented daughter Ashtoreth, stood by her as they watched the military convoy with pride. Anathiels image was that of a warrior woman, with shrunken heads tied around her waist and hands sewn into a sash that wrapped diagonally around her torso. Human blood soaked her lower legs. Aside from the sash of hands, her only other piece of apparel was a long skirt of hide. In the unholy angels right hand was a bow. There was no evidence of the ammunition, however, anywhere on her person. Shamgar wore animal skins and carried a club in one hand and a sword in the other. Ashtoreth was the most radical of the trio. She was a succubus. When she would take solid form, she looked human, but in the spirit world she had cloven hooves, leathery wings with gripping claws, and wore scant armor over her smooth, sensually moving body. Her hair was long, black, and messy. Unlike her brutish brother, Ashtoreth was cunning and not without skill in the ways of seduction, and it

showed. A long sword hung from her belt. Anathiel smirked devilishly as she stared coldly at the military convoy. Despite her icy stare, Anathiel was gorgeous and appeared as an angel of light. She wore a long, flowing white Ionic chiton, a classical Greek style garment of fine materials that was held up at the shoulders. On the angels back was a circular, mirrored shield. Her golden, scaled breast armor was tight, mostly covered by her loose-fitting garment. She wore a golden war helmet high on her head, her round, brutally attractive fully visible. Anathiel had full, but narrow lips and deeply recessed, unwavering dark eyes. However, her aloof, wicked bearing was thrown into sharp relief when Ashtoreth used her Hellenistic name. Athena, Ashtoreth hissed sensually, we have been commanded by Baal to bring him his precious oracle. Yet you stand there grinning like an inane child. Let us move forward, mother. Her tone in the last word was clearly meant to strike at Anathiel. The angel turned to the demon. Ashtoreth, your vigor and desire for action is admirable. She glowered at Ashtoreths arrogant smile. However, if you once more address me as you have, either by my Greek name or in an attempt to mock me, I will lash you to within an inch of your life. Anathiel turned her back on Ashtoreth as a gesture. Contrasting Ashtoreths voice, Anathiels was slightly more husky and deep. Shamgar said, Your knights have arrived, my Queen. She inhaled deeply, a purely emotional act, and clasped her hands together, smiling just slightly. Before the trio of dark spirits were twelve more dark spirits. They were all male, each of them wearing black medieval armor complete with helmets that

masked their face and mounted on haunting, ghostly steeds. Riders of RanLa! Anathiel proclaimed, You are now known as the Knights of Anathiel! You will obey my orders as if they are from RanLa. Acknowledge. In perfect unison, the knights answered, their echoing voices in no way impeded by their faceplates, Acknowledged, my Queen. Ashtoreth told the knights, Your orders are to take human form and bring to us the soul known as Sonya Sarah Keeley. The knights again spoke as one, their shining red eyes locked onto Anathiel. Your wishes are my command, Queen Cydonia. Anathiel growled. My name is Anathiel. This is not Greece, imbeciles. Shamgar interrupted the knights, saying, You said my command. Do you knights act as one? The knights declared, I am one soul with many bodies. Ashtoreth chuckled. I will enjoy the events that are going to take place very soon. Calm your enthusiasm, Anathiel commanded. To the knights she said, Go forth and bring me Sonya Sarah Keeley. Or be damned to Tartarus for eternity. One of the knights reared his horse up on its hind legs. I will not be damned to Tartarus. My place will forever be with RanLa. My damnation is eternal service to the one who was and will be but never is. Shamgar shook his head, confused. I do not understand. He turned to

Anathiel. Theyhe seems to be speaking of the Creator. Who is this RanLa character, my Queen? Anathiel eyed the collective of knights acquisitively and shook her head at Shamgar. This is unknown to me, Shamgar. I only know that Baal has vouched for RanLa and these this wondrous and powerful destroyer. Be gone and be about your business, Knights of Anathiel! A few of the horses snorted before they were all reared back and the knights let out a soul-shattering battle cry. Then they turned and galloped away at a great speed, going the same direction as the Canadian military convoy.

Chapter 14: Sweet Sorrow

December 18th, 2012 A half a dozen classic American automobiles and a 2003 Sable were parked, ready to depart from The Remnants hideout. Justin Rhodes and several others stood by the boundary of the wooded property, their firearms at the ready, while Elijah and his search party bid farewell to their friends and family. Eli gave his much shorter brother a hug. You behave, alright? Eli, Simon moaned, pulling away with a sheepish grin. What am I gonna do? he asked in a surprised, high-pitched voice. Were in the middle of the woods. The man tousled Simons blond hair and turned to say goodbye to Madeline, who had tears running down her face. A few feet away, Lydia was talking to her mother, Michelle. Im gonna be fine. Dont worry. You better be, said Michelle sternly, but with a clear expression of anxiety contorting her face, namely around her eyes. Eli better take good care of my little girl. Eli overheard and, after hugging his distraught sister, walked over to where Lydia and Michelle were standing. Lydias two sisters were standing by their mother as well. Well be back in a few days, Eli said, and then gave Michelle a pointed, meaningful look. Remember what I told you, ok? Michelle nodded with a sharp intake of breath. Just be safe, she said, her

voice hushed as she tried to contain her fear. Samantha was speaking with her brothers Max and Jared. then were gonna head back, through Dakota. New York authorities would likely be waiting for us. Max nodded his understanding. Ah. Gotcha. Well, I wish I could go, but I gotta look after my bonehead brother and Im not that great at driving anyway. His petite sister smiled and gave Max a hug, and then Jared. Everythings gonna be alright, I hope. Theophilus and Philip were arguing over their vehicles. The Duster, Theo said, is faster than your Nissan, man. Yeah, conceded Philip, before pointing out, but my Nissan is less conspicuous, Theo. Their mother walked over to the two men, shaking her head with a disbelieving smile. You two are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime and youre debating about which vehicle to take? Philip, youre takin the El Dorado, Eli told him, walking over with Lydia. Justin interjected, Hey, man, you cant just let people drive my cars whenever you want. Eli almost laughed. Dude, trust me, alright? Hes gonna need the Caddy for this mission. Dont worry, Justin. Hell take good care of it He patted Philip on the back. Right buddy? Philip nodded slowly, saying with a bemoaning smile, Sure.

Jeffrey closed the door to the pickup truck he would be driving and walked over. Justins jaw was set as he glared at him. The truck Jeffrey had exited belonged to Justin, who was very possessive and sentimental about his vehicles. Eli understood this, because he was too. But times like these called for compromise, and Justin had grudgingly agreed. Mandy Watson walked over totting a pump-action shotgun. Yall ready to go or what? she asked with a grin. Yeah man, said Eli. Wheres Jonny? He turned and looked around. Jonah was running across the way, having just come from the Remnant House. In one hand was a duffel bag. In the other was an AR-15 assault rifle. Eli looked beyond Jonah and saw his mother, father, and sister standing in front of the Remnant House, holding each other as they tearfully watched him go. Nodding, Eli turned to Justin. You know the deal, said Eli. You, my brother and sister, Tobias, and Chris are the committee. No one of you is in charge more than the others. Every decision you make must be unanimous and in the best interest of the group. Alright? Justin nodded, still not happy about Elis team taking his two vehicles. Eli headed for his RoadRunner. Good, he said. Then he shouted, Mount up! Lydia called Eli and ran up behind him. He turned and caught her as she giggled and threw herself into him. They held each other for several seconds. Just in case, Lydia whispered in his ear. Thank you, for everything.

Eli pulled back and narrowed his eyes, gazing into hers. Its gonna be ok, Lydia. She nodded. I know. With a smile she turned and ran for her dark purple 83 Mustang. A full smirk on his face, Eli pulled open the drivers door to his Plymouth and slinked inside. Once everyone was in their cars or trucks and ready to depart, Eli started his engine and revved it. The Remnant and their friends and family cheered. All of Elis rescue party began to rev their engines at once, creating a cacophony of V8 power and blowing smoke. Michelle, the Sharpton siblings, and Justin moved away from the loud automobiles. Then, with his hand waving out the window, Elis muscle car rolled across the property line and onto a narrow, barely visible dirt path, with eight other cars behind him.

The Remnants rescue party which Eli and the group decided to call the Liberators was traveling down a two-lane highway between foothills and a mountain range. They had left their sanctuary at 8 AM and it was almost 9 AM when Eli announced over the CB that he wanted to return to Leighville before heading north toward Canada. Why? asked Mandy. After a pause, Eli replied, There are some people I need to see. He released the button on the CB handset for a second, and then pressed it again, adding, Im

pretty sure Ember and Talitha and, uh, Aymee are gonnayou know, Im sure theyre gonna wanna join. Nobody said anything for a few seconds. Then, cautiously, Philip said, Uh, do we need more people to help Serenity? Eli had decided that Sonyas codename for this mission would be Serenity. He lifted the handset to his mouth again and answered, Well, it couldnt hurt, right? Besides, and more importantly, I think it gives them the opportunity to join us, as Christians, true patriots, if not Liberators. You know? Lydias voice came over the channel. Eli could discern from her tone that she was uncomfortable with the situation. Hey, Rebel Knight. Umthats a good idea and all, but dont you think getting Serenity out of her town, which is taken over by the Army, is more important right now? Eli smiled. She was right. Talitha and Ember and Aymee, and even Sean could all wait. If they really wanted to know the truth and join the winning side, they would do it; they did not need Eli to convince them. He nodded and sighed, chuckling to himself. Alright guys, he said, were heading north. He smirked as another thought came to him and then he declared over the CB, But were stoppin in Pennsylvania on the way. Rebel Knight out

CHAPTER 15: The Loss

Hosea 13:8 - "I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them." Tasha Everett wanted to get in touch with her family in Washington State and Alaska, but knew that if she did, she would be putting them in danger. It had been about a year since her kidnap and rape by the fallen angel Raphan. As a result, shed given birth to what had quickly grown into a giant, the first one of the century. She detested what Raphan had done to her, but could do nothing about it. She escaped only by the grace of God, and made it out of New England just to find herself in a Canadian town that had been taken over by the a military unit. Now she was hiding in a condemned trailer hoping no one would find her. She lived day by day, scavenging for food, because she knew that if she tried to find a job, shed be on the radar, of both the government and the fallen angels. Because Tasha turned her soul to God and had seen the evidence of the Devils dark minions, God had allowed Tasha the gift of seeing her guardian angels. There were two of them. One walked in front of her and one trailed behind her. When she was standing still, however, they moved to her right and left side. The angels appeared to Tasha as golden lights, barely visible to her eyes. But she could feel them, sure enough. When she would place her hand near an angel, Tasha would receive the sensation of an electro-magnetic field up her hand or arm, a minor tingling.

At that moment, Tasha was sitting in her temporary ramshackle home downing a half empty 20 oz. bottle of soda and a slightly moldy burrito with flies buzzing it. She angrily waved away the flies, but theyd be back. When she heard the rumbling of a military convoy, Tasha crept toward the busted window and stared out, keeping low. Four big, armored monsters of trucks rolled past the house along the street. They were the trucks used to intimidate the public, to run down other vehicles with ease, and to withstand everything from small arms fire to moderately sized rockets. She turned from the window and went back to her burrito. There was nothing for it. What could she do to help this small town? Nothing. Shed eat her food and move on to the next town. Shed keep going west until she could cross the border into North Dakota. Tasha knew that North Dakota was a battle zone. Resistance factions were stronger there than almost any other state of America. Tasha half fell to the floor in front of her meal, for which she was eternally grateful. For the third time since she got it, she prayed and thanked the Lord for the food. Though she did not know the words to what mainstream Christianity called The Lords Prayer, it clearly resonated in her consciousness: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Tasha laughed to herself, and at herself. Her laugh was somewhat of a squealing bout of insanity as she collapsed onto her side. She began weeping, apologizing for her past sins and for forsaking God. She looked up at the angels standing there, simple lights in the outlines of men. They just stood there, watching her, their eyes never leaving her. Tasha could have sworn she saw a tear drop from one angels face. Without thinking anymore about it, she got to her feet and made for the door. She wanted to get out of Brockland as soon as possible. Wait one more day, my child She stopped in her tracks and glowered up through the holes in the ceiling and at the forming clouds in the blue sky. What am I to do? she screamed. Im so scared and filthy! Get me out of here! What are you waiting for? Wait one more day, my child. Then go west, but do not go south. Fine! Tasha shouted. Then she started crying again, her hands going up to her face. Fine, she whimpered. ***

The Liberators were taking I-81. Some of them thought it was a bad idea to be driving on a main interstate and Eli agreed, but they had to get to Ontario fast, and

taking the back roads would simply take way too long. Two hours after they embarked on their mission, they were cruising through southern Virginia at 80 miles per hour. At the front of the pack was John Louis in a grey 1990 Pontiac Trans AM. This is Red Loki, he called over the air to the Liberators. Theres a car up ahead. Cant tell what it is yet. A slight tremor shook the interstate. The Liberators did not mind it; the Earth was being changed, transformed by both the spiritual realm and the government. They ignored it for the most part, continuing forth. Eli picked up his handset. Loki, Rebel Knight, called Eli. I want you to speed up there and see if you can find out, alright? I wanna know what it is before I try to make a game plan. Liberators, get into position. While the grey Trans AM pulled away from the rest of the team, Eli put on some rock music and the pickup trucks moved up to the front of the formation. The song that played in Elis RoadRunner was not limited to his car, but was also resounding from the speakers of his teams convoy. The song was Time Is Running Out by Muse. Though Eli consciously hoped and prayed that more time was given so they could complete their mission. Almost a minute later, Johns voice came back over the sound system: Its a black SUV. Theres a decal on the backshit ! The scout was abruptly cut off. Eli yelled Johns call sign over the air but there was no response. He snarled and stomped on the gas. The big V8 roared, lifting the front of the muscle car up slightly as Rebekah hurtled forward. Jonah and Jeffrey

barely had enough time to accelerate their pickup trucks in order to keep from being rear-ended. A split second later, they were all speeding up the interstate at over a hundred miles per hour. Soon they all spotted Johns Trans AM on the side of the road. It had been knocked off course by something. Eli and the others slowed down and combat-parked, readying their pistols and rifles for anything. Everyone stay in the cars! Eli ordered and leaped out of his own. Eli rushed over to the battered Pontiac and struggled with the door. He could see John still in the vehicle, his head red with blood. Johns reddish-orange hair did nothing to hide the crimson fluid. Finally, on the third try, Eli had managed to yank the passenger door open. John! Eli shouted. The young man moaned and lifted his head. He tried to speak but his words were slurred. Eli reached in and moved Johns head slightly so he could see the wound. It didnt look bad, but Eli figured the crash had given John a concussion. He emerged from the car and motioned for two of his friends to come over. Lydia and Theo came to the rescue. They pulled John out of the car and carried him, carefully, over to Philips El Dorado. Philip had already opened the back door. They set him down and Philip helped adjust John in the backseat so that he was comfortable. Then Philip, Lydia, Theo, and Eli stood and looked at each other. We cant let him sleep, Philip told them what they were all thinking. Eli said, his hands up by his mouth, Philip, you gotta get him to a hospital,

man. He shook his head and grimaced. God damn it, this sucks. Who the fuck? One SUV? Seriously, one SUV did this? I mean, he didnt say how close he was but I cant imagine hed be dumb enough to get right up on him. Philip said, Ill talk to him. See what happened. Then Ill call you on your burner, alright? Eli patted Philips back and nodded. Alright, man. Wait, Lydia said, turning to Eli and beckoning him away from the group. My gift Eli was shaking his head before shed even started talking. He said, Youre new to this. Youre new to all of this, ok? I dont think you can do it. Lydia scoffed, Oh, thats Christian of you. Excuse me, Eli said, brows raised. I dont got time for this. John doesnt have time for this. Sonya doesnt either. The best thing to do is to get him to a hospital, ok? It doesnt hurt to try, Lydia scowled, arms crossing over her chest. Fine, snapped Eli. Hurry up. He walked behind her as Lydia moved back to the Caddy. Open the door, they both told Theo and Philip. Theo was closest to the back door, so he opened it. Lydia knelt on the interstate, slowly moving her hands toward Johns blood-soaked skull. She swallowed hard, glanced away in disgust, and then looked back. She placed her hands around the gash on his scalp and closed her eyes.

Whats she doing? Philip asked Eli quietly. Eli explained, Trying to heal him. Shes an empath, Philip, as am I. But Ive never tried to heal anyone. This is her first time. I told her she wasnt ready When it became evident to Eli that Lydia was not succeeding, he turned away and shook his head. Another minor quake gradually began beneath the Liberators feet. Lydia did not stop. The quake continued, increasing in intensity. Eli was about to make Lydia stop, but Theo caught his arm. Hold on, Theo said. Eli, Theo, and Philip stood there and watched Lydia. They could only see her back and had no idea whether or not Lydias power was working, until she stood up, seconds after the tremor ceased, and turned to face them, her eyes watery and bottom lip quivering. Im sorry, she whimpered. Then she collapsed, her knees scraping the pavement as she sobbed, Hes gone.

CHAPTER 16: Lion of God

2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken

in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. Ariel watched Tasha sleep, curled up on the floor, shivering in the dark. The feminine fallen angel grinned, and then put on a visage of concern as she leaned down to awaken the young lady. Tasha woke up with a start before the angel could touch her. Tasha put a small, dull blade up to Ariels throat. Who are you and what are you doing here? Ariel feigned terror and backpedaled across the room, her back up against a wall. Oh my God, Im so so sorry. I was justhiding from the army guys out there. Standing up slowly, Tasha kept the weapon pointed out in front of her. Whats your name? she asked. Ariel, Ariel said. Angel.

Tasha had no idea why she thought that. She figured it mustve come from God, and lowered her blade cautiously to her side. What are you doing here? I told you, Ariel said, Im hiding from the soldiers. Right, said Tasha doubtfully. She examined Ariels appearance. Ariel was wearing a short, ragged dark brown sleeveless sundress with a green floral design that coiled down the center. She also wore a large tan belt and brown leather sandals. Her skin was smudged with what looked like soot, though Tasha dismissed it as dirt. The stranger looked to be no more than 16 years old. Ariel was almost six feet tall, slender, and had narrow hips. Her eyes were a striking brown color, and Tasha found it a bit frightening that she could see flecks of gold in them as well. Ariels hair too was brown, long and coiled around her head like a crown. Are you alright? Ariel asked, sensing the young ladys nervousness. I can stay here, cant I? Just till the patrol goes by. It was at that point Tasha finally noticed that her accent was that of the American mid-west. Why are you in Canada? You sound like youre from Arizona or something. Listen, Ariel said. We dont have time for this. I was sent here to help you. Eli sent me. Eli? Tasha said, thinking. Eli who? McDonnell. Tasha gulped, taking a step back. I havent heard from inwell, since

Yes, I know, said Ariel. Im a friend of his. Raising the knife again, Tasha took a step back. So you didnt just come in here to get away from the soldiers. This is no coincidence! Shh, said Ariel, her finger to her lips. Of course not. But I really am hiding from them. They dont like me very much. Im on their watch list. Tasha again lowered the knife. You cant hurt me, she said flatly. Ariel looked as if she was confused. What are you talkin about? Im not here to hurt you. Im here to help, if I can. We need to get to North Dakota. Tasha sighed. Thats where I was headed. Tonight well move out, alright? Sounds like a plan, Ariel said, a small smile playing at the edges of her mouth. Tasha sat down heavily on the floor, her knees pulled up toward her face and arms wrapped around them. I thought he was crazy, you know. A tear streamed down her face. Ariel cocked her head sideways and sat down in front of her, keeping her hands in plain view on her knees as she sat Indian-style. Why? All his talk about religion and God. Then he sent some messages about some New World Order. I totally thought he was crazy. She laughed weakly. No, Ariel said, you didnt. You just didnt wanna believe. Tasha looked at Ariel, her smile becoming less self-pitying and more agreeable. Youre right, she said, and then added, of course. She laughed, despite

herself. Knock knock, came a females voice from outside. As Tasha struggled to her feet, Ariel leaped up in one fluid motion. The door was kicked open and three individuals entered. Ariel put her fists up. Tasha backed into a corner, confused and afraid. Who the hell are they? Tasha cried. Anathiel, Shamgar, and Ashtoreth stepped through the door one by one, each holding a weapon. Anathiel chuckled at Ariels apparent harmless state. Lion of God, Anathiel said in her beautifully coarse voice, youve taken human form, it appears, permanently. Oh how I do not envy you. Ariel said, Dont underestimate me, bitch. Tasha turned around and put her nose in the corner of the house, tightly twisting the handle of the knife in her sweaty hands. She repeatedly mumbled, God keep me safe. Anathiel ordered Shamgar, Send this abomination to the Abyss, my son. Shamgar stepped around his mother bearing a huge grin. He raised his club and sword, swinging them gently beside him. Before he could raise one or the other to attack, however, Ariel raised her hands as if she were going to release an arrow from a bow. As she did this, a wooden bow materialized in her grasp. Shamgar snarled ferociously and lunged at Ariel as she drew back the string of the bow. An arrow too materialized and she shot it squarely at the giants chest. It lodged between his breasts

and he collapsed forward. Ariel sidestepped and watched him fall on his face, dead. Like I said, Ariel sneered, I still have a few tricks up my sleeves. Magic! Anathiel scoffed. Nothing compared to what I can do! Anathiel spread her wings, which had been concealed behind her up until that point, and took one step forward. At the same time, she raised her left hand and sent a wave of energy at Ariel that sent her soaring backwards and down the hall of the rundown shack. Ashtoreth was slowly making her way toward Tasha. It appears this one has just given birth, she informed her companion, apparently unconcerned that her brother had just been slain. I can smell it on her, Anathiel intoned with distaste. She must be the one Raphan took. I will take her back to him No! Anathiel snapped. We leave her. We have our orders and she is not within our jurisdiction. Ashtoreth released an animalistic growl as she turned on her cloven heel and brusquely stormed out of the house. Anathiel smirked at the timid Tasha and cast a hateful glance in the direction of the dazed Ariel. Then she too departed from the house, leaving Tasha to slide down the corner of the room and fall onto her side on the floor, muttering and smiling and crying all at the same time as what appeared to be insanity began to overtake her.

The sun was setting beneath the horizon. With the epic orchestral band City of the Fallen performing Rise of the Elect over the sound system in Elis RoadRunner, he led the Liberators into Pennsylvania. They came to the city of Harrisburg and discovered a problem. There was a military checkpoint on the bridge over the Susquehanna River just outside of the city. We could go around, Jeffrey offered over the CB. Eli returned with, Go ahead, rear vehicles first. Starting with Samantha in the Mercury Sable, one by one, Elis convoy began backing up and taking a right turn onto Enola road, parallel with the river. The last person to take the detour was Eli. That was when the military personnel and Enforcers down on the bridge spotted a blacked out muscle car doing something suspicious and called it in. We need to move fast, guys, Eli said. I think they saw me. The half a dozen or so cars sped for Harvey Taylor Bridge, which was a speeders five minute drive away. Not too far behind them, several black SUVs, patrol cars, and military humvees rolled off the larger bridge. They gunned their engines and wailed their sirens. We may as well go back now! Jonah said. Were gonna get separated and lost in Harrisburg.

Eli considered the possibility, but decided the risk was worth taking. If we turn back now, well be caught. Or at least some of us will be, and Id rather get lost and separated than lose a friend to the cops or death. Samantha warned, Theyre comin from in front of us too! Shit! Eli grumbled before picking up the handset again. Just go straight! They wont play chicken! Unfortunately, Eli was wrong. The car that collided head-on with Samanthas Sable was one of the new automatic Enforcement interceptors, similar to Predator Drones, but for the ground. Though she wore a seatbelt, Samantha died on impact. Oh my God! Lydia exclaimed as she drove past the destroyed vehicles. Eli wiped his sweating face, a look of fear and guilt in his eyes. Just get to the bridge! he told everyone. Eli passed the wreck, trying not to look over at it. He then passed two other Enforcement cars, though they were occupied by human drivers. They pulled out behind him and gave chase on Front Street. Its an overpass! yelled Theo from his Duster in the front of the convoy. Were gonna have to take a right on Stella! Do it! Eli answered, swerving his Plymouth around Mandys Chevy and coming up behind the Duster. Elis car was right beside Lydias Mustang. He looked over at her and mouthed, Are you ok?

She nodded shakily and swallowed visibly, her eyes moist with fear. The Duster ahead took a sharp right onto Stella Street. Then the RoadRunner did the same, followed by Lydias Mustang. Eli discovered a roadblock of two Crown Victorias at the intersection of Stella and Second. He again picked up the CB. Pickups, take em. Slowing only slightly, Eli moved to the right side, along with Lydia, as the Chevy pickup trucks roared up the center of the road. Pedestrians and other drivers scattered quickly. The cops tried to put their cruisers in gear to move, but were too late. Mandys truck took the brunt of the collision, hitting the two squad cars where their rear-ends joined. They swayed and their tires chirped as they slid along the pavement out of the way. Jonahs Cheyenne nudged the closest Crown Vic further out of their path and onto the sidewalk. Mandys pickup was done. It came to a grinding halt halfway between Stella and the Taylor Bridge Bypass. Jeffrey stopped to pick her up in the 72 Ford. In the lead again, Elis RoadRunner powered viciously onto the bridge going up the wrong ramp. Several cars had to pull off to the side to allow him and the Liberators passage. One guy in a little Honda tried to be brave, slowing in an attempt to stop in front of Eli. The push-bar on the front of his RoadRunner rammed the Honda Hybrid hard, shoving it back up the ramp and onto the bridge. Eli veered to the right and accelerated, letting the Honda go and smash into a semi, as he propelled the RoadRunner alongside the big rig and across to the right side of the bridge. The Liberators were right behind him.

And the Enforcers were right behind them.

Federal Enforcement Special Agent Sierra Green was the new agent-in-charge of locating and apprehending the fugitive outlaw group known as The Remnant. Shed only been assigned the case a few weeks ago after returning from a short vacation. The economy was terrible, with stagnation forcing milk up to $7 a gallon and gas to $9 a gallon, but the government took care of their ownfor now. Her briefing had been spotty. She received all the data the Federal Enforcement Department had on Elijah McDonnell, also known as Rebel Knight, and several of his accomplices. But Special Agent Green knew that her superiors had not divulged certain key pieces of information. She didnt really mind. It was all need-toknow. She just assumed that the classified info was not required to bring The Remnant to justice. Greens last case ended badly and she was quite driven to redeem herself. The woman had long, properly red hair not orange; though she almost always had it up in a bun due to work policy. She wore a pair of light blue jeans and a casual black sports jacket over a tan T-shirt and sat behind a desk in an office building near Quantico, Virginia. Green, called her boss over a speaker on her desk. The agent pressed a button near the speaker. Yes, sir.

Come to my office please. On my way, sir, Green answered, standing up with her finger still on the button. She made her way across the large office between several other workers and agents. Green nodded and smiled to some of them as she passed them. Most of them were too busy, on the phone or triple-checking paperwork, to return the courtesy. Green stopped at a set of large glass double doors and waited a few seconds until her boss buzzed her in. She pushed open the door and stepped inside. FED Deputy Chiefof-Staff Donald Krupp was scribbling some notes while listening to someone over the phone. He motioned for Green to wait and continued writing. Uh huh, Krupp said, nodding slightly. Alright, Ill get her right on it, Grand Master. He hung up the phone. Sierra Green was standing there, feet shoulder-length apart, hands clasped behind her back, semi-professional. She kept her small chin held high as her olivecolored eyes blinked expectantly. Krupp leaned forward, scratching the back of his dark-haired head. Well, that was my contact in the Freemasons. They said their man in The Remnant was finally able to make contact with them. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his red tie, waiting for Greens reaction as he eyed her flatly. Good, the subordinate agent said. Its funny, said Krupp, because before he called, the head of the Penn-state Enforcement Brigade called and told me some of their guys were in a car chase with a

car gang. They say McDonnell was driving a late sixties muscle car. Really? asked Green, curious as she took a step forward. She too folded her arms in front of her. Did they catch them? Krupp shrugged. The pursuit is ongoing. He stood, hands sliding into the pockets of his black slacks. But I want you to lead a team, Green. And I dont mean one of these rookie-asset teams you tend to be involved with. I want you to lead a team of professionals. Green narrowed her eyes slightly, biting her bottom lip. Killers, sir? Looking a bit guilty, Krupp nodded slowly. He sighed and walked around his desk and stared out the glass door behind Green. Higher-ups want these bastards gone. They dont want them captured. Theyve sent mafia, rival car gangs, bounty hunters, assassins, corruptors, and even that mother fucker Daren is looking for them. Green turned and looked at the back of her bosss head. Sir, we have satellites. Why cant we just track them ? Krupp groaned and turned back around, waving dramatically with one hand. Those damn things are useless against The Remnant, and every other Christian militia, Green. He sighed and went back to sit down behind his desk. Your team has already been chosen, Green. Upon seeing Krupp dive into his work again, Special Agent Green took her cue to leave. She stepped outside the office and let out a long breath. When the door opened again behind her, she jumped. Krupp stuck his head out. Oh, and I want you to go into the Gene Splicer, he said, and then went back to

his desk. The door slowly closed, leaving Sierra Green to stare through the glass at him. The Gene Splicer, she shuddered the thought. There were many dangers in it, though she looked forward to acquiring the superhuman abilities and senses that would be necessary to locate and exterminate the domestic terrorists. She was not really worried about what the Gene Splicer would do to her body, but her mind. Shed often heard stories about people coming out wrong, not themselves. Considering this, Green walked back to her desk, this time not acknowledging her co-workers. The special agent slumped into her chair. Was her entire team going to be super-powered killing machines? She almost felt sorry for Elijah McDonnell, the domestic terrorist shed never met. But, after all, he was the enemy and that was all she knew about him, so her guilt quickly faded.

*** Once night had fallen, it was easy for the Liberators to escape the police. Unfortunately, however, they were stuck in Harrisburg. Eli had decided that they wait it out in a Catholic church. Their vehicles were hidden between the church, the building next door, and behind a wooden privacy fence. Philip and his brother Theo took the first shift of guard duty while everyone else tried to get some rest. Eli was restless, though, like most of his friends. He was sitting in a pew staring up at a very distasteful depiction of Christ. It had been vandalized, but that was not what Eli considered distasteful about it. He didnt like idols, and thats what it was.

Lydia fell into the pew beside him. He looked over at her slowly, saw the sadness in her eyes, and looked away. I feel like shit, Lydia breathed, barely audible. Eli slid over and put his arm around her shoulders. Why? Lydias eyes welled up. First John, then Sammie. I feel like were all just waiting to be picked offone by one. Eli swallowed. Thats not gonna happen. Im going to protect you. God is not gonna let God? Lydia spout, her bottom lip quivering as she stared at him. God just let two innocent people Christians diefor no fucking reason. You know thats not true, said Eli firmly, rubbing Lydias shoulder. She just stood up and walked away. Eli sighed. Hed have to talk to her again. Hed thought she understood. Hed explained it to her enough times. But he supposed shed have to see for herself the benefits of being a Christian before she fully believed it. Eli leaned back against the back of the bench and continued staring up at the defamed idol. He began thinking, talking to God, wondering what they were going to do next. That was when Theo walked over and sat down in the pew behind him. Theo leaned his elbows on the back of Elis bench, a couple of feet to his right. So what now? Theo asked. Eli looked at him. Whos on guard duty? Jonah and Mandy, he said.

Nodding, Eli turned back to the statue before saying, Well, Ive made a call. He produced a cellphone. Theo frowned. I thought that was supposed to be just for emergencies. Eli breathed a short laugh. This isnt one? He replaced the burner phone in his jacket pocket. Hmm, muttered Theo. Guess youre right. So whod you call? A friend of a friend. Theo rubbed his unshaven jowl. Not gonna tell me, huh? Who else can we trust? Eli gave Theo a serious look. There is one man, outside The Remnant, that I believe might be of some assistance. He used to work for the government. Shaking his head and humming disapprovingly, Theo said, I dunno about that one, dude. A fed? Yeah, said Eli. But a good one. Dont worry bout it, man. Trust me. Theo restrained a scoff and stood up. Alright, man. As he walked away, Eli lowered his face into his hands, wishing he was not empathic. He had felt Lydias pain, her doubt. He had felt Theos distrust and hopelessness. Nagging curiosity and self-resentment made Eli extend his senses further out to Mandy and Jonah. His eyes closed, Eli could feel their uncertainty, and in Mandys case, minor annoyance and nervousness. He breathed and stood up, turning off his empathy for the time being.

Heading down the stairs at the back of the church, Eli found the other Liberators asleep, reading, or whispering back and forth. Those who were awake stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Hey, Philip said. Nobody else said anything. Eli forced a smile. I think Im gonna try to sleep too, he muttered with a sigh. Coincidentally, even after Eli had climbed under a blanket on a cot, the whispering did not continue. It could have been that they just wanted to be respectful and let Eli fall asleep, but he doubted it. Eli glanced over at Lydia, who was curled up on a mattress in the corner, facing the wall. That night, Eli was the last person in the church to fall asleep.

CHAPTER 17: Forsaken

December 19th, 2012 Well, sighed Theo, at least we know he was trustworthy Elijah, Theo, Jonny, and Philip were standing over the dead body of Elis federal contact as he lay in a pool of his own blood at the front of the church. At first glance, it looked as though the man had been shot, due to the amount of blood. But upon closer

inspection, Eli could discern no entrance or exit wound consistent with a bullet. To make things even worse, the man had died right before he had a chance to make it to the church doors, his body slumped on the stairs. How did he die? Philip asked. Eli said, No clue. The government has some pretty advanced weaponry pretty gruesome weaponry too. Coulda been a virus or nanos. Nanos? Philip mused. Jonny said, We better get outta here before whatever killed him kills us. Nodding, Eli turned and the four men hastily headed back into the church. Eli knew that they had to get out of there quickly, before someone reported seeing the dead man. Luckily, it was dawn and very foggy out. Hopefully, any passersby would just think the man is resting. Eli doubted it though, not in this day and age. When everyone was ready, they headed out and found themselves driving through a light snow flurry. At least the snowfall would partially obscure their wanted vehicles from detection. Lydias purple 83 Mustang was left behind. She was too afraid to drive, and the mechanically inclined Liberators could not guarantee its continued running and heating in the current climate. So she rode in Rebekahs passenger seat as Eli drove. The convoy of five vehicles made it unhindered to Interstate 78 and went east. As they traveled, Eli eyed the walls on either side of the interstate. The concrete walls were only 6 feet high, but they did their job: prevent escape. Eli groaned inwardly and put the walls out of his mind, staring dreamily at the snow-covered road ahead. There

were no automobiles on the road in their vicinity. He casually glanced over at Lydia. She was staring out her window, looking like she might fall asleep at any moment. He smiled slightly and turned his attention back on the road. Eli reached for the radio, but then lowered his hand. He didnt want to keep Lydia awake with music if she wanted to sleep. She turned, seeing his movement, and smiled gently. Its so quiet, she said. Eli nodded. Dont get it muchsilence I mean. Its nice once in awhile. The woman nodded her agreement, pushing her blond bangs out of her eyes and then turning her attention back on the fast passing wall outside. Eli bit his lip, unsure of what she wanted. He could feel her tiredness. He could feel her loneliness too. Eli cleared his throat and tightly gripped the steering wheel. Were about halfway to Allentown. Lydia looked over at him. Ok, was all she said. She then went back to staring out the window. The radio stations in this area dont work anyway, Eli said. They were all shut down by the government. Lydia looked at him, and then looked down at the CD player jacked into the cassette deck. She smiled with one side of her mouth and then turned away again. Alright, said Eli, reaching for the CD player. Before he could turn on any music, the rear guard, Philip, announced a

problem. Warhorse to Rebel Knight, black muscle car to the rear, appears hostile! Eli picked up his CB handset. Warhorse, old or new? Old. Eli sighed. Alright, Warhorse. You and your brother hold back and see what she does. If shes hostile, take her out. If shes not, escort her to me. After Philip acknowledged the order, Eli silently prayed for God to grant him the wisdom to know what to do about this situation. However, that was not in Gods plan, and so he inaudibly answered no, with action rather than word.

Driving a flat black split-grilled 1969 Dodge Charger 440, Daren jammed out to Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood by Volbeat. He even sung along, his Irish accent comical against the rockabilly voice coming from the speakers. He flicked a switch, activating the muscle cars head lights. The hidden lamps turned up and shined through the increasingly ominous snowstorm. When he saw the Cadillac and the Duster slow to meet him, Daren laughed. They drove side by side, not allowing him to pass on the road, so Daren stomped the gas and recklessly passed on the left. The Chargers tires slipped and slid on the wet and icy grass. He just floored the accelerator even harder and forced the car onto the pavement again, in front of the Cadillac. He realized, though he was being playful, this was not the reaction sought by the drivers of the convoy ahead. After slightly fishtailing, Daren righted the car, straddling both lanes of the

highway. As he peered through the swiping windshield wipers, he saw the brake lights of two pickups come on almost instantly, and at the same time. While they slowed, tapping their brakes to avoid skidding, the two cars behind the Charger sped up. Daren assumed they aimed to box him in. Distantly ahead, Daren could see the disappearing taillights of a classic Plymouth. He cursed the fog and snow. That was when the Caddy bumped his rear bumper. Oi! exclaimed Daren. Watch it, mate! Suddenly, and unexpectedly, Daren heard a loud voice: Cease your resistance and state your purpose and identity, or we will be forced to use lethalforce. Daren snickered, unsure of how to respond. He realized they had used a bullhorn. With a sigh of reluctant resignation, he tapped his brakes twice and began to slow his vehicle. The four other vehicles slowed and stopped as he did, but the Plymouth drove on.

Call my burner phone, Eli said over the CB, when you figure out what he wants. Alright, responded Jonny. What are we doing? asked Lydia. Dont worry, said Eli. Im not gonna leave the guys back there. He pulled

over on the median and parked. Just dont want you hurt. Eli looked sheepishly out his window. Lydia did not know what to say. She settled for, Oh, and then gazed out her window as well, her hand under her chin. A couple of minutes later, Jonny called Eli on his cellphone. Yeah? Eli listened to what Jonny told him and then nodded. Alright, bring him up here for me to meet him. Lydias head snapped around. Eli closed the flip-phone and pocketed it in his leather jacket. She asked, Are you sure thats a good idea? Eli shrugged. Right now, I dont know if anything were doing is a good idea. *** A row of six people were being inspected by their new leader, Special Agent Sierra Green. Her hands clasped behind her back, the petite, black suited red-head strolled in front of them, examining their apparel, their faces, their posture. She walked past them and took a clipboard off a desk. The room was Spartan, as it was usually used only to interrogate enemy combatants. There was one table, a scuffed up old office desk. There was one chair and the floor had not been swept for weeks. A pair of handcuffs dangled from the armed chair. There were no windows and just one door. Light was provided by two panels in the ceiling. Sierra Green stood in front of them, looking at the clipboard now in her hand. Fox Warner, she read the paper, age twenty-one; Special Agent with the Secret

Service; preferred weapon is the heart-attack gun; abilities include professional lying, hypnosis, grifting, counterfeiting, and minor ESPcodename: Northwoods. Northwoods, real name Fox Warner, was a black man with long slender dreadlocks of hair. He stood at about 54. He was wearing a black polo shirt and blue jeans. His face was utterly unreadable, hands grasping one another loosely behind him. Green continued, Walton Warner, brother of Fox Warner; age twenty-five; psychologist; abilities are mentalism and other mental manipulation and reading people, including exposing perjurerscodename: Hegelian. Like his brother, Waltons hair was in dreads, though they were shorter. Hegelian was also a few inches taller than his brother, and had expressive eyes that showed anticipation and slight nervousness; though it was widely believed in the Federal Enforcement Department that his articulacy was a ruse in order to gain trust. Hegelians attire consisted of a navy blue polo shirt and black denim trousers. Uh, muttered Sierra, a visage of perplexity crossing her face. This one just says Agent Mercury The man called Agent Mercury, a peroxide blond tall man, said with a grin, Thats all you need to know for now, dear. Blinking, Sierra continued, shaking off the mans eerie stare. Um, Nikola Haarp She paused to chuckle. Somehow I doubt that is your real name. Nikola Haarp was a thin man with light brown hair and a mustache. He wore a grey suit and his left arm was fitted with a technological gauntlet. What appeared to be

a Blue-tooth headset had been surgically implanted on the right side of his head, replacing his ear. He was a cyborg. He crossed his arms in front of him and smirked arrogantly. The teams leader continued with her dictation: Nikola Haarps age is forty. His preferred weapon is his gauntlet, obviously She eyed the gauntlet meticulously, skeptically. His abilities include Wow, thisthis cant be for real. I assure you, said Haarp, I can do all the things listed on that paper, and more. Uncomfortable now, Sierra decided to skip over the rest of his profile, except for his codename, Woodpecker. She went on to one of the three females of the team, Kimberly Griffin. Wow, um, this says you cannot be killed, Special Agent Green said, narrowing her eyes at Kimberly. Kimberly Griffin had long, messy hair, white eyes, and grey flesh. She replied, That is because I am already dead. I am what you would call a zombie. But, stammered Sierra, you youre talkingand not trying to eat my brains. A slight smirk twitched at the corner of Kimberlys mouth. Mmm. Indeed. Swallowing, Sierra read the last name on the list, but not without casting a worried glance back at Kimberly, who just winked. Catherineno last name; clone of the renowned Abigail Begich As she spoke, the fear of Kimberly visibly transformed into fear of Catherine. Permanently possessed by a legion of demons, including the archdemon Asmodeus; preferred weapon, tomahawk; abilitiesundefined; codename,

Soldier Zero. From somewhere deeply imbedded within Catherines mind, Asmodeus laughed hauntingly and said, You may call me your Liege.

I have valuable information for ye, Daren claimed, his hands raised. Philip and Theo were standing behind him, pistols pointed at the Irish-accented clone. Jonny and Mandy were standing to his left and right, respectively, rifles at the ready. While Lydia was in the relative safety of the RoadRunner, Eli was leaning against the right rear quarter, arms crossed. For the moment, he was ignoring the numbing cold and lack of sunlight. Sure ya do, Eli said, completely unaffected by his scarred doppelganger. And what might that be? Daren sighed, and then shivered in the cold. The Russians have taken over Alaska and are going to be helping the FED keep order in the mainland, mate. Eli rolled his eyes. Tell me something I dont already know. Um, yeah. Ok, how about this think-tank youve been hearing aboutwell, theyve been targeting all your friends, and Im not just talkin about your mates here with you in The Remnant. I know that too, said Eli, becoming increasingly frustrated. Seriously, dude. One might think youre just here to gain my trust so you can betray or kill me in the

near future Daren scoffed, What? I already told ye, mate! Im a wanted man as well! Can I put my bloody hands down? Eli mumbled, Your bloody hands is what Im worried about What? Jonny asked Daren, You say you betrayed the elite. Whod you kill? And why? Mandy put in. Daren said, I dont know, some annoying bloke who wanted to use me and then kill me. Just like He stopped, eyeing Eli with genuine fear. Eli narrowed his eyes at him. Abi. Shes still in Allentown. Shes not dead, despite what your people want me to believe. Daren lowered his arms and took a step forward, becoming defensive and gesturing ardently. Well, that was their intent, for both of us. Get your hands up! Theo barked. Daren let out a long, exasperated sigh. He raised his hands again. If I wanted ye dead, yed be dead, yeah? Or at least someone would be. I dont know, said Eli, if I can ever forgive you for what you did at the beach, to Max. But He looked around at the inquiring faces of his team. I suppose I cant just kill you, an unarmed man, now can I? A triumphant smile spread across the clones face. Yeah, I suppose not, mate.

Are you sure about this, man? asked Jonny. No, answered Eli. Throw him in the back of the Ford, Eli told Jeffrey. Cuff his hands too. Daren blinked. Yer bleedin serious, aint ya? Eli walked around the front of his car toward the drivers side door. Youre a killer, Daren. God only knows what else you are. Though not happy about his current situation, Daren did not provide any further contest as Theo cuffed his hands behind him and, with Jeffrey and Philip, escorted their prisoner to the back of Jeffreys 72 Ford pickup, which was caked with a three inch layer of snow. A couple minutes later, they were back on track to Allentown, with Mandy driving Darens Charger. After Eli informed Lydia about Darens accompaniment and the prior discussion, she told him, I didnt know the FED was using Russian troops here in America. Eli stated unequivocally, This is not America anymore. Get the map out. We need to be ready for any potential military checkpoints near Allentown. Lydia reached into the glove box and removed a folded map as Eli drove on. She opened it and looked at it intently. Interstate seventy-eight andtwenty-two split Seeing a sign, barely through the gloom, Eli nodded. I see it. There will probably be...a checkpoint up here. But there was no checkpoint. They continued east on 22, still no other cars in

sight. Eli didnt like it. There was something going on and he hated not knowing what it was. Where was everyone? Sure, America was a police state and travel was severely restricted, but the upper-middle-class could still afford the $10 per gallon of gas. He turned on the radio and found only static. He dialed through the stations until he found an AM station. uninhabited due to, uh, some sort of viral outbreak. Allentown and all surrounding areas are quarantined. If youre hearin my voice, it means youre in danger. Turn around and get outta here. This is the last survivor of the Allentown Outbreak. The voice was male, with a slight Hispanic accent. Eli turned it off and shook his head. That makes no fuckin sense. Why would the government release a virus in just Allentown? He looked over at Lydia, who was visibly panicking. Dont worry, well be fine. How do you know? asked Lydia, blue eyes wide with apprehension. He put a hand on her shoulder and gazed into her eyes. Trust me. At that moment, the RoadRunners tires slipped over some ice and the car slid sideways down the center of the road. Returning his attention forward, Eli gripped the wheel tightly and tried to right the vehicle before it could spin out. Lydia was digging her nails into the armrest on the door and the left side of her seat, mouth agape and eyes even wider with utter terror. Despite his efforts, Rebekah began fishtailing wildly and the right rear quarter smashed into the six-foot concrete wall on the right. He could hear someone shouting over the CB but was not paying attention to it. His focus was on driving. The ordeal

ended with the RoadRunner resting in the ditch of the median, facing the way theyd come. The rest of the Liberators came to their assistance. We need to get this car outta here, Eli told them. I aint leavin her behind. While everyone stood around the RoadRunner, trying to decide what to do in the middle of the snowstorm, another car drove up, coming from the east, Allentown. As soon as Eli saw it, he smiled widely, knowing who it was. He stepped out of the ditch and watched as the up-armored black 1973 TransAM came to a dead stop and two individuals exited it, bearing weapons. Eli raised his hands. The driver, a young, shaggy dark-haired Hispanic man with a dirty face and tangled beard, knelt behind his open door, pointing an AR-15 at Eli. Who the hell are you? But Eli was not looking at the man. He was looking at the woman who had emerged from the passenger seat of the TransAM. She was the woman Eli had come to Allentown for, Abigail Begich. My name is Elijah McDonnell, he replied, his eyes not moving from Abi, and I have come to ask for your help. Abigail lowered her 12-gauge pump-action shotgun slowly. Elijah? Eli grimaced at the womans ragged appearance and stature. She was not the same as he remembered her. Her dark blond hair was a mess; portions of it seemed to have been torn out. Her white T-shirt and U.S. Marine Corps jacket were stained dark red and black, ripped and holed in various places. Eli could discern, even from his distance of several meters, and through the light snowfall, flecks of orange in her eyes.

He wondered where theyd come from. She hadnt had them the last time hed seen her. Yeah, Eli said, lowering his arms. Abigail remarked, Youre not the one from the future, are you? Eli was understandably confused. Uh, no. I mean, I dont think so. Are you ok? What happened? He began walking toward the TransAM. The cars driver cleared his throat, making sure Eli noticed that he was still pointing a rifle at him. Eli noticed then that the man glanced over at Abigail as he lowered his weapon. Eli had not heard Abigail say anything. Perhaps she signaled him in some other manner. Hes fine, Abigail said, smiling slightly. Eli headed toward her. Abigail dropped her shotgun in the passenger seat and walked around the car to give Eli a hug. They shared a silent, meaningful embrace for nearly a minute. As Abigail pulled away, she told Eli, The Phoenix has merged with my soul. We are one now. But its alright. It wasnt evil, per se. Just...violently protective. Abigail Begich was a beautiful woman, despite her destitute form, with full lips and cold, piercing eyes. She was about four inches shorter than Eli, but extremely strong. In fact, Eli had noticed, during the hug, that Abigail had not lost a bit of her natural, muscular strength over the years. Idont know what to say, Eli said, looking her over. I want to know

everything. And there is so much I want to tell you too, Abi. Lets start, said Abi, by getting out of the cold. Angel and I will help you get that big car outta the ditch, and then Ill ride with you back to Allentown and we can talk. What about the virus? Eli asked with concern. Abi almost laughed. The Allentown Outbreak was fake. The government wanted to get everyone out of the town and close it off, like a prison. They knew they couldnt kill me, so they decided to keep me isolated. We had a deal: I can leave whenever I want, but if I do, they go after my friends and the friends of my friends they have this list Eli was very interested in hearing more, especially about this list, but he had something to tell her first. Ive got a, uh, friend in the RoadRunner with me. Her names Lydia. SoI dont know how thats gonna work, with you ridin with me. Abi shrugged. Ill sit in the back. Thats not what I meant. Shesan ex-girlfriend. Ah, said Abi. You have a lot of those, dont you? Eli blinked once, inhaled, and looked down, clearly ashamed and hurt. Abi bit her tongue and became angry at herself. She stepped toward him and put her hand on his arm. Im sorry. That was No, Eli interjected. I mean, youre right, you know? Someone with an Irish accent shouted, Can you please hurry the fuck up? Im

freezin my bollocks off out ere! Abi narrowed her eyes. Tell me, thats not Daren. Im gonna kill him. You cant. Not yet anyway. How do you know him? Other than from, you know Crossing her arms over her chest, Abi said, Long story. Apparently, theres nothing new under the sun. Eli looked up at the sun barely visible through the thick gray cloud cover. Especially this one. Just keep the infamous bastard away from me, said Abi. Eli nodded. Of course. Lets get to work so we can get outta here.

The ride to the center of Allentown was silent. Abi sat in the back seat of the RoadRunner observing the two up front closely. Sometimes she would notice Lydia and Eli stealing brief glances at one another. She restrained a smile at this. Same old Eli. When they were just a minute from their destination, Eli asked Abi, Down West Allen, right?

Yep, said Abi. He turned onto West Allen Street and chuckled, an intentional cue. Abi knew he wanted her to ask, so she did. What? Eli shook his head. West Allen. Sounds like the name of a government shill who was killed a couple months ago. Abi nodded. Yes. Youre right. I know who killed him. Sailor Two. Long story. Theres the police station. Abis base of operations and new home was what used to be the local police station. It wasnt enormous, just big enough for the Liberators to rest comfortably while planning their next move. It was powered by a diesel generator. Once inside, the Liberators and Daren gathered around the briefing room. After a thought, Eli ordered the shivering Daren into a cell. Angel stood guard as Daren complained incessantly, despite the warmth. Right, said Eli, hands on his hips as he looked around at his friends. I think what Id like to do first is hear Abisstory. He looked pointedly at her, making sure she saw the concern and emotion in his eyes. You disappeared - from my radar at least - around 09, 2010. Please explain. Was it the government? Abi sighed, sitting cross-legged on a rectangular desk, her palms on the edge. Its complicated anda very, very long andunbelievable story. Folding his arms over his chest and raising his chin in indignation, Eli stated, Try me. We have some time.

Fine, Abi said, and thus began her true tale. I actually disappeared, as you put it, in 2010. And yes, the government approached mewith a job. Eli asked, What happened in Afghanistan, Abi? What you told meI think thats only part of it. Well, I was discharged because of mental instability, and I did kill three Marines. She was visibly disturbed, even now, about the events that had taken place overseas. She continued, after a shameful gaze to the floor, But that was only after I found out what they were doing, the reason we were over there to begin with. Opium and oil, Theo put in. Abi looked at him, almost surprised. Then she looked at Eli. Yes. Anyway, they basically paid me off and told me if I ever told anyone, Id be in trouble. I agreed. Then the CIA came to me with an offer. Money in exchange for some wet work. I took the job. But this was in 2009, before I vanished. They did, however, tell me not talk to you ever again, Eli. Im sorry. Then what? Eli inquired, glancing down at the dirty and torn leather chair that used to belong to the Chief of Police. He took a seat. Abi said, I killed some people, spied on people, stole from people, and then I started my job as a DinoCorps operative. Im sure youve heard of them. The third largest mercenary company in America and one of the strong arms of the police state, under several investigations of murder, rape, and slavery, along with Darkwater? Rings a bell. Abi went on: The mayor of Allentown asked me to do something for him, and

hisbosses in late 2011. This was after I, uh, released a demon from the Abyss. Sounds like something youd do With much will, Abi ignored the remark and continued, I was given a list of people to kill. I actually tried to kill them all until you showed up and stopped me, with help from some angels, of course. She couldnt contain her smirk. Eli narrowed his eyes, tightening his arms across his chest. I dont recall ever doing that, Abi. Now Lydia was looking at Eli suspiciously. Eli pretended not to notice. You the other you said you were I mean he was from the futureor from a different timeline, where I did kill three or four of the people on the list before I was betrayed andthrown into prison. It was all very strange, Elijah. Hold on, said Jonny. So time travels real? Eli asked a more pertinent question. Whats three or four people? Why did I have to go back in time to stop you? I dont mean to sound insensitive, but I doubt God would have allowed me to go back in time ifyou know, if it wasnt pretty important; you know, like pertaining to destiny and shit. Apparently, sighed Abi, shrugging and nervously wringing her hands in her lap, it was. You came from a world where the police state was far more advanced than it is now. Ron Paul had dropped out of the race. Texas and South Carolina had seceded. It was pretty bad, from what Ive heard. Its part of why I stopped. Eli shook his head, not believing the last thing she said. You stopped for me.

I said it was part of the reason. Lydia swallowed and looked away. She couldnt stand Abigail. Lydia knew she was irrational for being jealous, but this woman seemed, despite Elis constant appraisal, nothing like the Abi, or Phoenix, shed been told about. Abi had not yet to be prone to violent outbursts, she didnt seem to be possessed by some demon, and she did not have an accent from New York and this Lydia would have noticed, as she was originally from New York. Of course, Lydia realized, people do change. What else? Eli asked her. Abi shrugged again, thinking. Then she said, Oh! That Phoenixwell, I found out its not a demon. Its a spiritual creature that works for Godand it was its duty to protect me from harm, at all costs, evenyou know. Eli nodded slowly, understanding. Alright. Is it still with you? In a manner of speaking. Were one soul now. Merged, I guess. Im still me, just with the added holiness and power of a Celestial being. Its pretty badass. I bet it is, said Eli with a grin. Mandy Watson asked, What are we gonna do about Daren? That reminded Eli to ask Abi, What does he Daren have to do with you? We briefly met, fought, and he ran away. Wasnt exactly an epic battle. He wouldve killed me if I hadnt been protected by angels: guardians, archangels, cherubim, seraphim, phoenixes There are more than one phoenix? asked Mandy.

Eli smiled. Youwere protected by seraphim? I wish I had been there for that. You werewell, the other you. Anyway, Eli said, looking to Mandy. I havent gotten word from on High about whether or not we can trust the mother fucker, so until I do, hes to be guarded by at least two people at all times. When are we leavin for Canada? asked Jonny. Tomorrow morning, answered Eli, looking up at his best friend. The snow should be settled by then. Theres one more thing, Abi said. Well, theres a lot more, but theres one more thing thats important and you should know now: I think the government is doing something with Allentown. Angel and I keep finding thesestragglersthese bums and hobosbut the entire city is closed by a force field, so Im not sure how theyre getting through. We got through, Philip pointed out. Abi said, Thats different. Youre Christians. These force fields areI dunno, like supernaturalI mean, theyre not really based in science. Magic, Eli surmised. Abi nodded. Eli shook his head and stood up. He said, Magic wont work on true Christians, at least I dont think so. But thesestragglersmaybe theyre just Abi shook her head, also standing. Mm-mm. Theyrenot. Theyre savage. Theyre fucking crazy. They attack us. Theyre not Christians, trust me.

A revelation dawned on Elijah. Ah shit. Um, they dont try to bite you, do they? A couple of them have. Why? With a dramatic sigh, Eli said, They might be zombies. Abi shook her head once more. I thought of that too. Dont you know who youre talkin to, mate? She smiled. I know my zombies. These aint them, dude. For starters, they aint dead, as far as we can tell. Lydia suggested, Those fuckin cannibal dudes in Florida. The ones supposedly on bath salts? They were actually, said Eli, nano-controlled super-soldiers. Shit, how many have you seen, Abi? Only a few. No more than six. Killed three of them. That leaves three, at most. Three of those things, said Theo with a shiver, could kill all of us in minutes. What do we do? Abi asked, worried. The only thing we can do, said Eli. We find them and we fucking kill them. Lydia moaned. I fuckin knew there was gonna be a zombie apocalypse Eli and Abi said in unison, Theyre not zombies.

CHAPTER 18: Metaphors Coming to Life

December 20th, 2012 An earthquake jolted Elijah awake. He leaped to his feet and moved away from the wall next to which he was sleeping. Things fell on the floor and shattered. A minute later, the quake ceased. It was almost 5 AM. He moaned and rubbed his face. Elijah had always taken awhile to wake up in the morning, especially this early. He went to the coffee maker, glad that it had not been one of the victims of the light tremor. He didnt usually have coffee, but there was no Mountain Dew or tea around. He tried to think about who was on guard duty as he poured his cup. Suddenly he remembered as he heard Lydia scream. He dropped the glass coffee pitcher and bolted half-naked out of the break room. He completely failed to consider the pistol tucked in his jeans as he flew around the corner and into the jail section. He saw Lydia kneeling over Theo, who was unconscious. She was fine. He

relaxed, and then looked at the cell that was supposed to contain Daren. Look out! Lydia yelped. Eli barely had enough time to lean out of the way as Daren swung a night-stick at his head. Outraged, Eli swung his fists madly at his doubles scarred face. Im gonna fucking kill you! roared Eli, landing a few good wallops. Daren tried to bring the night-stick to bear, but Eli just grabbed it and yanked it away. He then began beating Daren in the face and neck with it. That was when the Liberators rushed in to see what was going on. Abi, the only one strong enough to stop someone who was possessed by a spirit of rage, removed Eli from the room while the others saw to Darens re-capture. Two minutes later, Eli was sitting down on the break room floor, shivering and rocking back and forth slightly, his arms wrapped around himself. Abi was sitting Indian-style in front of him. Ive never seen you like that, said Abi. Youve been gone, spat Eli with visible resentment. Abi nodded. True. But these arent normal times, Eli. Youve always been a leader, whether you wanted it or not. We dont need our leader going crazy on prisoners, ok? Why dont you, Eli seethed, get the fuck out of my face? A split second later, before Abi could move, his tone changed. Im sorry. Please dont go. I dont know whats wrong with me, Abi. I just got so mad. I thought he hurt Lydia.

I dont think its that simple, man. What do you mean? Abi sighed. Youre not that mad at him for that. Youre mad at yourself because you dont know if we can trust him or not. Youre mad at yourself because you think you might be making a mistake that would cost people their lives. Eli smiled wanly and scratched his chin. I missed you. When you were beating him, you saw yourself. Well, he is my clone Abi chuckled. Its all very interesting. Metaphors coming to life. Eli shook his head sadly. Less interesting, more frightening. He stood up and offered a hand to Abi, which she accepted. Lets go see how he got out. Jeffrey and Philip were repairing the cell door. Mandy and Jonny approached Eli as he and Abi entered. Apparently the earthquake knocked some bolts out of place, Jonny informed him. It was just enough for Daren to bust out, literally. Look, said Eli. We dont have time to save Allentown from those fucking nano-zombies. Tomorrows the twenty-first. Were leaving now. Gather your shit, leave Daren in that fucking cage, and lets go. Ey, mate! shouted the prisoner. Ye cant do that! Those feckin basterdsll tear me to pieces! Eli told Mandy, Leave a pistol, in pieces He smirked at Daren. just out of reach outside the cell door. Leave only four bullets in it. Maybe hell blow his own

fucking head off after he kills the crazies. Buggar that, mate! I am not your god damn mate, you stupid sack of shit! So shut the fuck up already! Everyone was silent, even Daren. Eli then turned to Mandy again. Were all gonna mount up. If he tries to get the gun before you leave, shoot to kill. If you dont Eli left Mandy to her imagination as he walked out of the jail. *** As the Liberators drove away, Daren was shouting at them to leave his Charger alone, which they ignored. Mandy was driving the Charger. Over the CB, Eli asked Abi, Rebel Knight to Phoenix, arent you worried about what the Feds are gonna do to your family or friends now that youre sorta returning from exile against their wishes? Abi answered flatly, No. The only friends and family I have left is right here. To alleviate the tension, she said in a mock redneck accent, Full throttle, good buddy. Eli laughed and Lydia smiled. Eli said over the air, Phoenix, please dont do that. Angel, who was riding shotgun with Mandy, piped in, I told you you had the worst southern accent ever. Eli was going to say something, but dropped the CB when someone ran out in front of Rebekah and was promptly run down.

When Abi saw this from her vantage point right behind Eli, and noticed the RoadRunners brake lights come on, she said, Dont stop, RK! Thats one of the crazy cannibals! Abi let her Trans AM roll over the corpse. Right, Elis voice cracked over the radio as Rebekah sped up. Of course it was Damn, that was fucking insane. The convoy of muscle cars and pickups was almost out of Allentown. Then the rear guards voice came over the radio: Guys, this is Rhino! There area lot of those things behind us! I suggest we, you know, haul ass. A mob of bloodthirsty, unruly hobos were charging after the seven vehicles. Their speed was incredible, unlike the traditional depiction of zombies. The speedy horde was gaining on the Liberators as Elis team was driving at 50 miles per hour. Shit! Eli groused, glancing in his rear-view mirror. He said, Were punching it to eighty! Lydia was holding the CB handset now. Black Widow to Remnant, were going up to eighty miles an hour, everyone. Eli could hear the fear in her voice as she tried to be brave over the radio. He placed his hand on her knee, thanked God for the beautiful day, and mashed the accelerator to the floor as the cars sped for the sunrise. A couple minutes passed and there was no sign of the ravenous crowd. Eli could estimate there were easily at least fifty. God only knew where the hell they came from, or how many more were around. As he was thinking on this, something happened that would help lead to events to provide Eli his answer.

A front tire on the rear guards 72 Ford blew. Everyone came to a halt and formed a perimeter with their vehicles on the highway, making sure no one could sneak up on them from any direction. Jeffrey exited the truck and examined the tire. Eli, Lydia, and Abi walked over to help. We cant stay here long, Eli told Jeffrey. If we cant get this tire changed in five minutes, were leavin the truck. We cant risk the exposure. What caused it? asked Lydia, anxiously standing on her toes and twisting the belt loops on her black knee-length skirt. Jeffrey shrugged, his face a display of utter ignorance and bewilderment. I have no idea. Then a snipers bullet turned his face into a display of utter gore. Lydia and Abi screamed, though Abis scream was that of a bird of prey. She crouched down and propelled herself into the air, took flight with fiery wings, and went in search of the shooter. Eli pulled Lydia behind the pickup truck, his arms over her head. Fuck! Eli exclaimed. I am so god damn sick of this god damn shit! He realized Lydia was crying and held her. As shock gave way to reason, the wide-eyed leader removed a walkie-talkie from his belt and spoke into it. Everyone get into the cars! Drive to me and get Lydia! Now! That was when the grunting and howling of the brain-dead horde was heard down the highway. When they came into view on the crest of the hill, they were running, and numbered way more than fifty.

CHAPTER 19: Purple People Eater

For the most part, the intelligence and security services of every nation are under the indirect, and sometimes very direct, control of the secret societies and cults that have existed since very nearly the beginning of time. However, like every massive organization, factions form. People begin to doubt the overall goal or cause. Subgroups form as like-minded individuals come together to shape their own plans for the future. When this happens, there can only be chaos. All subgroups within the secret cults of the world are still evil, not one of them considering the average man, woman, or child. However, their methods differ, and it is this fracturing that has brought down great empires and societies in the pastand will do so again in the future. Matthew 12:24-27 - But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. Mandy was driving Rebekah and Eli was in the passenger seat. Still weeping, Lydia was curled up low in the backseat. Eli firmly and shakily gripped a grey Colt .45 1911 handgun in his right hand. So many thoughts ran through his head. Who fired the bullet? Where did Abi go? Where were they going? Whats that up ahead? It was another group of vehicles. They were all black and modern. Elis shoulders slacked as he moaned. He knew they were government. Go off here! Eli told Mandy, pointing to an exit ramp that led to Lehigh Valley International Airport. The RoadRunner veered off the highway, followed by the Charger, Duster, Chevy Cheyenne, and Trans AM. Theyd left the Cadillac behind. No one even thought

about the irony that both of Justins vehicles had been abandoned at the same time. Arriving at the drop-off zone, Eli gave Mandy the ok to take the car through the front doors. She rammed the RoadRunner through several glass doors, bringing down some metal framework as well. She glanced at Eli for additional orders. Keep driving, he said. The four other vehicles followed closely as Mandy piloted the Plymouth through the concourse of the airport, but was soon forced to stop because the cars were too big to fit through the security checkpoints, and not even V8 muscle could force the barricades down. Eli sighed unsteadily. Even now, the TSA fucks us in the ass. Exiting the car, Eli spun his unarmed hand in the air, giving the signal for everyone to dismount their vehicles. After everyone had gathered, Eli gave a short speech: So it looks pretty fucked. But we aint goin out without a fight, thats for god damn sure. And if anyone makes it out of this alive, get to Ontario. You know the address. Find Sonya and get her to safety, at all costs. Everyone here, except for Angel, knows how important she is to the movement. Eli was cut short when he saw seven people standing in the middle of the skid-marked, exhaust-filled concourse. A woman shouted, Elijah Patrick McDonnell, you are under arrest for treason! Eli could both hear and feel her fear, though his empathy also sensed an underlying rage. Surrender peacefully and everything will be alright. Eli motioned for his friends to remain where they were. He stepped out from

behind his car and into the open. Nothing but smoke and a distance of fifty feet separated him from the retrieval team. Who the fuck are you? Eli asked belligerently, his pistol still in his hand at his side. You can call me Agent 21. This is Viper Squad. I have orders from FED to bring you in, no matter what, Elijah. I really dont want to hurt anyone. Eli sensed something strange in her. The exhaust smoke was obscuring his view of the retrieval team, Viper Squad, for the most part. He took a couple steps forward. That used to be the case, Agent 21. But not anymore. Youve changed. Interesting. Everything your saying used to be true, for you. But now they are just words, just hollow words. Tell me, darlin, what was it that changed you so? As he stepped out of the smoke, coming to a distance of a dozen feet in front of Agent 21, Eli saw the seven assassins for that was what they truly were with clarity and understanding. He saw the cyborg, the black brothers, the red-headed and greenveined mutated Agent 21, a bleach blond man in a suit, and two women he thought hed known in his past. Kim, gasped Eli. Abi This version of Abigail Begich had short dark hair with a spiked Mohawk. Eli blinked, feeling his knees go limp, and then he collapsed and began laughing. Tears streamed down his face. Behind him, and too far away to be of any assistance, his friends were worriedly

wondering what to do. They had been ordered to stay put, but they felt like their leader and brother in arms was in danger. It was Jonah, Elis best friend and lieutenant, who finally made the decision. Lets get over there, he whispered. But they were forced to see to Mandy, who was suddenly having a heart attack. Tell your people, Agent 21 said, to stand down or they will all die. Eli scrambled to his feet and pointed his pistol at Agent 21. She returned the gesture. The cyborg raised his gauntlet. The blond male agent pointed a Glock at Eli, but Eli was staring at the sniper rifle slung around his back. So he turned his Colt on Agent Mercury and blew his head off. As Agent 2s trigger finger tensed, someone crashed through the window to Elis right. The Federal Enforcement execution squad turned their weapons on the new attacker, who was Daren with one bullet in the chamber. He fired his last round before he hit the ground, rolled and came to his feet to backhand Catherine, Abis clone, across the face before she had time to react. Darens bullet had struck Kimberly Griffin in the heart. She just looked down at the dry hole and blinked. Eli used the opportunity provided by Darens diversion to disarm Agent 21. Her head snapped around and she hissed at him, her green eyes slowly becoming evanescent. She clutched Elis forearm with her free hand and green vines emerged from her flesh and wrapped around him. Eli realized the vines were what hed thought

were Agent 21s veins. Jonah ran over, yelling, Mandys dying, Eli! He shouldered the living dead girl Kimberly backwards. In anger, Eli punched Agent 21 in the face repeatedly until she bled black and dark green. Then he kicked her in the stomach and wrenched his arm from the grasp of her vines. Kill em all! Eli and Agent 21 ordered their respective troops simultaneously. Fox Warner was walking toward Mandy, who was being looked after by Theo. When Theo saw him holding the heart attack gun, a weapon known to be used by the CIA for assassinations, Theo growled and charged him. He tackled him and they fell against a derelict baggage carrier and wagon. The other Warner brother professed to the other Graham brother, We dont want to hurt you, Philip! We just want to ask you some questions! He was holding his hands out in front of him, trying to look unthreatening. Taking aim with a sawed-off shotgun, Philip shook his head. Shouldve thought of that before you showed up. Walton said, Can you take a life, Philip? Huh? Can you? Ive got a family too, you know? This is my career. You are not a murderer, Philip. This is not you. Youre better than this. Just drop the gun, man. The clash between Abigail Begich and Nikola Haarp, however, was not so defusing. She had silently run up behind the cybernetic assassin but hed sensed her

coming somehow and spun around, firing from the metal, wired gauntlet, a powerful sound wave that sent her hurtling through the air and tumbling across the concourse. Haarp then tried to disorient her by forcing unwanted thoughts in her head, such as heavy metal music or terrifying screams, but this just made her more threatening. Abis red-orange wings of fire returned, her eyes glowing with golden fire as she rushed at Haarp and punched him in the chest so hard that he lurched backwards, folding at the middle, and landed on his back several feet away. The battle would have continued if it had not been interrupted by the zombie apocalypse. Hundreds of people, eager to tear into human flesh, charged down the concourse toward the Liberators and Viper Squad. Damn it! Eli groused, grabbing Lydias arm and backpedaling for the RoadRunner. Theo asked, Howd they find us? As Lydia got into the passenger seat, Eli saw something he never expected to see again: Lydias old purple Mustang. It was speeding behind the frenzied cannibals. There did not seem to be anyone driving. Eli stood there, hand on the drivers door handle, gaping at the sight. Eli quickly surmised that the nanos that had killed his Federal agent contact had taken over the Mustang, repaired it, and driven it to Allentown to infect more people, living and dead. In fact, most of the horde appeared dead, the very definition of a zombie. At least, Eli thought, it was finally a proper zombie apocalypse.

Viper Squad vanished. Eli did not know how they escaped, and didnt really put much thought into it. As he stepped into his car, he looked over the roof and saw Mandy, dead of a heart attack. He cringed and scowled before getting inside and closing the door. He started the engine and revved it angrily. Then he put the car in gear and spun it around, 180 degrees. He glowered defiantly at the mass sprinting up the concourse at the Liberators. He picked up the CB. Turn your windshield wipers on, boys and girls. He stomped the gas and the rear tires burned rubber and produced smoke. The RoadRunners rear-end wobbled to the right slightly before the vehicle shot forward. To his right was Abi driving her 73 TransAM. Angel was operating a SAW 249 machinegun that was mounted on the passenger side of the dashboard. To Abis right was Philip in the Charger. On Elis left was his best friend, Jonah, in his maroon 88 Cheyenne pickup truck. Theos Duster was on the other side of him. The five high-powered American automobiles sped toward the enemy and the enemy kept coming. So they went through them, turned, and crashed through the windows of the concourse. The horrifying horde and the purple Mustang followed.