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Miss C

  Miss C is another heir servant angel sent from heaven to help Mady with the same mission. Miss C is 100 years old.

  Thelipsis

  Thelipsis is the false prophet who joins Montplier to deceive the world about a new Christian religion that denies Jesus as the Son of God. His story begins as a new graduating seminary student but ends with him doing everything he can to point to Montplier as the true god rather than Jesus.

  Other Definitions

  P-2 Disease

  During the marking of Christians and Non-Christians, a painful and disabling neurological disease surfaced from Non-Christians who were marked on the hand rather than the head as with the Christians. It was suspected it was the result of the depth of the marking insert that was much deeper on the hand than could be when placed on the forehead.

  Nicolaitanes

  The Nicolaitanes were persons who excused certain forms of impurity, and the grace God a cloak of lasciviousness. This belief is known as Antinomianism, which means the gospel frees Christians from required obedience to any law, whether scriptural, civil, or moral.

  Earlier

  Apollyon’s Revenge

  Angelica seethed about the events over the last 24-hours. In just a moment, a flash, a second, there was nothing left of their plans to destroy the Christian communes in the United States and in Europe. Just at the time the marking of Christians and nonbelievers were going so well, it all just fell apart at the last moment. Just at the moment before the United States Christian communes were going to be completely destroyed, two teenagers and that stupid dog raided the President’s suite in Virginia and killed the President’s wife, a dark Nephilim, Cassidy.

  Of course, Cassidy was like Domitian of Rome, whereas Caligula was insane and evil, Domitian was sane and evil; didn’t John of Patmos know that? Cassidy knew exactly what she was doing, and all she had to do was push that “go-button” to start the murderers, but never had a chance: that dog attacked her just as she was reaching for that fatal “go click,” then that little girl shot her right through her heart—Christians saved. Angelica hissed loudly at the thought.

  Angelica herself was already preparing the furnaces of the holocaust in Europe to kill those new believers. It all was the final, deliberate act of Apollyon to rid the earth of what he considered was a nasty human, Christian pestilence. The chain reaction of that event combined with the military force of the new Christian Alliance Party in the United States turned armed fliers back at Andre Montplier, the Anti-Christ, in Rome and other strategic Anti-Christ locations, which turned those places into nuclear ash.

  It didn’t help that the two satellites, called the two witnesses, were, not only preaching Jesus 24-hours a day, but were armed and used against them, overcoming major defense missile shields and stopping Montplier from starting any kind of major retaliatory action back at the United States and its partners. Montplier barely escaped with his life but was received by the Chinese government—that was Angelica’s backup plan. Of course, she had something one up on Cassidy: Angelica was a dark angel married to the Anti-Christ, Montplier, HER Anti-Christ; unlike Cassidy, who was a dark Nephilim married to the President of the United States, HER President. Cassidy and Angelica competed for the Anti-Christ spot, but Angelica won.

  Angelica was Apollyon’s ace-in-the-hole; always making the right moves to influence and motivate Montplier into her dark Anti-Christ mold. It was hard to tell when looking at her that she was a dark angel. She never showed her true nature unless she lost her temper or was specifically trying to manipulate the opinions of others. It was her presence that was so compelling and sensuous to everyone who met her. Everyone felt drawn to her as if she were a magnet, a dark magnet. They always felt the uncontrollable darkness rising from within them, and she knew it; she counted on it. Her beauty just added to their obsessive desire for her. She wore her dark hair with a wrap-around swept look that accented her penetrating black eyes filling her pupils all the way to the edge. Her slenderness and height were accented on purpose by nothing but the sheerness of her wardrobe; something she knew helped her overall look. She always knew everyone was looking at her when she walked in the room; and always knew that when she went to sit or stand beside Montplier that their envy was like a hot fire within them. She always pushed his work aside no matter where they were and pressed herself into him with a personal embrace that took the breath away from anyone around, man or woman.

  Apollyon’s Voice

  Angelica heard Apollyon’s voice deep within her, “I couldn’t see it all but knew something like that would happen. God is such a meddler when it comes to His own. We must regroup and organize a force to pay back America for this terrible reversal. I want to send them a reminder that in this age before the supposed Reign of Christ takes place that I am still in charge, whether they like it or not. My darkness is still in control, no matter how many are turning to Christ. Organize my legions for a massive attack on America’s Virginia capitol. Wait till you are sure of a large gathering of the Christian Alliance Party and its new believers. They should be having a celebration very soon, but I will bathe it in their blood. Also, I have a new plan that might take us awhile, but we can gather all of the enemies of America and Israel to create what I want to call the Day of the Dragons. Cute name, isn’t it?”

  Angelica bowed to his voice and only answered, “Yes, dark master. Yes, cute: appropriate, needful, necessary. What shall we do with the Chinese Prime Minister?”

  “Kill him if he asks too many questions, then possess him. Make everyone believe he is still alive.”

  She turned to one of the tall dark forms near her and commanded, “Apollyon wants for us to gather for an attack in America—the old fashioned way. Gather any available legions with long swords and make sure we get at least a couple hundred thousand. Get ready. We will have free reign. The light angels still cannot enter earth in force to protect anyone. Darkness is still in charge.” The dark angel spread his wings just as he moved to the tenth-story balcony and dived off, heading off with his orders.

  Hesitant Anti-Christ

  Montplier looked at Angelica in despair and simply stated, “I am really the most hated person on this planet, now. How did I get so messed up by this fatalistic Anti-Christ junk? I have no choice but to fulfill my destiny, don’t I? I really am a Judas. What Judas tree will I be hanging from one day? Is there any way for us to make peace with those who appose me?”

  Angelica marched towards him while staring directly in his eyes, then pushed her dark wings spread-wide for a very dramatic point and slapped him across the face while saying, “No!”, then shoved him back into his chair while walking away to watch the night sky peppering itself with the gathering of the dark legions. Montplier was her pawn and her Anti-Christ for better or worse—he wasn’t backing out that easy. She would make sure he fulfilled his destiny with her by his side.

  The Chinese government certainly welcomed Montplier and Angelica, but even they were surprised by such supernatural displays that covered their skies. It was night, but some were still able to see some of the activity around them and wondered what they had invited. The Prime Minister was especially concerned by these events. After all, he gave his permission, but it sure didn’t include this kind of invasion or infestation. For one of the first times in his life, he was afraid and didn’t quite know what he got himself and his country into.

  Trap, Trap, Trap

  The celebration in Virginia was in the planning for months. Thousands of Christian leaders and folks were coming from all over the United States. It was hard to imagine just how close America came to killing so many from the orders of Cassidy, the President’s wife.

  Abigail rushed around trying to make sure she had all of the essentials for her newborns: Day and Star: bottles, pampers, blankets, binkies, basset nets. Even as the new Vice-President’s wife, she was taking care of most of it herself. It was sad in one way that
the only other survivor of the assassination of Cassidy was the dog that helped stop her.

  Sal, one of the teenage heroes, died right after childbirth but in time to make sure Abigail would care for her twins. The babies were born in a relationship between Sal and Caleb, one of heaven’s most beautiful angels. They were one of the first Nephilims of the new age after the rapture. Abigail made a requirement that Caleb would have to leave her to raise the girls and not interfere; reluctantly, he agreed.

  The crowds at the celebration were mounting as hundred’s of thousands surrounded the Virginia capitol. The Christian Alliance Party (CAP) was originally started in protest of the terrible events against the end-time markings. The surprise to Apollyon was the absolute catch-off-guard events that even he did not see. CAP had gathered and built a massive army completely unknown to him. He still couldn’t imagine how he missed it. The new President was Monica Albright, and the Vice-President, Alex Tabor, the ex-governor of Tennessee.

  Alex hid for months in an underground bunker at Sewanee before he came forward to accept the Vice President’s position, but not before he married Abigail, who was an Episcopal Nun, of all things. Full circle, now, they were here to celebrate the new beginning of American politics that included the disbanding of all Anti-Christ activity, including the markings. The rights of all would be protected whether this was a world with an Anti-Christ still alive or not. America was still America, and equal protection under the Constitution would be provided, no matter whether someone was a believer or not.

  As the dignitaries walked up on stage, they held hands and with one voice sang Amazing Grace. Abigail looked nervous and unsure of herself with a baby in each arm. She looked behind her to notice with a wink as several CAP army personnel kept watch, then she saw her hero dog, Nicodemus, who was peeking his head out as he stood on his back legs, wanting to know what all the noise was about. She edged herself back close enough to speak to them as the singing continued.

  “Are you all sure about this?” she asked as she carefully handed her girls to the waiting soldiers and patted Nicodemus on his head, then gently rubbed one of his ears. She still couldn’t get over the ugliness of this dog, and that silly white-fur grin around his mouth made him look even stranger.

  One of the soldiers quietly responded, “Yes, remember to step back towards us when the action starts, and we will help all of you down into the protective chambers.”

  Alex looked back slightly and nodded in agreement; then with an assuring nod, he took Abigail’s free hand as they finished the singing.

  Monica, the newly elected President, stood at the podium and spoke, “America has been through a great and cataclysmic time, but we have survived. We will go forward to protect the rights of all people regardless whether someone is a believer or not. We know that these are considered the dark days before Christ reigns fully again. Light angels are not as available to protect us like before, but we will rise up to defend ourselves as long as it takes before Christ’s reign begins again. According to scriptures, we have much to endure from the, man of sin, the Anti-Christ, and his followers, but we will not back down; we will not give up; we will fight against them with all our resources. We will be the Great Eagle, and we will continue to defend all our peoples. The two witnesses, the communication satellites, are continuing to preach the message of Jesus and salvation through no other name—24-hours a day.”

  With victory signs in the air, the crowd shouted praise words and clapped in a thunderous response. Still, Monica kept an eye out, then, with a nod to her ear piece, they heard the words, “They are here. Get ready. You know the plan.”

  Slowly but surely, as the crowd continued to praise and shout, the presidential party moved closer to the back of the stage. There was some audible counting going on, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one,” then a group of soldiers assisted all of them down and out of sight into protected chambers that were built to withstand massive air strikes, but this time air strikes would be replaced with attacking dark angels with long swords. Others in the crowd moved easily out of the way while others moved closer to the stage and broke away into different and well-planned parts of the celebration park. All these preparations from a warning in dreams to both Monica and Alex.

  President Monica grabbed a microphone from her neck and shouted loudly from her hiding place, “Just as we expected. Praise to our Lord and Savior!”

  Dark angels filled the sky in a massive frontal attack on the celebration. Several of the dark angel commanders laughed at what they expected to take place, “They are caught totally by surprise. No mercy, no mercy! Everyone must die!”

  There were so many dark angels that the sun seemed blocked out. Monica looked up and stated an old ancient quote from Alaric, “The thicker the grass, the easier the mow.”

  Abigail laughed at the comment, “That guy who said that murdered thousands in besieging Rome and for years ravaged all of Italy.”

  President Monica stated simply, “Yes, and so it shall be today.”

  Those in the celebration looked helpless and confused running from one part of the park to another while hiding behind walls and iron statues, but it was not confusing at all; it was planned. As the dark angels neared the crowd, the crowd threw off their civilian coats and garb, then pulled out AK 47’s and rocket launchers. There was the whir of helicopter gunships rising from the nearby building tops and protected parking garages. The crowd knew enough to know that automated fire was not enough. It would take grenades and their launchers to really stop them. They opened fire, and the onslaught caught the angels by complete surprise as they watched their comrades falling in mutilated pieces. The first 50,000 fell in piles on the streets below, then the crowd moved back behind even more protected places as the gunships opened fire with blazing automation followed by F4c’s that belched a napalm carpeting that set thousands more angels into flaming torches.

  Apollyon watched in shock as he saw his army being torn apart by the armed crowd. None of his angels could even make it to the crowd to engage them. This was a trap, and he knew it. He admired it, but decided then and there not to try this again until he could have the full force of his Day of the Dragon armies at his disposal. His angels would repair and drag themselves back to his protected places, but the shame of not even being able to do anything was working its way through his army. Apollyon lost over half his army in little less than 20 minutes. Apollyon ordered the retreat to the relief of his army; and unlike the battles with other angels, there was now no courtesy to pick up angel remains. His angels would just have to manage repairing and getting back the best they could when they could.

  Abigail stated simply, “Do you think we got their attention?”

  Alex shrugged, “Would me; would me. They will be back, but next time it will be with more than just angels. It might take them years to get it all together, but it will happen. We have to be ready.”

  The Beginning

  of the Day of the Dragons

  The Doc

  Janis Mattox’s voice quietly echoed a Brazilian chant from her Solembro DVD, embracing the insides of log-home walls with sounds centered easily on the morning shadow of Doc asleep in his tape-patched, lopsided recliner. He snored lightly, but one has to notice that he fell asleep with his palms upward on the pillow arms—a posture of praise more than convenience—to him, another night staring out the full-length bay windows into the heavy-thickly-laid forest from the back of his cabin before dosing off.

  He wished for such times as these when younger, but now he thought maybe he wouldn’t mind a little more noise and rattle in his life, not much, just a little. His classes gave him some chatter, then he sought his quiet, deep in the silence of his woods. His inner man was a hungry spirit that loved the way nature devoured anything that made sound—they agreed with each other.

  Then, there was Nash; his big dog
that when awake seemed to tiptoe through the house as if he too honored silence as anointed and precious. He would sit and stare at Doc for hours when he needed to go out. Nash reverenced his master’s chair time. It would be Nash who slept in Doc’s bed when it was empty or not.

  This yearning for quiet started years ago after his military career was over. He spent too much time, he thought, crawling around on his stomach, dressed in camouflage, and painted exquisitely to blend and melt into backgrounds and scenery. He was like a dot in the fabric of his surroundings until he squeezed the trigger, then slipped away to return to his training duties. It was a reprieve to turn back to his martial arts training. He was in his 50’s before he stopped the crawling and turned to ordering new recruits in faster ways to protect, and fortunately, for their careers, teach others how to kill—such a legacy.

  He waited late to marry and now, so late in life, to have a 23-year-old son serving as a medical aide in China. Such a strange turn of events after the rapture took so many. Such a strange turn of events that he was now on the backseat and looking at the dark from the quiet of this so-far-away place with only his broken-down recliner and Nash to keep him company.

  He woke, then felt for a pistol holster that was gone, but it was an old habit that would never go away. It was time to press the coffee button and hope it would perk from last night’s final event. He rubbed his hands through his sparsely covered hair and untied his ponytail, then shook his head lightly. His mullet was his only rebellious act of retirement, but a throw-back to more youthful years, a reminder of other times, a way to hold and place a hook into the kid who used to sail Hobie races and spend his summers traveling the racing schedules while sleeping on the sand or in the back of his pickup—just a hook to the past that he still remembered and never wanted to forget.

  The coffee was perking while Nash patiently sat at the door and waited. Doc came from his bedroom dressed, exquisitely, then noticed Nash.

  “Okay, Old Boy, it’s that time. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” As they walked out in the front yard, Nash headed to one of his favorite sniffing places.

  “Well, you are so habitual, Old Boy. You want to give them a yelp today?”

  Doc pointed to a place in the brush just beyond his walking path. He pointed to the metal edge of what seemed to be just part of a large circular object with only a few of the metal edges exposed. It seemed like a lid, no a portal, no a door, no a circular door; but if it was to be opened, it would have to have a building crane to do so—it was over a 100 feet in diameter hidden and covered with shrubs and foliage. It would have be opened from inside one would think—it was. Doc let Nash pee on the metal, then tapped on it.

  He shouted, “Having a good day, boys!”

  After a few seconds, came a familiar tap, dun, dun it, dun, dun, then Doc, tapped with his walking stick, dun, dun.

  “Well, keep the faith. We may not need you?”

  There was no answer, but he knew it was everyone’s hope. He kicked at the dirt where the metal was exposed too readily. He smiled about his hopes and thought dreamily about how this was all to work. Okay, he thought. Here was the United States military in his back yard waiting for the unthinkable, then he thought about the effort to put this underground installation so close to his paradise, but he also thought about the mammoth-like effort to put hundred’s of thousands of these places underground up and down I-24 all the way into Middle Tennessee.

  Some of these installations were operational facilities while others were just automated underground towers. This one was a massive operational and deep underground structure that was 24-7, completely self-sustained, just waiting; all this and much more. It was here because of a military tip, but a tip that said it all, imminent invasion of the United States—a complete and massive ground invasion from China and the North Koreans. Yes, they were just waiting.

  There was a tap from deep within, just a knock. Nash yelped in recognition, then ran off to the end of a long hedge. Doc heard Nash’s yelp fade away until he appeared again with a large ham bone in his mouth, then ran protectively towards the house.

  “Oh, well, walk is over. It’s time to go to work. Hope my kids behave today.”

  Moments later, he roared out of his private road for his main gate on his Harley. He had a large plank mounted to the fence near the gate and rocketed up the plank out onto the road. It didn’t take more than 20 minutes to reach the college.

  As he walked towards the back entrance of the school, the large paved ramp was enter-laced with skate boarders. As they expertly circled him, nodding to him and acrobatically impressing him; a little girl fell just in front of him. He reached down to grab her hand for a lift up. Her smallness startled him, and he noticed her ragged-torn clothes and smell, musty, dirty; must have had them on for weeks. She nodded “a-thanks,” then moved away quickly. She acted like a submitted dog, completely unsure of herself and seemed to scour out of everyone’s way.

  Doc instantly thought, “She’s new. She’s not from around here. She’s trying to fit in, but I bet they aren’t letting her.”

  As Doc let the door close behind him, he heard a crash, thud. When he turned, he saw a young man swinging his board down on the girl after hitting her the first time across her face. Doc moved quickly and instinctively in practiced moves that told much of his previous military training. The girl clutched one hand on her head and the other on her ankle while painfully pitching and rolling on the concrete. Doc knocked the young man aside with a swift move, then picked up the girl’s board and smashed it into the boy’s knees bringing him almost to the ground, then lifted him up off the ground in a major knee-kick underneath his jaw. His bones could be heard cracking as the boy crashed to the pavement, out cold.

  Doc walked back to the little girl, smiled, then said, “Sorry about that. Bad, old habit of mine. Breaking bones, I mean. I’ll call for someone to help you. Just stay put. Here is my card if anyone wants to know what really happened. Good luck, sweetie.”

  The little girl sat stunned by it all, but it was obvious she was okay. At least okay enough to smile back and say, “Thank you. Got five bucks for some food?”

  “Well, sure, but make sure you don’t eat in the courthouse cafeteria. That food will knock your socks off. Well, more than a skateboard. You know what I mean.” He handed her ten instead and walked to class feeling very good of himself, then called one of his buddies at the hospital to explain what happened, then asked Henry to layoff the siren and keep the local cops out of it. Well, after all, they were only two blocks away. Henry liked to play his ambulance part, but loud sounds drove the Doc crazy.

  Doc was almost comical while walking towards his class, not having taken his helmet off; then, as he walked into his classroom, he pulled it off. What hair he had left swooped to an uncontrollable spike that wouldn’t lay down, no matter his best efforts.

  He caught a look at himself in one of the outer windows and chuckled, “Having a bad hair day, guys. Anyone have some L.A. Gel?” He was surprised to find a small boy with impressively spiked hair answered while throwing him a tube. Doc jumped into the bathroom squeezed, slicked, then returned to some very inquisitive faces.

  A student barged into the room and shouted, “There was a fight outside! An ambulance carried Jonsey and this girl away. I think the girl beat the crap out Jonsey! Maybe it was someone else! Keep an eye out for strangers!”

  The warning came on deaf ears as students rushed to the windows to get a look and a little excitement from their daily homework duties.

  Doc pulled them back into order, “Come on guys, we got our team-writing projects to do. You remember, school? Writing? English? Classwork?; not that little jerk, Jonsey. I’m sure he had it coming. Serves him right if a little 100-pounder nailed him.”

  The students turned back inquisitively wondering how he knew
the girl was that much a small fry. So one asked, “How do you know the girl was a 100-pounder?”

  “Doc, you were coming in just about that time. Didn’t you see anything? You had to,” sparked one of his more contrary students.

  Doc smiled while handing out homework and whispered to himself, “Maybe.”

  A student near him whispered back as he went by, “I thought so,” and chuckled in her private secret.

  Prince Yatzen

  Prince Yatzen looked out through the deep mountainous valley that stretched all the way to the Great Wall outside of Taiyaun. His protected palace was one of the few standing after the terrible earthquakes that sunk Japan. His Eastern coast was gone, having been washed to the bottom of the sea, causing thousand-foot drops at their coast line miles inland. Peking, Tianjin, Qingdao, Xuzhou, Nanjing, Canton, and Shanghai were gone now, nothing more than coastal memories.

  He watched the sun breaking over the eastern mountains filling his breakfast room with a grand display of light and warmth as it pushed its way through the ancient window glass. He turned towards his wife, Mi, just as the morning light reached the red, glass-blown bowl full of morning fruit. Mi watched him lovingly as she carefully pared an apple while handing him a piece to him by placing it onto his lips and giggling slightly, blushing even more.

  It was a good morning having spent all last night in their palace bedroom without even a servant to bother them. Mi felt like it was a small honeymoon in the midst of a cluttered palace life. He grabbed her hand from the fruit and kissed tenderly on her fingers, making her blush even more.

  "Prince," she whispered, "can we do this again soon? I feel like the young girl again. The one you chased and caught in my Lanzhou village over 15 years ago."

  "Why not," he answered, bowing to her request with honor and loving respect. “I'm the prince. I can do just about anything I want, can't I?"

  A note of sadness came over Mi as she said, "As Rome burns, huh?"

  "Yes, as Rome burns, my flower," he replied looking away from her with his lips trembling with emotion. He was thinking about his missing children years ago right before Montplier took sanctuary with them.

  Her statement could be taken many ways. Their raptured three-year-old twins were only one way. They promised secretly to never mention them again. It was as if they never lived. It was just too much for them to bear. They didn't blame themselves; they blamed old China and the terrible isolation of royal blood. They would have accepted the Lord long ago if they had been able to get out and hear the Gospel as the missionaries spoke it. They weren't in the right place at the right times and knew it. They both thought about Jesus more than they wanted to admit. In consequence of the rapture, they removed all significant reminders of Buddha. If Jesus took their babies, they wanted to believe that somehow they would be taken when he did it again so they could join them. They believed they would, although they never gave themselves to Him, yet. They'd talk about Jesus but not about their missing babies.

  The world was going to hell in a hand basket while they lived in the lap of luxury. That was another "Rome burning." They knew it, but things were happening that made them think that even that would end one day soon. They didn't feel guilty for it. They just wanted their future children to have a chance to live, yes, to live.

  Mi finished what she knew was going to be his final thought, "And what of our emperor?"

  "Father is part of the Rome that burns. For all I know, he's dead. I haven't been able to talk to him for three years; and when I did see him, it was like he wasn’t even on earth but somewhere else. It wasn’t drugs; it was something else. About the same time all the changes started. It’s been about seven years since the dark angels, or whatever they were, attacked the United States in that big celebration event, just about the time that guy Montplier came to live here.”

  “It’s as if my father never existed. No one will let me near him anymore, and there has been no attempt for him to contact us either. He invited all these other countries to prepare for something, but I really don’t know what they are doing.”

  "Like he was part of those missing, but we know he wasn't, right?" she replied softly while placing a comforting hand on his.

  "Yes, exactly. At least, we weren't as harmed as the United States. I can't imagine that many missing people. Have you figured any of that out yet?" he asked while hoping for an answer but not expecting any.

  He knew that Mi had some new Christian servants; but seeing that they lived in isolation, he doubted that she knew any of those others. He was wrong.

  "Oh, I've figured out a lot of things lately. One, believers are special and should be treated with respect and favor. I don't like what I hear from my servants about the killings by the Red Guard (Reds). I don't know who started that, but I don't like it. It makes it as bad as old China. We might as well build up another wall and go back to killing all the lawyers again."

  "I can always count on you, can't I, Mi?" he laughed at his very opinionated wife. "At least we didn't get into the marking rage like the rest of the world. Well, not exactly. Just a mandate to kill anyone found with a Christian cross or carrying a Bible. Why waste time with a mark? We know what a believer looks like."

  "You're too cruel. What if I became a believer? Would you turn me in? You know how the Reds are going on witch hunts, don't you?" she shot back challengingly.

  "You wouldn't dare?" he responded, then laughed. "Yes you would. You'd do it just to aggravate me. But, I'd love you for it anyway. Why do you think I fell in love with you to begin with? Your fire, of course!"

  "That's not what you said last night," she fired back throwing an apple peel at him playfully.

  He ducked, laughed, winked, and got up to look out the window at the busy road beyond the palace walls. A squadron of Korean jets flew overhead, blasting the sound barrier. He thought they must be new. They still had Korean markings, but most of the air force had pictures of a couple of dragons on the side. His father always believed in ground troops, and he noticed there was a huge armada of troop carriers anchored offshore. They looked like they could easily carry thousands of men a piece stacked on top of one another. Some ships were already being loaded with a large array of land-troop transports. The massiveness of this effort was beyond belief, and he had no idea why. Of course, there were also new bases that he heard were shoulder to shoulder with Korean and Chinese soldiers, too many to count.

  He thought, “Why are we doing this? Something is going on. Something big?”

  He heard that a beautiful and famous French ambassador had been on short visits for the last seven years seemingly surrounded by officers from both the Korean and Chinese military. He doubted the European Union or the United States knew anything about it. She was also involved with the New Arab League being formed in Iran that brought together many Arab-Muslim countries with the Muslim Brotherhood. For what reason, he didn’t understand. He had seen Arab passenger planes arriving, and once, a convoy of distinguished and militarily-dressed Arabs pass by his own palace on the way to his father’s. What did China have to do with these Arab-Muslim nations? Who was in control, after all? It certainly didn't sound like his peace-loving father. That's why he tried so desperately to see him and was blocked at every turn.

  He tried to remember the name of the lady from France. It was, "Angel, no Anglio, no Angelica, that's it, Angelica." For years, she only came for several hours at a time and flew out again, but now was seen as a permanent part of his father’s palace.

  He also heard about the P2 disease in the United States; a disease that infected millions of those who took the mark of the beast on their hand while leaving those Christians marked on their foreheads healthy. What a strange string of events. How strange. He marveled that America, Canada, and Britain could be brought to their knees so easily by such a catastrophe.

  He turned to Mi and asked, "What do your believer servants say about what's going on now? Have they got an
y answers?" he asked while pacing back and forth slowly.

  "They mentioned that an 'Anti' something is coming. Does that ring a bell?" she asked trying to force her memory to respond, then remembered. "The Anti-Christ. He's going to be a peacemaker who goes to war against the people of God and their angels. It will be a terrible war. Many will die. Haven't you heard of it?"

  "Maybe. But it was long ago. Do you remember Tong Lee? My Uncle's son? He told me about the Anti-Christ right after he became a believer. He brought me his Buddha things to get rid of them. He was very excited. I can't imagine that stick-in-the-mud excited about anything, can you?"

  "Tong was a toad. He was a big fat toad. If I ever saw him excited or energetic, it would probably scare me," she replied rolling her eyes upward.

  "Did me, did me," he answered. "But, he was excited that day. He had just given his life to the Lord. He was dumping all his old Buddha stuff on me, not thinking I'd give Jesus a chance, I guess. I hate it when people try to figure me out. I threw it all away, anyway."

  "What happened to him?" she asked.

  "A crowd of Buddha worshipers beat him to death with sticks, boards, and rocks. He just wouldn't stop talking about Jesus. When he changed, he went all the way."

  Suddenly, there was a terrible racket on the palace room door. Screaming outside of it was one of Mi's favorite maid servants, bawling and crying for the Prince.

  "Prince Yatzen! Prince Yatzen! Help me, please! Prince Yatzen, the Reds took the Kai-shek family. They have Zhang and his wife with her newborn. They are going to hang them all and give his baby away to the Buddha monks! Please help us! Please help my brother!"

  Mi jumped up running into her bedroom, then pulled on her jeans and a sweatshirt. She was never one to keep with the traditional dress no matter how much the Prince yelled about it. With one tennis shoe on and the other partially, she flung the door open, and her servant fell over on top of her.

  "I will help you. Let's go!' she said running with her down two flights of stairs and towards the front gate of the palace before the Prince could even consider the circumstances. He knew he had to go. Zhang was one of his oldest friends. The Reds would love to hurt some royalty. They'd love a chance to accuse them of being believers or Christian sympathizers.

  He waited long enough to put on his royal shawl, which was as much for his authority, but not out of taste. He thought it ugly and demeaning for anyone with any taste; but, it worked. People would spot its blazing, red fabric and go to their knees in subjection. Although, not as much now as they used to. He thought it might give him some kind of edge. He didn't trust the Red Guard officers, but maybe the enlisted would hesitate in his favor when he needed it.

  He ran out of the palace right past shocked guards towards the outer gates. By the time he made it 20 yards; over 30 of his best men caught up with him and were surrounding him in an effort to protect him from any harm.

  They carried finely sharpened swords and were dressed in historic outfits of old China. Several others with more loosely fitting dark outfits climbed the nearby road walls running across the tops, keeping up with them. They were more commonly referred to as the Prince's Black Cats. They jumped from stone post to stone posts and balanced themselves at amazing speed practically passing the Prince and his well-armed escort on the road.

  They knew where he was heading. They could see Mi and Siy’s sister running a hundred feet in front of them. The crowds were immense. Above the crowds, the Reds lifted the bound Zhang. The noose was already being looped around his neck as he thrashed about trying to get away, knowing he couldn't.

  The Prince looked to his Black Cats and yelled to them, "Don't let them hurt Zhang. He is my friend and a friend of Mi. Stop them!"

  The Black Cats seemed to become airborne as they pushed down heads and crowd bodies running over the tops of them as they jumped from the walls. Zhang was already in the noose, and a wooden box was pushed from his feet under the tree as the Prince's men reached him. Two of them flung knives at the taunt rope. While one cut it in two, the other managed to cut it again before it released Zhang to a hump on the ground. Two others placed themselves on either side of him as another loosen the rope around his neck and pulled the burlap bag off his head. He gasped in a raspy, cracked voice, coughing and sputtering. His face started returning from the red, purple hue to a more normal color.

  The Reds moved back in surprise, then an officer, Chi, grabbed at Zhang's wife. They planned to kill Zhang as much for being the Prince's friend as the fact that Zhang was preaching Jesus to everyone he met. Nothing seemed to shut him up.

  "Prince!" shouted Chi as he stood defiantly with his drab brown-green uniform dully contrasted against the dazzling colors of the Prince's clothes, and he knew it. He held a gun to Siy's head.

  The Prince boldly approached him. "Do you think that I'd be concerned over the death of one of Mi's servant friends, do you? Leave her be." He was lying, but Chi didn’t know for sure.

  "You are breaking the law. Believers must die! If you don’t let us punish them, you will die!" he yelled.

  "Let her be, or I'll have my guards take her away from you dead or alive only after they kill you."

  "What? With swords against my automated and equally numbered men? I don't think so!"

  "Think what you will. Men, kill Chi first, all of you. Do you understand?"

  They all shouted with drawn swords, "Yes, Prince. Chi dies first!" was the unison reply.

  Chi relaxed at little. This wasn’t the outcome he wanted. Zhang and his wife weren't worth dying over, at least not today. He pushed her towards the Prince swinging a short sword at the back of her neck cutting her braids in two and catching them with a quick snatch.

  "Then, I'll take a trophy, a souvenir to remind me that this business isn't over. You will have to face our new commander soon, Prince. You won’t be able to hide in your palace all the time. He will have your own father order you executed for this!"

  Chi turned and left hurriedly to the relief of his own soldiers. They had no desire to go against the Prince's guards and especially his Black Cats that stood braced defensively around Zhang.

  Mi rushed to Zhang's side, scolding him to his face, "I love you, old friend, but I told you that preaching Jesus would get you and your family killed one day. Don't you think it's time to ease up a little?"

  Siy ran to her in agreement, "I told you, Zhang. This street preaching is stupid. Just believe and witness privately, will you?"

  "A light cannot be hid under a bushel. I can't help myself. We all lost children in the rapture. I can't deny Jesus. He is my Savior, and I love him. I plan to see my children when I'm carried to His bosom."

  The Prince went to Zhang and poked him in his chest with a commanding finger. "You almost saw them today, old friend. Why don't you and your family come to the palace for awhile while it cools down a little?"

  "Can my believer friends come to visit and stay over if they need too?" Zhang asked joyfully.

  He didn’t have chance to spend time with the Prince in years. It seemed like they were always so preoccupied to renew that old childhood friendship.

  "Of course you can. Just don't tell the Emperor, okay?" he laughed while putting his arm around Zhang's shoulder as they walked back towards the palace.

  In Favor with God

  "Tell me, my old friend, why do you insist on aggravating the Red Guard?" the Prince asked Zhang over a breakfast the next morning.

  They both looked out over the walled palace courtyard while enjoying the peace and quiet before the morning shift changed and merchants came into its safety to trade goods.

  Only special merchants were allowed inside the walls, mostly farmers with a few selling farm tools, and a special woman who the Prince knew from his grandmother, with specially made clay pots. He always had a tender spot for the needy. It was hard for him to turn anyone away, especially now.

  "You know better than that. I have to. I'm s
aved by the blood of the Lamb. I have been so changed by the blood of my Christ that how could I not shout it from the rooftops!" he spoke plainly to his childhood friend, not afraid of his royalty, not even impressed by it, but speaking truthfully, as always, and the Prince knew it.

  "You were always such an impulsive kid. I could never keep up with your causes. One day, it was save the volcanoes, next save the penguins, next free women from ancient tyranny; my wife liked that one. I like the one where you tried to expose Apple for using our prisons to manufacture their products, then Walmart for doing the same for Christmas Ornaments and Simpson-faced slippers. How do I know this isn't just another fad with you? You always seemed so willing to die for them too. You always seemed so on fire with the electricity of the cause. Is this just another pet project of yours that you will leave behind tomorrow for another?"

  The Prince's words stung Zhang deeply, and tears welled in his eyes from their onslaught. He was speaking truthfully too. He had to convince the Prince that it was different. He had to make sure he understood how his life was changed. How could he unless the Prince could read his heart or get inside of him. He was almost despondent at the futileness of it. He was about to give up even trying.

  The Prince noticed and spoke re-assuredly, "My old friend, don't be so down on yourself. I see the difference. You are like a man with lights on inside your soul. You are more than just excited about the cause. You are in love with someone, like a person, like this Jesus, right?"

  "Yes, a person, named Jesus, my Lord, my Savior. Have you been thinking about giving your life to Jesus too?"

  "Oh, now, we come to it," he laughed. "Well, maybe, but the way Mi talks about her fondness of Christians, I believe it will be her first. If she does, I promise to think about it more seriously. I don't believe in a divided house. I would never force her to reject this Jesus. If we both hadn’t been so isolated behind these walls, we may have been able to meet a missionary before the children were taken," he said trembling, then looked around to see if Mi heard; she hadn't. She was chatting in chairs knee-to-knee with Siy about something. He noticed the serious look on Mi's face and wondered if it was about Jesus too.

  Zhang saw his eyes watching Siy and Mi, then tried to pull his attention away for a moment. If he knew his Siy, she was talking to her about the Lord, just like she did many times before. Siy said that it wouldn't be long before Mi came around. They needed the Prince's help. Too many believers were being killed. They needed someone in power that could do something special to protect them. The Prince was his ace in the hole.

  Zhang smiled broadly and reached for a hug from the Prince asking again, "I knew you understood. Have you been thinking about giving your life to Jesus?”

  The Prince whispered with no need to, “Maybe, kinda’, sort of, a little bit, possibly, could be, not now.”

  Zhang laughed loudly and slapped the Prince on the back, then whispered back as he walked away after a short bow, “Your Princess may beat you to it.”

  The Prince spoke in a normal voice this time and said, “That would help.”

  The Dragon’s Lair

  “Now is the time to pull the legions together,” spoke Angelica into the Prime Minister’s ear.

  The Prime Minister only turned to stare at her with solid black eyes as cold as old coal. There was no life in his eyes. He died years ago after years of being possessed. Now, only the demons possessed his body filling the texture of his mind in ways that gave an appearance of life. Angelica needed him to continue to appear life-like. She could have ordered a dark angel to replace, but it wouldn’t have been the same. There were just too many personal quirks and habits that the Prime Minister still kept that they would have never been able to duplicate. Possession was the only answer.

  Whispering into his ear seldom stirred him, but every once in a while the old Emperor turned curiously when his demons forgot to control him, and his own personality came forth. It didn’t last long, but it still happened. This was one of those times.

  “Where is my son? I want to see him. I know what has happened to me. You have controlled me for years; and now, I am dead. I am more than dead, but I still want to see my son.” Immediately, the demons shut him off, and his eyes lost that flicker and again turned to cold-steel black.

  He turned towards Angelica just as two of his foreign ambassadors walked in to check on him. He turned to them and said very slowly, “Call all the other Dragons together to be here in a week. You know who they are. Close the borders and stop anyone coming and going. We are now going to total isolation. Continue to find every Christian missionary and every Christian, then kill them. I don’t want a one to survive. Order my military to prepare. We will start the Day of the Dragons very soon. Only Angelica and her people will be allowed to have free travel. Montplier and Angelica will be giving the orders on our plans from now on.”

  It seemed from all appearances that the Emperor was alive and completely coherent. Even Angelica was impressed by his possession results. Dark magic held his body and flesh together while giving him all appearance of life that was only an illusion.

  Hayden

  Hayden handed gauze to the nurse while paying close attention to the medical procedure. He left the U.S. straight out of high school; and when the rapture took place, he was in China on a two-year medical-assistance assignment. It was surprising to him that the United States was so devastated by the disappearance of so many of its citizens. He had always embraced the past as the way to understand the future, but nothing of this rapture business made sense.

  He was even more upset to see the changes in China after the rapture: the killing and imprisonment of Christians stirred by the Red Guard mobs. It was getting even more difficult to keep out of trouble. After all, if you were from the United States, chances are you were a believer, right, right? To be a round-eye was to have an immediate target on you.

  Hayden noticed that North Korean military units were arriving more each day. Also, more of China was off limits even to medical assistance. Something was building up, but he didn’t know what. He had heard from his father a year ago that the United States was preparing.

  The note from his father in an email was, “We are prepared. Come home ASAP.” He didn’t know quite what to make of that. Who is prepared? What did he mean? He still had three months left; and of course, there was Crystal.

  Crystal was the registered nurse he was assigned to work with; five years his older. What had become a casual put-up-with became more of a cozy friendship. Just cozy, but still he daydreamed that it could be more. Crystal was a 5’ blonde, petite, high spirited, full of spunk and fire.

  Hayden wasn’t. He was calm, collected, even-keeled, not at all centered on drama or crisis, just about the most laid-back person that Crystal ever met. She felt that he almost didn’t care, but found out later that was not the case. Crystal, though not a drama queen, was his alternate opposite. Everything had to be with sizzle, excitement, high interest, and passion. If someone wasn’t as excited about things as she; she’d dismiss them; they were irrelevant if not as passionate—Hayden just ignored it.

  He would hand her the right medicines and tools just like she wanted with small smiles and holding onto them a little too long with a touch of gentleness that was something more than just her assistant. She noticed and would brush up against him when she moved past him many times or pat him on the shoulder in a slightly affectionate touch, and he noticed. It was becoming way too obvious to both of them that they wanted to be together more than just the job. If Crystal stayed, Hayden wanted to stay, but something told him they would have to leave soon if they wanted to stay alive. He was thankful that their work was in some of the poorest areas of China away from anyone including the Red Guard, and he was enjoying his newest assignment near the coast.

  What meant a lot to Hayden was where he lived while in China: a Chinese Junk. He thought that it might me fun that wa
y, not having to expose himself to the high rises and being a long-time sailor since a kid. He bought the junk from a Chinese vegetable merchant who was retiring and moving to the country to get away from the busy streets and all the noise as he called it. The junk was sailable and certainly livable with berths for six and with just a small gunnel-grill. He would fish from the stern, catch his supper, and cook it on the spot. Crystal used to joke with him about it but finally gave up and asked if she might rent a berth without conditions, just to save money. He often thought that his love for big boats came from his father’s old ketch 45 docked on Tims Ford Lake in Tennessee. He spent his summers on it with his family anchored out in some cove while having the time of his life.

  For Hayden, with Crystal aboard, it was a match made in heaven, but plutonic in nature without anything more than sharing space and convenience. He had an old long-shaft 65 hp mercury on the stern and had only sailed it on one occasion by himself with just one mainsail and a small jib to keep it manageable; just enough to remind him of earlier sailing days.

  He laughed now when he thought how Crystal pushed him into this deal. He was anchored out in Yobu Harbor and took a little row skiff with a 9.9 Evinrude to and from. He liked his privacy, but she didn’t care. She dived in one day from the harbor dock and swam to his boat fully clothed. He panicked when he saw her coming; he had a 16-foot dark tiger shark that liked to hang out under his hull so he didn’t dare go in the water. After time, the tiger was acting almost friendly enough to let him hold to his dorsal before diving back under the boat to eat a side of goat. Hayden would get his goats when the locals threw out the old stuff. Almost free, still he never chanced a swim, not wanting to challenge nature quite that much.

  Hayden saw Crystal coming and ran to his recently caught fish, then threw it all overboard at the bow to distract the tiger for a minute while yelling at her to hurry. She did; and just as she pulled out of the water up the aft ladder, here came his tiger. She had no idea how close it came, and Hayden never told her until she saw him feeding it a goat soon after.

  “Is that the reason you got so upset with me for swimming to your boat?” she asked nervously while acting like she didn’t want to know.

  “Yes,” he said as he slapped the tigers dorsal before it dived under with its supper.

  “Next time, shout a little louder, ‘You are about to get eaten by a shark if you don’t hurry!’ Okay?”

  “How about no next time?” he laughed.

  “Yes, that will work too,” and giggled, then pretended to wipe sweat from her brow in a relief gesture.

  Hayden would sit with Crystal as the sun set and drink their sweet Tennessee tea with just a little ice from a cooler, then talk about going home, about going back to college, about what they both wanted so much, even what it would be like if they really started liking each other, but it had already gone that far except for the admitting of it. Secret thoughts for each that somehow they just might become an item, thinking about it, imagining it, and secretly hoping for it, with neither letting the other know how deeply they really cared for each other.

  Hayden felt their time in China was almost over. They had made friends with Mi recently and met the Prince on two occasions while on a requested visit to the palace. It seemed that the Yatzen’s wanted to talk about America and hesitantly talked about how things had changed more recently. They even talked about Tennessee, thinking that they could all find peace there and not have a Red Guard or the North Koreans to bother them. They thought together that Tennessee might be a good place to raise their family; a place to start over again.

  The Prince was especially fascinated with Hayden’s pictures of Sewanee and asked many questions how it all fit into the rarely mentioned “End of Days.”

  This always led to more talk about things like being a believer, details that the Prince dare not ask anyone else. He felt that Hayden’s connection to those times and that place must make him a better expert than others even though he was wrong. Hayden was not quite the best representative of believer-hood, just not as serious as one would expect someone to be having been so close to all the end-time action. Still, his history to Sewanee and those Children of the Sanctuary, as they were called, were part of his own stories now. The Prince loved to ask questions, and Hayden was always a great story teller making it all far more exciting that it really was many times.

  The Warning

  Again, the Emperor came back to reality, “I know what you have done to me. I will not let you continue. My son will find a way to stop you. You have given me artificial life, but you should know that it also makes me able to reach out beyond my body when you aren’t looking. I am sending warnings and reaching out to those I love, and you can’t stop me.”

  The Emperor jerked convulsively as the demons tried to regain control, but his will was like steel against their will. They could not stop his mind from pushing against their restraints.

  The demons screamed at Angelica, “He is resisting us. He is pushing us aside, our presence. He is sending thoughts to those he loves. Make him stop! Make him stop!”

  Angelica moved quickly in front of the Emperor and grabbed his face in one hand while lifting him off the floor in a show of dark, angelic strength.

  “You aren’t needed anymore!” she yelled and threw him to the floor, then cast out her own kind in an effort to stop his old will from ruling.

  It was too late. His son felt and saw his father in vivid scene of death and chaos. He heard the message of warning and bent over feeling the power of the message. He knew now what was happening. His father was dead, and he knew what the Dragons were planning. They were going to strike back in a way that would make World War II and all wars since a silly game in comparison. He saw the two greatest dragons: China and Korea launching a ground invasion against the United States in 41 days. He had to let others know. He had to get the time table to others who were waiting for specific information; but now, they only knew it was coming. He needed to tell the Americans all the details. He also knew that he and Mi must escape. He wished to take his friends but knew this was impossible. He thought to himself that there would have to be away to get away. Maybe, the recent arrival of the U.S. Constitution just beyond the Chinese territorial waters was a possibility; he was thinking; he was considering.

  He was already yelling, “Mi, come we must leave! We must get to the Americans. We need to tell Hayden and Crystal? If we don’t make it, then they must tell the plan. I must let them know the plan! They need to know! They need to know! My father is dead! Those around him are dark angels! Those around him are partnered with the Anti-Christ! We must leave, now!”

  Angelica spoke to the final demon that was leaving the Emperor, “Who and what did he tell them? Tell me!”

  A voice came out of the Emperor’s mouth, “He told his son the time table of the ground invasion and our detailed plans. He told him to run. He told him the plans, all the plans.”

  “Find Prince Yatzen and Mi! Find them and kill them! Kill all of his Black Cats. Find everyone, every international no matter who they are and kill them. We have 41 days left, and we can’t be off by a minute!”

  The Prince yelled from his bedroom window while Mi watched him, horrified and not understanding, “Black Cats! Come to my chambers!”

  Within minutes, his men crowded themselves into the upper story of the palace rooms and waited for orders, not knowing what to expect.

  The Prince spoke in measured tones, “We are in a state of war with the United States against my will. They don’t know it yet, but in 41 days our nation and the North Korean’s will start a nuclear attack on their east coast, then a ground invasion. I’m going to ask everyone of you to change clothes. Let’s not call too much attention to ourselves. We need to find a way to get to the Americans to warn them. We need to find Hayden and Crystal just outside of Samhuan and bring them with us. I want to give you each the details of what I have learned. At least one
of us must make it to the Americans. I will ask that each of you write down the specific details and memorize everything. Under no circumstances will any of you let yourself be captured. The only reason I want to find those Americans is because I sense that it is important, even more important than living. Call it my inner voice. Call it a great intuition, but you will have to trust me that it is important! Now, get out of your Black Cat clothes, blend, and go with us as far as you can.”

  “We have two major roads that leave the city going towards the ocean. I want half of us to drive straight through until you see water—Hayden and Crystal are working on the way. I want the other half of us to go to the old airport that is not used anymore. I have an old C127 stored in the hanger that has been in moth balls for about five years just for something like this. If you see any of the Reds, kill them. Plow through them. Don’t let anything stop you. Whatever you do, get to the Americans. Don’t let anything stop you!”

  Dar-Raven

  Dar Raven knocked charred flesh from him and shook like a dog coming in from the rain. He stared for a minute and smiled at Angelica with a look that knew he was back from a hell that was all about his failure to succeed for Apollyon many years before. His hairless-skeletor features were fierce and frightening even to Angelica, and he shrouded himself in his black feathers still smoldering with hell’s heat. As he raised his wings to a full spread, black feathers shot like darts at all his surroundings; penetrating furniture, floor tiles, and several barely missed Angelica as she ducked and swerved out of the way. She planned not to get any closer until he was completely done from his awakening.

  Angelica frowned and started to question Apollyon’s decision to bring Dar Raven back, then stopped and bowed respectfully at Dar Raven. He breathed deeply while choking smoke from his mouth in a cough and gag that had been continually singed by fire for more than ten years.

  “Is it morning or night, Angelica?” he asked simply.

  “Morning, why?”

  “Just wanted to get it right. Good morning.”

  “Oh, good morning. I guess I better not ask how you’ve been.”

  “Not a good idea. Has it begun? Has the Day of the Dragons begun, yet?”

  “Forty-one days.

  “I sense the orders are clear, right? Are there any problems that I should know about?”

  “You already know the answer to that. You can read my mind as easily as I can read yours. The Emperor sent out a warning to his son before I could stop them with the details of the invasion.”

  “That’s not convenient. You may be taking my place in hell for such a mistake like that. I know you have ordered him killed along with everyone else close to him, right?”

  Angelica flinched, and her mouth quivered in recognition of taking his place in hell. She only crossed her fingers that her mistake wouldn’t be noticed, then hoped she was important enough to Montplier that it wouldn’t happen. She hoped her deep connection to the Anti-Christ was essential in the Day of the Dragons’ plans.

  “In all these years, I imagined that somehow the Glorious One wouldn’t be able to turn around those nuclear attacks on the Christian communes. Once I heard about the way the British decorated the fliers in the same way as Revelations speaks, I knew we had a problem, including the use of the two witnesses belching out the message of Jesus night and day. We should have suspected something when they were named the Candlestick and the Olive Tree. Somehow, we just seem so trapped by scriptural predestinations,” spoke Dar Raven, then realized his reference to the Lord was a little too complimentary.

  A scorch of flame appeared near his mouth in an altogether hellish response, and he flinched, then wiped more charred mouth remains from his face before healing again.

  He circled Angelica in a predatory manner as if he was stalking a victim while considering her for something more than conversation. Angelica bristled when she realized what he had in mind. She had no intention of subjecting herself to an unwelcome advance and rushed past him, then out the door. She had heard of Dar Raven’s cruelty with those he mated with and had no desire to put up with his monster ways no matter how important he was to this Dragon drama.

  Dar Raven laughed, having just missed her as she brushed past him. “I will save you for another time, Princess Angelica, another time. You will soon be the great Harlot of Babylon.”

  Dar Raven stood still and very carefully looked around the palace room, then he saw what he wanted, water. He went straight for a clear vase with flowers that wilted as he touched the glass, then tossed them aside as he gulped water, then with its last measure poured it on his head while pulling back at his newly grown hair enjoying its refreshing wetness.

  “So, I am to keep the Dragons on track and continue to find and kill every Christian from here to the U.S., if that is what it takes. No information can get to the Eagle unless it is sanctioned for our purpose,” commented Dar Raven to himself and nodded as if agreeing with a whispering voice inside him.

  Dar Raven sent a message to Angelica who was purposely sitting close to Montplier, “Are you certain we are tracking the Christians, and what are we doing to find the Prince and Mi? I want his head before he has a chance to tell anyone about our plans. I want a report with good news within the hour!”

  The Prince was with one of the small groups of Black Cats passing through and heading towards split on the way to his private hanger.

  He talked carefully to his wife, “We all know the plans. We must get these details to the Americans. I understand that their carrier is leaving sometime today. We must get to them.”

  The Prince felt a push of thoughts penetrating his mind as if a source was probing him trying to see through his own eyes where he was. He clasped his hands over his eyes and screamed, “Get out of my head! Get out of my head!”

  He spoke directly to Mi. “Mi, I’m going crazy! I need the protection of the Holy Jesus. Tell me again how to become a Christian. Do it now! I must know! I must do this! This darkness in me is endangering all of us!”

  Mi spoke simply to him as she watched him still covering his eyes and almost clawing at his face against the force that was Dar Raven. It was almost overpowering him.

  “Accept Him as your Savior. Ask His forgiveness for your sins and surrender your life to Him.”

  The Prince whispered the words, then released his face, “Oh my God! Oh, my God! The darkness is gone! Oh, my God! It is all about Jesus! Oh, my God, Mi, you must do this now! Do it now!” She was so caught up in the moment that she didn’t but planned to.

  Dar Raven jumped back as if he was bit by a snake. “I can’t believe he did that! What is this world coming to when I can’t control someone without Jesus interfering?”

  He slammed the clutched water vase into the table while watching it shatter in an explosion of his own disgust. He still remembered something before the holy intrusion. The car was heading to a wide-open, very isolated, paved road that was overgrown with brush on both sides. In the distance was what he thought was an old airport tower; it must be an airport of some kind.

  “What is he doing? What is that place?”

  Apollyon spoke simply to him, “There is an old airport that has been abandoned for years near the coast. There must be some mode of transportation he intends to use. Tell, Angelica to notify the North Korean air force to see about sending air support to shoot whatever he takes off in right out of the sky.”

  “Yes, dark master,” spoke Dar Raven with bowed head.

  Angelica heard it too, “Yes, dark one.”

  Montplier asked Angelica, “Did you say something?”

  Angelica answered, “I will be right back. I have something to take care of. Keep your motor running, dear.”

  Montplier smiled knowingly and blew her a kiss as she moved briskly towards an outside hall with her cell phone in hand while already barking orders on behalf of her personal Anti-Christ as well as the dark father.

  Barely Escaping
<
br />   Hayden felt an unusual and heightened sense of alarm, then looked up from removing a bloody bandage at the same time as Crystal. They both stood up and stared intently as each other.

  “Did you feel that?” asked Crystal.

  “Boy, did I!” replied Hayden. “What was that? I think it was a God thing. We are in danger. Something is happening or going to happen. What shall we do?”

  “Can your boat really work?” she asked.

  “You mean can I motor or sail it? Of course, I just cleaned the long shank the other day. Where do we go with it? Can’t make it to the U.S., not that good. Got any ideas?”

  “The Constitution is anchored only 12 miles from here. Want to try?”

  “Do we have any choice? That voice said run, leave, escape, get out of China, right?

  “That is exactly what I heard.”

  “Let’s go, now. But if someone wanted to catch us they could, but they probably wouldn’t expect an old Chinese junk. We should hope.”

  As they ran for the car, they stopped as they heard that voice, “Ride the bikes. Look Chinese.”

  They ran for the bike rack and grabbed some wide hats off the locals while pushing locals out of the way, then grabbed some sandals from their back pack and threw their Nikes’ towards a farmer in fair exchange for the hats. They only had five miles to travel and by-passed the road as much as possible taking some old cart trails.

  As they looked over at the main road, they noticed familiar faces in a van full of what they recognized as some of the Prince’s Black Cats. One of men recognized them and yelled, “Get out! Get out! Run! The Prince and Mi are running too!”

  Hayden and Crystal cut across to the van that stopped briefly at the side of the road. From behind them all came sirens; the Reds were coming.

  “Do you still have your junk?”asked a familiar face to Hayden.

  “Yes, we were running to it and going to go to the American carrier.”

  “Yes, yes, do it. We will stay here and slow down the Reds. You must tell them that the Dragons are going to attack the U.S. in 41 days. The Prince and Mi have more details and are flying towards the Americans too. You must take care of our Prince and Princess for us. Do you promise?”

  One of the Black Cats shoved a note with the details he wrote down towards Hayden even though he was to shred them. Not obedient, but a good move considering the Red Guard coming.

  “Of course,” shouted Hayden as he and Crystal biked away now just a mile to the coast. As they arrived at the dock and fumbled into his 10-foot tinny, they heard shots and shouts while knowing the Black Cats could not hold them back for long. They reached the junk and scrambled up the gang ladder, then with a swift hand crank started the motor while Crystal cut the anchor lines without pulling them up. They didn’t know if the Red Guard even knew about the junk but felt the Black Cats were their target while thinking they were only looking for the Prince and Mi. They were right. Not a single Red Guard even thought about them once the Black Cats were dead and found no royalty. They returned to the main roads and headed down another way just after they got a message from Angelica that the Prince was heading for the old air port.

  Hayden and Crystal kept their heads low and watched for more Reds as they maneuvered between other anchored boats at a slow rate so as not to attract attention. Just as they passed the last boat, they headed out into open water. Hayden opened up full throttle, then felt the junk shutter and creak. He had never taken the junk this fast with only the motor before. He ran to a mainsail and heaved on the mainsail lines while slowly fixing it with a perfect downwind wind that increased the speed but also made the junk shutter even more.

  “Hayden, have you ever taken this boat out before?!” shouted Crystal after hearing more squeaks and groans from its hull.

  “Only once, but only for about a half hour, just sails only, not the motor, why?”

  She didn’t answer until they went five miles, then she thought she heard the bubbling of water from deep inside the boat. “I hear water bubbling up from somewhere. Do you think that this boat can make it?” she asked fearfully. She stuck her head down into the inside and froze in shock.

  “You have water coming in the bow planks. The stress of under power must be pulling the boat apart!”

  “It’s slowing me down. If we sink, we can at least sink within sight of the Americans. We only need another seven. We can make it. We still have the tinny if we have too.”

  The junk started taking on even more water; and as they passed ten miles, they could see the Constitution. Hayden pushed it as far as he could, then ran to raise another sail. They were going the right direction, then picked up another three miles per hour even though it was slowing from the water weight. The cabin was finally half full of water as the junk sunk lower in the water.

  Only a mile from the Americans, Hayden started blowing his air horn and noticed Korean jets circling the Americans as if they were waiting for someone; they were: The Prince’s group was just taking off, and the North Koreans knew it must be the Prince and Mi. Just as the C-127 lifted toward the ocean, the Red Guard arrived and was firing from the ground to no effect, too late, too far away.

  Hayden saw the cumbersome C127 rise from the coast and wondered why it would be heading for the Americans too. They couldn’t land on the carrier deck so what did they plan on doing? Suddenly, the plane went straight up to the air like it was a rocket, and Hayden watched as the drop-down hanger doors came open looking like it was going to dump a house from its aft belly.

  The pilot spoke calmly, “We are surrounded by Korean gunships. They will fire, and we will go down. Put on parachutes, Prince and Mi. Everyone do the same. I will get as high as possible before this happens. The hanger doors are down, but you will have to take your chances. See if you can land on or near the carrier. I will send out a distress signal. The Koreans don’t know which of all of us are you so they will just try to kill all of you. Maybe the Americans can help.”

  Hayden blasted his air horn as he watched the junk sink even lower into the water. “We are only a half mile away now and no one has spotted us. Let’s give them something to look at.”

  He pointed Crystal to the tinny, and she jumped into it starting the motor in idle, waiting. The junk listed to one side with Hayden still inside. He ran to the aft rope ladder, then hurled himself into the skiff while forward thrusting it full throttle that raised the bow awkwardly into the air. They watched as the junk started a nose dive, then ducked when the boat exploded from the ignition of a gas stove burner on a butane tank he used on his outside grill. The fire storm did exactly what he wanted.

  “XO, we have an explosion from a boat about a half mile from here with a small skiff heading our way. They are English, Sir. There is also a transmission from the C127 that Prince Yatzen and Princess Mi are on board preparing to parachute over us. They said they have information on plans from China and Korea on an attack on the U.S. They know they will be shot down and asked us to help retrieve their people.”

  The XO spoke briefly, “Send a party to meet the skiff, then send out some of our own jets to act against the North Koreans the minute they start hostile fire. Get rescue teams to retrieve the survivors, then let’s prepare to get out of here. I want to get as far from this coast as possible. Start transmissions to headquarters on this situation. I need some nuclear sub support as well as our support destroyers. I need total back up, and we need to prepare for battle!”

  The battle sounds were music to Hayden’s ears. He knew that something was happening and had to think that it included them. He also thought that the Koreans buzzing the upward climbing C-127 had to be part of it too. Suddenly, a Korean jet fired automated fire square into the cockpit of the C127. The pilot slumped forward leveling out the plane briefly just as six jumped out of the open hanger doors. The pilot got just high enough for an open parachute jump that would be a jar but survivable. Each jumper pulled the parachutes open almost
immediately after exiting, but something was wrong with Mi’s chute. The Prince and Mi exited hand in hand, but Mi grabbed the Prince by the legs when her chute didn’t open while dragging them both down at an accelerated rate. At first, it seemed they would come directly down on the carrier deck, but they were swirling out of control and looked to take a plunge off its starboard bow. The rescue team saw and predicted the result, then launched out within 20 feet of where they were going into the water. They both went down almost 30 feet below the surface and were barely able to make it to the surface; but were rescued with the help of Navy seals cutting away the chutes and hoisting them into a survival raft. Several Korean helicopters fired at them while they were rescued, and the carrier immediately returned fire, sniping a pilot of a Korean helicopter and sent it into the ocean while a Korean jet was expertly sent into an exploding ball of flame. Two Black Cats were hit by the C127 as it fell into the water while the others found themselves landing handily on the carrier deck with thuds and crashing bones. Not exactly what they wanted but safe. They ran excitedly towards the Prince and Mi’s side as they were being rescued and shortly brought aboard. American jets set up a barrage of protection to prevent any additional Korean interference.

  Hayden couldn’t believe he had a front row seat, but he regretted it when another Korean helicopter buzzed him, then realized they were English. They were fired on with the second pass, but the skiff was too small of a target. Their rescuers started firing on the helicopter on their third pass and made them swerve away; but not before Hayden and Crystal jumped overboard, thinking next time they wouldn’t miss.

  “Climb on board, partners. We got to get you back to the ship. We are preparing to sail right now. The Prince and Mi have been asking about you. We didn’t know who you were, but who would be crazy enough to blow up a boat in a 10-foot tinny in the open ocean. Got to be crazy Americans, right?” the sailor laughed, then looked around to see if the helicopter was coming back. American jets continued to circle the whole area in a defensive measure that sent Korean-and-Chinese jets and helicopters at a distance. The Dragons were not quite ready to start a fire-fight when the time was not right. Everything was in timing, 41 days and counting.

  Dar Raven spoke to Angelica, “Tell them to back off. I will personally take care of the Prince and Mi. In fact, I will take personal pleasure in making sure whoever escapes doesn’t live long, including that Hayden guy and his nurse friend. I’m tired of loose ends. I want everyone to know that whoever defies us will not live long to talk about it.”

  Angelica turned to Montplier, “Our plans are out. They will know soon enough what we have planned. We should accelerate the plans?”

  Angelica knew the answer before she asked it. They needed to stay on schedule since so many ground troops would be necessary in order to accomplish what they wanted. They planned on complete nuclear attack of the east coast and wanted to move troops directly into the U.S. heartland in a line across the U.S. that included the Tennessee western border.

  That would probably only take months if they marched directly up major interstates. Of course, they expected a fight that would make the first part of the journey about ten months. One of the main thrusts was straight up I-24 and not go any farther after reaching Chattanooga, then move at least another half way to the west coast within the next year, followed by 12 months that would include California. This was a realistic goal, and they were willing to take their time to do it. Nothing would stand up to the massive show of force of five million Chinese-Korean feet on the ground.

  Montplier knew that Israel would have to be isolated and destroyed, but this would not happen until the U.S. was so hamstrung that Israel could not depend on the Eagle’s help and assistance. It was a way to plan on keeping Israel from relying on anyone except themselves. With the New Arab League ready, Israel would not have a chance to survive. It was difficult to keep the Iranians with the Muslim Brotherhood elements back from advancing now, but all agreed. Montplier joked about the Iranian prime minister as a “beast,” and his left-and-right-hand armies with Hezballoh and Hamas as his little horns. Something he read once in the scriptures although he understood little of it.

  It just came up one day when Montplier called the Iranian Prime Minister a monster, and he answered, “Call me the beast, and I willing accept and live up to your full image of it in the future and wait; though I don’t want to.”

  Montplier had more than 200 million troops in reserve to be ordered to join the Arab League’s 100 million in their attack on Israel as soon as the United States was taken care of.

  Safety

  Hayden sat with the Prince and Mi while Crystal leaned against him exhausted by the dramatic events of this day and comforted by the whir of the large engines moving the carrier away from the Chinese coast. The Prince was glad that two of his Black Cats had made it but sad for those he was sure he lost. Good men, good people; he cared deeply for each and every one.

  The XO had a transcriber taking down all the details of the attack plans. Everything was out now. Everything was clear and so were some preparations that had already been made, but it became obvious, not enough. It was the clear message that was given to a previous XO of another carrier that started the preparations years before. Montplier thought that one of his maids went back to her village for a simpler life, but she found a way to communicate with the Americans some of the details about the forthcoming attack. It was too brief. The information talked about nuclear attack of east coast, but none of the other details about plans up multiple interstates and stopping points were shared except a comment about I-24 to Chattanooga. Previous maids were eliminated from duties every two weeks in case they overheard something. Nothing was left to chance when it came to Montplier’s secrets.

  Mi trembled slightly and fell against the Prince with tears running down her face. “I will miss my Christian friends. Do you think they will survive?”

  “Mi, I don’t know. Let us hope so. The same Lord that saves can also lead them to places of safety. I believe that Montplier believes he is the Anti-Christ of Revelation. I certainly believe Angelica, his wife, who is a dark angel, believes that he is. When my father communicated with me about the details of the invasion, he also gave me details about others that he saw and heard about. I know far too much, far too much for Dar Raven’s good.”

  “Dar Raven, I have never heard you mention his name before.”

  ‘He was the one looking through my eyes for a short period of time before we reached the air field. He is one of the most dangerous dark angels in existence right now. He told me so. I have no reason to believe any different. His domain is the domain of fear and darkness.”

  “I have a funny feeling that he is not happy about what we know; and somehow, he is interested in payback. That bothers me more than anything.”

  “Do you think he will try to hunt us down?” asked Mi feeling fear creeping up from her stomach and spreading into her mind.”

  Suddenly she felt a presence within her that was alien and strange. She rubbed her head as if trying to push it away, then said, “Dar Raven?”

  “Of course, and I will find you two. You can’t hide from me. You made a fool of me, and hell doesn’t like fools, especially me.”

  Mi screamed, “Prince, it is Dar Raven. He is speaking in my head!”

  The Prince held Mi, then said, “Did you not surrender your life to Jesus like I did? That can block him!”

  “I forgot!”

  “You helped me but forgot about yourself.”

  Mi dropped to her knees and begged, “Please forgive me and come into my heart. Oh, please Jesus, I surrender to you. Please save me!”

  Dar Raven slammed his fist into the table where he was sitting and shouted, “Not again! These people need to stop doing that stuff to me! How can I get anything done with Jesus getting in the way all the time?”

  Mi collapsed against the Prince in relief and shook from what Dar Raven warned. “
He said he would track us down. Doesn’t he have better things to do than chase us around like a fox after rabbits?”

  Hayden answered, “I think he must have something to prove. He’s acting like someone who isn’t allowed to make many mistakes. Maybe, he is on probation or something. I vaguely remember something years ago about angelic battles at Sewanee and stories about how Alex Tabor, our Vice-President dealt with this guy when he was the Tennessee Governor. Could it be that the success of the Christians during that time and after the rapture may have got him in trouble? Especially, if, he was the one in charge? It seems like he has a point to prove, don’t you think?”

  The XO was listening from a distance and injected, “If this guy or dark angel was in charge of the dark one’s legion and failed, imagine how he would be punished. Whew! I bet he burned brightly.”

  “Well, he’s back now. Anyone got any ideas on where we can get some extra help?” asked the Prince.

  From behind the XO came a very large sailor looking for all general purposes as big as a mountain almost seven-foot tall. When he spoke, his baritone voice scared the XO so much that he spilled his coffee all over himself and fell back against row of chairs almost to the floor.

  “I might be able to help if you don’t mind,” replied Aaron and right behind him came three more large-statured sailors. They all were carrying the hilt of long swords sticking up over their backs. Aaron pulled his sword out of its sling and stuck it into the floor in a dramatic move that stunned everyone including ship security. His sword was five-foot long and a foot wide.

  Aaron immediately proclaimed, “We are the good guys. I am the only one who can handle Dar Raven, and he knows it. The bad news is that where Dar Raven is so are legions of others to back him up. You aren’t going to face the devil himself, but thousands of them that follow Dar Raven around like little puppies doing his every bid. You need us angels with you and close by all the time.”

  When the ship security saw the XO give a wave-off, back-off sign with his hand and heard the word angels, it all made sense, then everyone took a deep breath for a minute while just marveling at Gods wonderful handiwork.

  Mi spoke first, “I accept your help. And you are?”

  “I am Aaron. Commander of the angel legions. I am thousands of years old, and those here behind me are Caleb, Joseph, and Isaac. Caleb the most handsome angel in heaven, with Joseph, The Bull, able to lift buildings when needed, and Isaac the oldest of all the angels and my personal mentor.”

  Mi spotted Caleb first and gasp at his looks. Never had she seen any man as beautiful. Joseph look more like a bull than a person with shoulders that stuck up around his neck in a dramatic way like he really did lift buildings. Isaac was smaller than all of them, but with a black-white terrier beard showing some of his age even for an angel.

  “So, you are going to accompany us back to the states? Do you have any idea where would be a good place to go that is safe?”

  “Near Sewanee, maybe the Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma,” answered Aaron.

  “Sewanee, my father lives nearby. Why there?”

  “The United States has been preparing for this invasion for years. They know that they can’t help the east coast from what is coming, but they can and will use some new technology to completely reduce the foot soldiers to nothing if they move as far as Tennessee. They have installed hundred’s of thousands of large underground habitats and automated towers up, down, and all the way into Tennessee. The towers are able to come out of the ground and with their CrossHair Technology neutralize every living thing within its range. Those detailed plans of yours do pose a little problem for the U.S. They aren’t as prepared as they should be, but they will figure it out. Concerning Sewanee, once the front-guard of the Dragon Armies reach the bottom of Monteagle Mountain, the CrossHairs will activate. Once this system is activated, nothing will survive. It will instantly fry everything like a microwave. It is a tough way to do it, but the survival of United States is at risk as well as the free world. Nuking is out, microwaving is in.”

  “Chinese-Korean Shish Kobabs, well done, right?” commented Hayden.

  “Very well done,” commented all the angels together.

  “Something else is coming that will make it a little easier for the United States?” commented Isaac flatly.

  “What’s that?” asked the XO.

  “Wormwood and its sister,” answered Caleb.

  “What’s wormwood?” asked the Prince.

  Aaron commented, “You need to read Revelation. ‘Then the third angel sounded, ‘And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water; and the name of the star is Wormwood: and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water because it was made bitter’”

  “Before that one comes so does its sister, ‘Then the second angel sounded And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea and a third of the sea became blood: and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.’”

  “So you would have had five million Chinese-Korean foot soldiers, but Wormwood’s sister will take care of 1/3 of those, then Wormwood itself will finish off more before the ships are even launched. Good luck. You only have to take care of about two million or so, now. Sweet!” Aaron thought to himself. Where did he learn that word: oh, yeah that guy Thomas from Latvia. Everything to him was, “Sweet, sweet.”

  Hayden answered sarcastically, “It only takes one bullet, not a million.”

  “Oh, Hayden, you are such a pessimist. You will live. You have much to do during the 1000-year reign of our Christ that saves many people. You will be a hero and don’t know it. Guess you will have to wait to find out. Can’t tell you everything, don’t you know,” Aaron laughed.

  Hayden spouted back, “An angel going valley girl on us: don’t you know; don’t you know.”

  Aaron seemed puzzled with the statement, then pulled off his shirt showing his huge muscles ripped to the bone and veins like road maps up and down his body. “Does this look like a valley girl to you?”

  Hayden backed away thinking he needed to be more careful what he said, then Caleb jumped in, “Oh Aaron was just waiting for a chance to show off. Don’t give him anymore excuses. We are all built that way, well Aaron a little more so.”

  “Much, much more so,” commented Aaron before disappearing with the rest following only leaving an echo, “We will be near when needed.”

  The Prince commented, “Well, I feel much better now, but not for my country or its countrymen. I don’t think Wormwood or its sister care who it kills: Christians, pagans, or dark angels, which includes many of my friends and their families.”

  “Hayden,” said Crystal, “why near Sewanee, again?”

  “Hayden answered, “I heard prior to the rapture that God chose Sewanee as a protected place under God’s palm. Thousands of children escaped there and were saved from, I believe, it was Dar Raven and his angels who tried to capture and kill the children. You know, I heard that an angel battle took place just outside of Cowan before the mountain and two angels fought a terrible personal battle. I bet that was Aaron and Dar-Raven. My dad would know. Looks like I’m going home and taking you all with me.”

  “Isn’t anyone going to warn the east coast what’s coming, commander?” asked the Prince.

  “It’s already being done. You heard what Aaron said. We are somewhat prepared. We’re trying not to cause a panic or put on that we know even a little. Special units will start evacuating local areas moving as many to Canada and to the northern states as possible. There won’t be a soul left standing for them to kill when they start their attack.”

  Dar Raven Is Here

  Dar Raven felt the disappointment of his failure even after directly threatening Mi with his intentions. He considered another frontal attack much like Apollyon did on the Christian Alliance celebration. He d
idn’t need a repeat of that historical failure, especially against an armed carrier. Dar Raven decided he didn’t want a frontal attack just a distraction attack. He only wanted his army to distract them while he got on the ship by himself.

  The ship alarms blasted the ocean silence after spotting the dark angels moving into position as they headed straight for them. Dar Raven managed to use a hundred thousand who pulled long swords and made fly-bys over the carrier decks. Dark angels were hit from full-automated fire from every available position, including rockets and grenade launchers. Even F4cs and Phantom jets plowed through their ranks and sent black feathers in clouds into the air like dark snow; it was just a distraction. Some aircraft were brought down by the dark angel feathers being sucked into after burners that shut down their engines in the middle of step dives and upward climbs. Within minutes, the air power realized it was not enough to stop so many, but Black Hawks lined the decks by 50 feet apart and started strafing the angels as they drew close to the decks. The scene was something out of comic book animation with dark angels unable for about 30 minutes to even get near the decks. Dark angels were also diving in the water and crawling up the sides of the flight deck and being picked off by sharp shooters in protected places, but they still moved and made their way to onboard. They were on a mission regardless of how much they were harmed—distract so Dar Raven could find his way into the belly of the ship. Dar Raven appeared in an admiral’s uniform in the kitchen area and made his way towards the guarded Prince and his friends.

  It didn’t take sailors very long to look at this seven-foot sailor and know there were no admirals like him aboard. A sailor yelled, “There is only one admiral, and you aren’t it!”

  A group of sailors blasted Dar Raven from all sides making it hard for him to repair quickly. It still didn’t bother him, and he only flinched as each bullet entered and exited without resistance. He pushed several sailors out of the way and continued to march into the ship.

  “I know where they are,” he said to himself after pushing his probing mind into a sailor’s before he died from the thrust sword through his chest. “I know exactly what to do.”

  “Well, Dar Raven, have you figured out exactly where you’re going, yet?” asked Aaron as he stepped out in front of Dar Raven and watched Dar Raven fall back with a gasp.

  “Aaron, do you mind not startling me so much. What do you have to do with the Prince and his friends? I shouldn’t have to ask, right? Meddling again? Can’t you just leave me alone just once? Oh, my gosh!” Dar Raven wiped off his sword and placed it defensively in front of him while waiting for Aaron to charge, then saw the rest of Aaron’s friends appearing beside him.

  “No,” replied Aaron with his massive sword pulled and pointed at Dar Raven.

  “I am surprised that you could get through with Apollyon controlling the darkness so much. Think you will be able to stay around long enough to stop me?”

  “You need to study your scriptures better. We are coming back by the millions and preaching the Word of God all over the world while God adds the 144,000 Jewish witnesses in Israel as an extra treat. Try to stop that if you can.”

  Dar Raven didn’t like being reminded of scriptures, then Apollyon spoke to him briefly, “He’s right, you know. I just hadn’t brought it up before. My bad.”

  Dar-Raven was also hesitant about the Aaron odds, never mind all the others with him. He didn’t like the idea of being made fish bait so soon after returning from hell.

  “Oh, Dar Raven, my old friend, this fight today shouldn’t take that long. How long did it take me in at Nickajack, then at Cowan those last times?”

  Several of Dar Raven’s angels also made it to the kitchen area and heard Aaron challenging Dar Raven. They fell back feeling the bullets of sailors firing directly into them from all sides. Several turned and ran for the outer doors and shot upwards as far from this situation as possible. Within a minute, Dar Raven was by himself again.

  The sailors started firing into his back until he turned around and yelled, “Can’t you stop that for one second? Can’t you see I am busy dealing with this mess in front of me?!”

  The sailors stopped for a minute and looked back at the XO, who was shielded by a large microwave while reloading his own hand gun for a response.

  The XO stood up and fired a full clip right at Dar Raven’s mid back. “Does that answer your question? Continue to fire, sailors.”

  “Well, Dar Raven. What’s your plan? Still like the odds?” Aaron’s group rushed forward together several feet in a tease, and Dar Raven jumped back instinctively.

  He shouted, “Oh, Crap!” then turned and amidst the sailors continued bullets tearing his feathers into pieces made it to the door, but not before yelling, “Can’t you guys ever leave me alone just once? Crap, crap, crap, crap!”

  Dar Raven escaped sailing upward away from the ship, which was not what his army expected, then the word was out that Aaron and his group were there. In fear, they all looked around for Aaron’s legions to join in a counter attack, not trusting that Apollyon had as much control over blocking with his darkness as Dar Raven promised.

  Aaron said matter-of-factly, “Well, that was nice. He hasn’t changed, has he? He can’t stand it when he gets out gunned. It really hacks him off. Shall we help the sailors clean up a little?”

  Caleb said, “Just tell them to sweep it all overboard and let the fish have some fun.”

  The Prince came up from behind them, “Can we borrow anyone of you for our United States journey? I don’t think that Dar Raven is done with us, yet.”

  Joseph answered, “I’ll go, Aaron. But it might take me a little bit to get to you because of the darkness. Fortunately, that’s all changing soon. Our Lord made a special effort to get us all here this fast after just leaving. No matter what we say, darkness is still here for the time being and the dark night has fallen.”

  As Aaron walked up onto the deck, a sailor had a wounded angel in a head lock forcing him to the ground. “Well, Absolom, I haven’t seen you in a least a 1000 years. How have you been doing?”

  Absolom commented, “What does it look like? Same old stuff. Hey, I had some nephilim children and do you know that my wife became a Christian? Can you believe that? What am I to do with that? They are closer to heaven than I will ever get, go figure.”

  Aaron spoke to the sailor, “You can let him go. Even if you cut him to pieces and throw him to the fish, he would repair in time and return to his kind anyway. Just let him go.”

  The XO walked up behind Aaron and nodded “yes” to the sailor, “Let him go. We probably haven’t seen the last of him anyway. We have no laws on how hold and try supernatural beings, just humans.”

  The sailor shrugged and let Absolom go; but not before, he handed him his arm that was hanging off by a tendon. Absolom closed his eyes and pushed his arm into his socket, and everyone watched as the arm mended and healed itself before he rocketed back into the sky.

  False Prophet Assignment

  Apollyon grit his teeth in disappointment, then ordered Dar Raven into his presence showing much of his hatred for failure that was more hell than hell itself.

  “This wasn’t a good day. I lost my surprise. I lost those who gave it away. I even had an angelic interruption of my attack, which means that Jehovah God is still in the business of meddling in my affairs, even though I am supposed to be ruling in darkness right now, at least for a little longer. Not as long as I wanted.”

  Dar Raven waited while Apollyon fumed. The dark pit of hell made the heat of this domain choke Dar Raven until he coughed out loud, then bowed with a small apology, “Sorry, just old habit I guess.”

  “If you don’t get your act together, then you will have more than just a little gag to worry about.” Apollyon spun around on his high island floating above the pit and watched Dar Raven finch at his last statement.

  “I have an idea that sounds almost biblical that needs to be taken care of.
You need to send someone else to track down your secret blabbers, then I need a preacher who can preach a new message of peace and work miracles to distract the world while we execute our plans. I want the world to believe that Jesus is not the Messiah, but someone else is. I want them to believe that coming together to sing Kumbaya is the answer while we hold hands and learn to love each other. I want him to heal the blind, feed the 5000, and raise the dead. I want him to be beautiful and charismatic. I want him to talk about being filled with the Holy Ghost, but to everyone it will be called the Holy Wonder. His converts will hear the sound of rushing wind and see tongues of flame sitting on his disciples head while he preaches this new gospel. I want him to hand out new scriptures with new words that remove all references to Jesus to the people of earth. Find some of those Coptic scriptures and change some stuff if you need to. I want to call these new scriptures the Gospel of Wonder. I want this person to come from the Protestants, not the Catholics, just to make its a little more biblical for the fun of it. Might as well play that game too. I want him to point to our Anti-Christ, Montplier, and get him to make him like a god so they forget Jesus and turn towards him. I know it’s even more biblical, just like the scriptures talk about, the false prophet, but that is just convenient, not inevitable. Fill him with a thousand demons if necessary. Do whatever you have to do, but just get it done. Remember, I want him to make Montplier a savior to everyone with all his preaching.”

  Finding the False Prophet

  Thelipsis sat quietly in class soaking up the biblical studies information on one of his last senior classes of seminary. He loved the information and the thrill of connecting all the dots to the right place while learning how history and the Bible all worked together to make a difference. The rapture thing disrupted his studies somewhat with over half his professors disappearing while leaving a somewhat ragged bunch of educated biblical heathens to hand out so little to so few to those students who were left.

  Still, Thelipsis was always a skeptic in spite of his major complaint about the exclusiveness of Jesus things. This made him at odds with those professors who were raptured, but welcome to those who hadn’t. He secretly wished that he could change the way Christians think about their faith. He wanted everyone to accept each other and live together in harmony. He just couldn’t believe in a divisive Christianity saying it was the only way. It bothered him so much sometimes that he thought about leaving or just coming up with something else that made more sense. He knew enough about scriptures to call it his Nicolaitane’s Syndrone.

  Lately, he was day dreaming about become more out spoken about his beliefs or disbeliefs, then wondered if anyone else felt the same way. He saw himself preaching a different gospel. He got tickled about the names he came up for things—The Gospel of Gory and being filled with the Holy Glory. He laughed because he had such an overactive imagination that it kept him up late at nights just thinking about these things. But lately, his thoughts were even more intense; and with graduation coming in two weeks, he wondered even more what would happen if he did start openly talking differently about Christianity.

  Even though he was Protestant, he still felt left out without a denomination to speak of and just wanted to start his own. What would he call it? What could he call it? He could call it The Church of the Great Brotherhood, maybe, maybe not. How about the Church of the Eternal Love, or the Church of the Open Hands? Well, he would have to think about it.

  Other students seemed to ignore him, but he thought it was just jealousy. After all, he seemed to have a magnetic personality and good looks that attracted more than a handful of cozy female friends. It was almost too easy for him. His looks became his ticket to far more advantages including asking for reconsideration for a better grade.

  He was 6” 2” trim and loved to show off his muscled physique. He looked a better part Norwegian, but he was Swiss. His long layered blonde hair accented his distinct jaw, typical Swedish lines. He looked angelically boyish with a sparse stream of freckles even though he was in his early 30’s. One could not help but believe every word he spoke because as a young man so charming and good looking; he couldn’t lie, could he? He always found open doors were his specialty, no matter what it was he wanted or wanted to do.

  He made his way to his dorm room feeling a little despondent while looking at his final paper that was almost ready for its final edit. He just couldn’t imagine what he would do now, where to go, what to do with his religious education right smack in the middle of the dark days as he called them.

  “Dark days, dark days, what in the heck am I going to do now?”

  A knock on the front door startled him and snapped him back from his small pity party. Who was it? No one comes to the dorm. He was only one of two living in the A Building.

  “Who is it?” he asked hatefully, no wanting to know, just wanting them to go away and leave him to his slight despondency.

  “Mr. Raven, Mr. Thelipsis. I have a present for you. A graduation present.”

  Dar Raven was dressed in an immaculate Italian suit with his hair cut short with butler-like looks that were not only beautiful but charismatic and refined. He held a large package in one hand and a small envelope in the other. He just waited and whistled a tune, Imagine while waiting.

  Thelipsis couldn’t stand the suspense anymore and threw open the door, then fell back with a surge of emotions and a rush of exhilaration after locking eyes with Dar Raven,

  “Who in the heck are you?” Thelipsis sputtered while almost ashamed of his awe over Dar Raven’s looks. He felt such an immediate affinity with him, like he was a long lost brother without knowing why. He felt that Dar Raven looked very much like Andre Bocelli, the famous tenor.

  “My name is Mr. Raven, Sir. I have some graduation presents for you,” he spoke gently while handing him both a large package and the envelope. “Can I come in or do you want me to leave now? Normally, when someone brings someone a present, they are at least invited in.”

  Thelipsis grunted while still feeling his affinity for Dar Raven growing, then nodded for him to enter. He took the presents from him; and after noting the heaviness of the larger package, he laid it on the coffee table, then looked inquisitively at both. Finally, he picked up the envelope first and carefully opened it. For some reason, he was almost giddy about it.

  Dar Raven spoke jokingly, “You might want to sit down before you open that.”

  Thelipsis looked up and did his best “Oh-Sure” face, then opened it up anyway while standing in front of his sofa. He swallowed hard and fell back onto the cushions in disbelief.

  “Why in the world would anyone want to give me 500 million dollars? And to do what?” Thelipsis put the check down on the coffee table afraid to touch it again while thinking he might somehow do something to damage it. It was too important to do any else right now.

  Dar Raven spoke directly, “You now have enough money to start your own church, right? If you think you might need more, just let me know.”

  “More, more, oh my goodness, what is my church going to do, win the world in the first six months?

  Dar Raven matter-of-factly said, “Yes, or less. How about 60 days or less?”

  “You can’t mean that!”

  “It’s up to you now that you have the newest translation from the ancient Coptic scrolls recently found in Golan Heights caves. It has taken our people over five years to translate this gospel. This will change the way you think about Christianity. Somehow, we believed that you may be interested. If not, we will take our translation and our money and find someone else.”

  Dar Raven went cold on purpose for a minute and reached for the check but was interrupted by Thelipsis placing his hand over it to stop him from touching it.

  “I can handle this. If this translation has any validity at all, and I will soon see, then I will cash your check, and I will start this church.”

  “How much time can you give me to decide? Who are you? Who do your repr
esent? Who worked on this for the last five years?” asked Thelipsis, feeling his own specialness, now.

  “Who, who, who. Grow claws, and you might be an owl,” commented Dar Raven trying to be funny and failing. “By your graduation; I’m a secret admirer of you; and Clandestine Monks from Israel and Egypt. It has been kept secret on purpose. The rapture just made its importance even more valuable. There are those who are looking for another way, another gospel, a better more open way to believe than all this exclusiveness in Jesus, don’t you think?”

  Thelipsis breathed deeply in agreement as Dar Raven left, and both started humming “Can’t we just get along.”

  Thelipsis sat hard on the sofa, then reached to pick up the translation while feeling almost electric in his excitement. As he did, he noticed a small dark mark on his right forearm that looked like a dark smudge. He stopped and reached a wet corner of his t-shirt and rubbed at it to no avail; it looked permanent. He couldn’t imagine why and how something like that could be there, then shrugged, must be one of those new magic markers other students used in homework, then he noticed it looked like part of a letter but couldn’t make it out.

  Dirty Old Man

  Doc made his way from class, then on an afterthought called Henry at the hospital emergency room to check on the little girl.

  “Doc, what shall I do about Jonsey? He wants to file a complaint against you and get you arrested.”

  “I expected as much. Tell him, if he does that, I will file a complaint for his witnessed attack on the little girl, and we can spend some jail time together, or not.”

  Henry came back a minute later, “Jonsey changed his mind, but the little girl needs to stay safe and low for awhile. She really has a messed up ankle. Do you know anyone who can care for her? She doesn’t have insurance or money, and I checked with some charities; no one can take her.”

  “Okay, I’ll do it. She can stay at my place until she is able to walk again. Get her ready for dismissal, and I will pay her bill, but leave Jonsey on his own with his. It will take years to pay it off.”

  “What are you driving today, Doc?” asked Henry.

  “Harley, make sure you make it so she can put a foot on a pedal for the ride. Wrap it up good. I’ll keep the ride under a 100 today, just for her. Go ahead and ask her if she takes my offer.”

  Henry came back, “She said ‘sure’ but asked if you were some dirty old man?”

  “Good question. Tell her just an old man, and I have separate bedrooms and a big Jacuzzi.”

  Henry came back, “She said ‘okay,’ that you’d better only be just old.”

  Doc laughed and went out to his bike. He thought that Nash may not like company. It would mess up his routine, but thought he might like some extra petting and squeezing those ears of his. Nash was always getting ear infections and drove the Doc crazy waking up from his wagging his head in circles. He always begged for an ear rub, and it might help him to have more.

  He noticed the girl being helped to the loading ramp with crutches with her skate board strapped to her back. “My Lord, she is tiny” he thought to himself.

  “Okay, Princess Fall Down, let’s get this trip done so I can relax a little and do some reading” he remarked as he approached her with help from the attendant. He thought it would be much easier to throw her over a shoulder than this inch-by-inch journey of crutches and whispering pain-grunts from the girl as she was positioned behind him.

  “Henry said you were safe. Are you?” she fired at him just as they got her situated.

  “I’ve never been called safe my whole life. Might be why they always gave me the hard kills when I was in the military. No one else crazy or unsafe enough to try them.”

  She rolled her eyes in a momentary sign of panic, then grabbed hold as the Harley took off. He knew he broke his promise as he reached over a hundred but did make it home in less than 20 minutes. Doc slowed down and slipped through a small ground trail around his gate and snaked his way through the woods almost five miles from the road. He could hear Nash barking inside the house and was trying to get home before he started bothering the neighbors again.

  Nash slipped out of the house from a small trash-bag door. Doc was always amazed that he could squeeze out of anything as big as he was, then he came bounding out around the cabin and upon seeing a stranger came running to do his best tackle greet. Doc blocked him and did what was practical by picking her up in his arms and taking her to the cabin while avoiding Nash’s jumping attempts.

  “Lie down, Nash. Now, you need to introduce yourself to Nash while I block him from knocking you down. He is a little rambunctious. Down, Nash, lie down, Nash, your bed, Nash, your bed. Where is your toy, Nash?”

  That did it. Nash stopped in mid flight and just stared while thinking where that toy was. He remembered in about a minute and brought back an old squeeze-rubber, noisy toy, then offered it to the girl while pulling it back from her when she reached for it. It was his toy and his game. Eventually, he would give it to anyone and let them throw it for him. In fact, if one didn’t hide it, he would drive them crazy over it. But, it did distract him from his jumping routine.

  “My name is Ann, but my friends call me Birdy. Hi Nash, good to meet you. You can call me Birdy, only if you really are an old safe man.”

  “Okay, Birdy. Yes, I am safe, how’s that? You have your own room on the opposite side of the cabin as mine. You have separate showers and fortunately, Henry went and got you some t-shirts and a couple pair of jeans per my instructions. He said he had a ten-year-old about your size. I think she donated some of her hand-me- downs. Here is my recliner; my favorite recliner. You can sleep in it if you want. The doctor said you could get your wrap off in about six weeks but to stay off it for right now unless you have help hobbling. Believe me; you will get bored around here except for my TV: Got a 60-inch Panasonic with 450 channels.”

  “Thanks Doc. I promise not to be a bother. That was pretty mean of that guy to do that. I was just trying to fit in. Been on the streets by myself for about a month. Just needed some friends of some kind. Wow, look at all those woods! I bet it’s nice and quiet out here. Don’t you ever get lonely? What else do you do around here?”

  “Avoid noise, Birdy, like talking too much and disturbing my neighbors who are only ten miles away. Do you mind?” he remarked sarcastically putting his finger to her mouth to keep her quiet. She reminded him of a little girl called Heather, a receptionist at the base administration building, the sweetest little girl. He called her Princess Knot Head every time he saw her because she wore her hair in big bun right on the top of her head.

  “Quiet is boring; what else do you do?” asked Birdy.

  “I read, I play monopoly on my droid and do a little writing. Even poetry when I get a chance. You know like Rod Mckuen ‘Enjoying the silence.’”

  “What’s and who’s that anyway? Never mind, has to be some ancient dude, right?”

  “Yes, ancient, like me, but safe, right?” as he laughed at her and himself.

  The news came on the TV concerning the escape of Prince Yatzen and Mi with two unnamed medical missionaries. Doc’s head popped up, and he immediately sat down in front of the screen while staring intently and holding up his hand for silence. Birdy saw the seriousness in his face and sat down after hobbling over and nearly falling against him on the couch cushions.

  “That’s my son that they are talking about. He made it out alive and on their way back to the states. Thank God! It must be time, soon. We have preparations. I hope enough, but I bet many aren’t. I need to call a buddy of mine at the Virginia base and see if it is coming this way.”

  “What’s coming our way?” she asked becoming alarmed at his tone, not imagining what it was.

  “Colonel, this is Doc. Hey fine, still out in these woods with our friends. Tell me, what’s going on that I should know about here in Tennessee?” he asked, not paying any attention to Birdy.

  “I see, organize
d evacuation moving over 250,000 a day. Canada? Northen States? How can you keep something like that under control? Neighborhood-by-neighborhood. I still can’t imagine that happening. How much longer? Forty days and counting. You’ve got to be kidding. I believe my son was that medical missionary on the news. He was. Just found out. Well, can you make sure he gets out of the nuclear zone as fast as possible? Okay, call it a favor. My team rescued you from those guys so now you are helping me bring my boy to me. I call that a deal. You’d do it anyway, right? I thought so. I will check on him at one of the command sites later. When that weapon goes off, there better not be anyone else walking around in the woods, no matter who or what they are. That’s the plan right? Well, I’m not going to be walking around in the woods. Let my boy know I’m going out to Old Irish at Cozy Cove when the time comes. He will know what I mean.”

  “Hey, Doc, what kind of weapons are you talking about?” Birdy almost shouted.

  Doc shook his head, and Birdy heard the Colonel comment, “Who is the heck is that?”

  “Oh, little girl I picked up at the college. Call her my new orphan project, trying to help. You know what a big softy I am. Can’t stand to see anyone suffer. Yeah, that’s me, a big softy so that’s why you always thought I went for quick head shots. Sure, I did that out of my love for human kind, right? How about that? I just wanted to get on with it and not give them a chance to make trouble.”

  “You killed people?” Birdy yelled and pushed away from Doc with a palm of her hand.

  “Yes, she is a little handful. No, she doesn’t know what I did. I think she is guessing a little now; but no, I’m not a dirty old man, not yet, but at this rate, I may become one. She is a cutie even though a gimp,” he laughed and pushed a hand up to her to keep her from pushing at him again.

  As he hung up, Birdy looked astonished at all this third party information she was trying to take in and make sense of. “What in the world were you two talking about? What is this weapon you were talking about? What is going on the east coast and Canada and 250,000 a day and shooting people in the head? Lord, who are you guys, and what did you use to do before you became a professor? Man you guys are scaring the crap out of me.”

  “Birdy, I make no secret that I am ex-military. I killed people for a living. One at a time, in more ways than you could imagine. I trained others to do the same for more years than you could imagine. So, there is a large evacuation of the east coast that is being prepared for an invasion from Chinese-Koreans. It is going to be nuked. How is that for bad information? Now, would you like a cup of hot tea?”

  Birdy rose up on one leg spinning in one spot as Doc passed her going to the kitchen in shock from his last declaration. “What in the world are you talking about? How is that possible? Is that all there is? The world is going to blow up, and you want to know if I want a hot cup of tea? Do something, Mr. Military man! Do something to stop this! I know you guys can do that! I know there is a way to make it stop!”

  “We are, but we can’t stop it all. It only takes a handful of nukes to do the job when there may be thousands of them heading our way. What would you have us do? If you have any suggestions, why don’t you let me know, and I will call the Colonel back and make sure he takes care of it. Our job is to survive this mess and work our way out of it. We have plans to ultimately defend, but there is nothing in the beginning to stop it a hundred percent.”

  “Are we safe, here?” she said sobbing and trembling, then fell back into the couch cushion.

  “More safe here and near here than anywhere else than you can imagine. I have a safe place to go when the time comes. We still have time. I own a 45-foot Ketch sailboat on Tims Ford Lake, Miss Irish, where we can move to so we won’t be harmed. I guess you will just have to trust me. If you stay with me, you won’t be harmed. If you decide to go anywhere else, especially up and down any of the major interstates; you’re dead. The evacuation is just the first step. We are ready here in Middle Tennessee.”

  “A boat? You have to be kidding. We might as well be living in on tough tube while the world burns!” she shouted again, getting angry now as well as frustrated at being helpless against all this.

  “I see, a 45-foot tough tube with three major bedrooms, a lounge, sunning decks, kitchen, showers, and supplies. I will be more than happy to take you back to Tullahoma anytime you want and let you take your chances. Now, let’s calm down and quit the drama,” he bristled, not wanting anymore fuss.

  Birdy went quiet while whimpering at the whole thought of what was happening. She felt this was more like a nightmare. After a minute, she felt better, then thought, “Maybe, the Doc is right. Maybe this is the best place to be.”

  “I’m sorry. This kind of caught me by surprise. I feel so helpless, now this. You know I have an Aunt in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Will she be helped?”

  “Yes, the evacuation will be done. There will be some hold outs, probably gang related, but they will be toast soon. I bet 99.99 percent of everyone will be saved. We have been planning on this for a long time. We just didn’t know when it was going to take place until now or how they planned to attack from the ground. We got pieces. The biggest piece of information was about Middle Tennessee. Trust us to do the right things,” he responded and patted her shoulder in reassurance.

  “Birdy, come here and look at something out this window. I want to show you just how ready we are.” She leaned against him as he lifted her up while almost carrying her. Doc pointed to the overgrown bushes just beyond the fence, and both could see the bright shiny edge of metal that was partially covered with dirt and flowers, but it was still evident. He would have to cover it better in the morning.

  “What? What is it, a hole in the ground? I’m not crawling down in any hole with some dirty old man who likes to kill people by putting bullet holes in their head just to live an extra day. Not me!” she shouted again and started to turn away but couldn’t without his help.

  “Wait a minute. I’m showing you one of the devices that will take care of the Chinese-Korean armies. Imagine hundred’s of thousands of these everywhere, and what would happen if it worked like a microwave? They are giant towers that will rise hundreds of feet into the air. That big hole has over 1000 operational engineers and soldiers maintaining an underground bunker for the purpose of operating these new weapons that will stop them from making it any farther than right here in Tennessee? How about a ten-story deep facility that is so equipped that you couldn’t tell the difference in living in the best hotel in Nashville, but it is still underground? That’s what I call being prepared. Does that work any better for you, Miss Birdy?” Doc answered knowing he was telling way too much, but knew her knowledge wasn’t going to change anything for anybody anyway.

  “Oh, okay. Well, that sounds better. Well, okay. But it better work, or I’m going to be really mad.”

  “I’ll join that club,” then they both laughed together.

  “So, those guys down there are all alone, huh?” she asked coyly.

  “Probably, no dirty old men, but you’re looking for some dirty young men?” he joked.

  “No, I mean some nice guys. Wouldn’t mind meeting some nice guys for a change” she said as she shyly looked at the floor and almost whispered her last words.

  “I will make it my promise to find you some nice guys that are cuties just for you. Right, now, I need to fix your room up, and you need to get some rest and get off that foot. I’m going to go sit outside on the deck and listen to the quiet a little. I have an old owl I like to hoot at that comes nearby in about 15 minutes. You want to rest in your room by yourself or sit outside and hoot with me for awhile?”

  “Hoot,” she smiled contentedly. Maybe she didn’t get the bad end of this situation after all.

  Revelation Snapshot

  Andre stood leaning over a large family Bible with another Greek-Hebrew cross reference beside it. He kept going back and forth between Daniel and Revelation. He would give an occasional
grunt and laugh in other “ah ha” moments.

  “I thought so. Revelation is wrong. I’m supposed to attack Israel with a 200-million soldier army, but I we have 300 million with the Arab League as soon as America is hamstrung. I wonder what that all means? Boy, not as prophetic as it is supposed to be, is it? This stuff is hard to figure out.”

  Angelica chuckled at his interest in Biblical details commenting, “You really haven’t learned to leave that stuff alone, have you? You just need to give it up and accept that whatever happens will happen. After all, if it really is true, then how could you make it any difference anyway? We are going to attack the U.S.; and after that success, we will take our time doing the same with our Arab friends on Israel. We just have to take it step at a time. Those numbers mean nothing.”

  Andre sassed back, “Well, the marking was right on it, but they turned it against us, didn’t they? How about those two witnesses preaching Jesus all the time? I’d like to bring those satellites down into a trash heap. Maybe some of our missiles can help with that.”

  Again Andre became too inquisitive, “Angelica, I heard that the two witnesses were actually being used to control weather patterns and do strange things right from the miracles of Moses. Water turning to blood, even sending plagues. Is that possible?”

  “Don’t believe in fables. It’s just crazy stuff happening, nothing to do with those witnesses. I am concerned that the two witnesses are armed again for another attack on us. Every time we try to knock them out of the sky, they returned fire with devastating results. We would still like to try again. There is no way to actually know how they really plan to use them.”

  “How long have they been preaching the Gospel of Christ?”

  “About 31/2 years now. They never stop!”

  “That sounds so familiar. Wait, here it is, ‘And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Okay, that means they will be operational for another month or so.”

  Angelica became angrier, “I told you to stop looking at that stuff. I told you what I’m going to do. I’m going to order them shot down. I’ll stop all that preaching! They should end up in a pile on our streets in the next couple weeks. We will have a big celebration, watch! I think that I will make sure they are brought down right on top of Golgatha. How’s that for an insult?”

  Andre flatly commented, “Angelica, you really need to read up on this stuff. I’m not even going to tell you what happens after that. You will just have to read up on it yourself. It was also prophesied that anyone who wants to harm them that fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have the power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy, and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire, (Revelation 11:5-6). We have been hit with major droughts since they went up, then polio and measles have returned as some of the greatest plagues of our century since they have been operational. Is that a coincidence?”

  “Yes, a coincidence! I have no intention of reading God’s word, no matter how accidently accurate it is, and I resent you reading it to me like I was some stupid school girl.”

  Wormwood

  A young Chinese army officer knocked on the inner suite and bowed slightly with an intrusion apology. “Mr. Montplier, we have some information from our radar installation that you might want to know about. Here is the report, sir.” He bowed and exited backwards out of respect.

  Angelica grabbed it from Andre, “What in the world is this? Who named this thing, Wormwood? Andre, you may only have a 100 million left after this asteroid hits. This is God’s doing, I just know it! Have you read something in your personal Bible studies about Wormwood?”

  Andre grabbed the report and ran his finger line for line, then shook his head saying, “Yes. It is a large rock that destroys one third of all the ships, armies, and peoples where it hits. It’s in Revelation. It’s coming straight for us. So much for metaphors. Most thought it symbolized a great army to pay back evil mankind for all of their sins. Guess, what? It’s a rock and not a metaphor. Though, it’s not very blasted convenient. The tsunami it creates will be devastating. This report says it will push its way inland for almost 150 miles from the coast. How much time? It doesn’t tell us how much time?”

  Angelica grabbed the report from him turned to the second page and pointed at the time-frame footnote: five days, then threw it down, “I’m out of here. Let’s move to the mountains till after this thing is over. I’m hiding in a cave. We have 40 days before we attack. Send as many ships as possible out to sea and see if they can ride it out. Anything has to help. Let’s take as many high level officers and strategic, essential people with us as possible. How did it get named Wormwood to begin with? Is someone else figuring this stuff out before us?”

  “Great, there you go again. Hiding in a cave. That’s biblical too. Let’s see if my memory serves me right, ‘And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.’ Just an observation. I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything like you say. Well, maybe, sort of, right?”

  Angelica snarled and sassed back, “I told you to stop all that stuff, now stop!”

  Andre finally answered her question, “By the way, it didn’t start out with that name. According to this footnote, it’s a computer generated number that translates into Wormwood: 98979774. Someone’s trying to be cute.”

  Angelica ordered over her shoulder while throwing clothes and jewelry into open bags in the bedroom, “Find out who was cute and kill them!”

  Safe and Going Home

  Crystal rose up from her afternoon nap and looked at her watch, then rubbed her stomach lightly feeling a little queasy from the ships movements that reminded her of a giant washing machine. She peeked around the edge of her cabin door and stopped a sailor with an easy question, “Where are the showers?”

  The sailor smiled and jokingly answered, “The coed showers are down the next corridor, then the first open door to the right. You can always hear someone singing.”

  Crystal stood stunned by his announcement until he laughed and said, “Just kidding. Women showers around the corridor down there and to the left. Door is closed, no singing.”

  Mi stuck her head out of her cabin, “Did he say coed?”

  Crystal laughed, and the Prince interrupted, “Mi, of course, don’t you know anything about sailing life. Shall we go together?”

  Crystal winked at the Prince, and Mi ducked back inside and started yelling at the Prince about modesty standards until he was able to insert between outbursts, “A joke, Mi! A joke! Just a joke!”

  The XO sent some men down to get Hayden and the others to join him in the steering tower. Hayden was up all night considering what took place and was very disturbed that he missed something in Sunday School that would help him right now. He just didn’t know enough about all this to figure out what was coming next. He did know one thing: he wanted to be with Crystal, together. It was eating him up inside. He wanted to tell her how he felt; but with all the drama going on, he doubted he’d get a chance, but he felt that he must somehow.

  The XO spoke to the group in a very reassuring manner, “As you all know by now, we here on the ship are venturing into the unknown a little. We have never been involved in direct military conflict in years, and we have never battled against dark angels. Still, nothing at all has prepared us for what we believe is coming in what has been predicted in 39 days. The United States is going to be attacked by millions of the Chinese-Korean military that intend to take over the United States by force all the way to the middle of America up three major pathways. The I-24 path all the way to Chattanooga Tennessee is the only one we are totally prepared for. Something is going to happen that might change that a littl
e, but we can’t guarantee it. As Aaron stated, there is a meteor that has been flung from its normal orbit and coming directly for earth. It looks like it will land off the coast of China and cause one of nature’s greatest catastrophes. There won’t be as many to attack us after, but enough. As soon as we get close enough to the states, we will fly you all inland and get you over to the Tullahoma Arnold Air Force Base right near your home in Sewanee, Hayden.”

  “Lucky me, but terrible for all those innocents in China. Prince Yatzen, Mi, I am sorry this is happening to your country, and I’m sure many of your friends. I have never figured out why bad things happen to good people,” replied Hayden regretfully.

  Doc & Birdy

  “Wake up Princess Birdy, you need to eat something before I let Nash out.”

  “Hadn’t you better take the big guy out now? He looks like he has his legs crossed,” she laughed as she tried to crunch herself up to a sitting position.

  “Old man, do you have any idea how to take care of anyone unless you put a bullet in them?”

  “Actually, no, but I am willing to learn. Now, if you are interested, I am going to take Nash out now anyway, and you can wait. You can hobble out with me and freshen up later because you might be interested in our boys down under, even if is only a knock, but Nash always gets a bone treat from it.”

  “I’m hobbling. I’m hobbling,” she declared as she made her way behind him as she supported herself with a hand on his shoulder and watched Nash hit a brown spot, sniff, and smile in dog relief.

  Doc tapped on the same metal edge as every morning with its appropriate answer. Someone must have heard Birdy in the background because there was a definite clatter of more than one person up the metal stairs and an activation of miniature camera on a tall, inconspicuous light pole following them both as they milled around outside.

  “Well, Birdy, you’re being watched, now. You must have made an impression with someone. Why don’t you wave at the camera,” he said pointing to the top of the pole. Birdy looked up, and the camera shot straight up hoping it was not spotted.

  “Must be shy” remarked Doc, then heard Nash howling at the end of the tunnel and came back with a soup bone with a note tied around it that was almost destroyed from his drooling.

  “A note, now that is something new,” replied Doc.

  “A note from who?” asked Birdy.

  “Just one of the guys, Don’t worry about it. It asked, ‘Who’s the skirt?’”

  “The skirt? The skirt!” becoming almost defiant. Also thinking she’d never worn one in her life only dirty jeans but knowing the attitude that asked it.

  “Says, you’re cute?” remarked Doc and threw the note at her while watching her catch it as it flew past her face.

  “Nice reflexes.”

  “I guess that’s not that bad,” then looked up at the camera and blew it a kiss in a flirt and a blush.

  East Coast

  It started as a very methodical approach to evacuation. It was all military, all house-by-house, street-by-street; neighborhood-by-neighborhood; almost city-by-city. All communication from every kind of device whether cell phones, land lines, TV, radio, regardless of type and kind were completely disconnected leaving the communities reliant on the military for all information. There could be nothing said that would cause a panic, but of course that did not last long. What started out as peaceful was almost mayhem.

  In a nearby neighborhood folks talked, “Mary, what has happened to all our ability to talk to each other. Look, the TV, nothing. I can’t even use my cell phone to talk to Mom. I heard that the military was going street-by-street and giving them only 24 hours to pack up and leave. They are supposed to have large caravans led by tanks and an armada of military. Someone said that they had a choice of Canada or other Northern States or farther out West.”

  “Well, looks like you already know more than anyone else I know. Do they give a reason?” asked Mary.

  “Not really, but some say that there is a possibility there are terrorist who have nuclear devices, and no one wants to take any chances. When they come here, I’m going to be packed.”

  “The schools are closed, and there aren’t any government offices open. The military took over the gas stations, confiscated food supplies, and are handing everything out to locals from some schools. See, here is a flier I got on my door. Later, a very nice man came by in a suit doing what he called was a citizen inventory to make sure nobody got missed in all this stuff.”

  “You know how crude Ralph can be? I walked over to his house yesterday. His wife said he went down and started trouble at the police station, and she hasn’t seen him since. She said she got a letter that Ralph was safe but under military supervision. She is to leave soon just like us, but no one knows exactly when. The letter said that she would be rejoined with her husband shortly but would have to leave when asked. End of story.”

  “I guess you know that no one is allowed to leave town unless they are in an escorted military convoy. Individual cars are turned around and escorted back to their homes.”

  “The military also gave out fliers at the food distribution stations that if anyone is caught stealing or looting that they will be shot, no questions asked. I guess the 7 p.m. curfew will solve some of that.”

  “How many are leaving in each convoy?”

  “I don’t know. I heard that a hundred city or residential blocks were leaving at one time, and there is only a one-hour delay from one area to another before another leaves. It’s all rumor. I’m sorry, babe, but I had to go to the school today and get some food. I couldn’t take a chance on us running out. This caught me way off guard. Little Tommy loves not going to school, and you should hear the stuff the kids are saying about this.”

  “How did you get there?”

  “A food bus came around and took those who needed to get something to the school. I had to have some milk and bread. They even had beer.”

  Fred stood in front of the TV and stated, “Just before the TV went off, I heard about some kind of revival going on in Europe. It looks like the old kind with all sorts of miracles and stuff going on. It’s a new church that found some new scriptures that talked about world peace. In fact, they said that much about it points to Montplier as a savior to world peace. We kind of saw that when they raised that statute to him years ago called the 666 Statue. Well, this preacher made Montplier’s statute come to life somehow. Magic, trickery, whatever, but it really got everyone’s attention. People are flocking to his tent revivals all over Europe and the Mediterranean. Thank goodness it’s not here. I don’t think we could stand too much more drama here in the U.S. with all we have going on.”

  Who’s the Harlot Now?

  Angelica read the news about the new Christian-type religion that was sweeping Europe and sent a message to Apollyon about it. “Is this of your doing or something we should be concerned about? At least it is saying great things about Andre?”

  Apollyon felt like he shouldn’t have to be talking about this with what he knew was Angelica’s inborn knowledge of these things, but he humored her for the moment, “I sent Dar Raven with a little encouragement to start this new religion of world peace and found someone who would be willing to cooperate. After all, what’s the use of doing this if we don’t follow preordained scriptures, anyway? Let’s play out this hand and turn it around on God in the end. I know we can do this.”

  “Other than being the one who has kept the Anti-Christ in the game, sometimes against his will, what else am I?”

  Apollyon couldn’t believe how ignorant Angelica was about the end-time things but kept up the discussion anyway, “You are the Harlot of Babylon, dear. You are the Princess Nicolaitanes just like the new preacher will be the teacher of Nicolaitanes. And don’t worry about Andre. He will start enjoying his place in history very soon. He will actually start believing he can be the king of the world. Just be patient.”

  In the Mountains

  Ang
elica finally settled in and was surrounded by a well-equipped facility deep in the mountains with all the captains, generals, and leaders of China, then waited. She was bothered by Wormwood; but before Wormwood arrived, a volcano erupted on the Chinese coast with giant earthquakes that shifted tectonics plates like pizza pieces, then pushed half a mountain into the nearby ocean. Wormwood was not the problem now, it was this burning mountain. They lost 1/3 their ships from a massive tsunami, and the Chinese coast disappeared under the ocean. Nothing prepared them for this double venture. Now, Wormwood would be here in only a couple days.

  She looked out of her hiding place and watched while hearing the grief from her Chinese partners broken with the trauma of lost loved ones. It was more a wailing, than just grief. She could stand it no more and ordered her food only with room service. Andre was gone by that time having joined Thelipsis in Germany where he was preaching his new gospel and raising people’s hope. It was a hope that Andre really was more god than man, at least more superhuman than human. He was starting to believe he was something more than man beyond his Anti-Christ nomination; something that was beyond anything he ever dreamed of, but someone everyone needed to believe in. He felt he must be an answer, a real true answer to people’s needs.

  Angelica felt intimidated by Andre’s attention; attention that she didn’t have anything to do with. She felt left out of the loop and didn’t like it. So, she decided to create her own religion just to aggravate Andre. She wanted her own religion that made better sense to ancient religions of the past. She determined to go back to Bagdad where some of her other dark angel family lived to create just that kind of movement. She had her eye on a religion that could bring ten of the local nations and their kings together under her spell, her rule, and her power. She was going to resurrect one of the old Macedonian religions and mix it all up with dark magic. She already had her dwelling place picked out. It was called The Seven Mountains Resort. She knew exactly what she was going to do with it: headquarters; girl has to enjoy, doesn’t she?

  “Go ahead, Andre, do your thing. I’ll beat you at your own game, just for the fun of it. I’ll prove I can do this religious thing better than you,” she thought. She never thought another religion would hurt as long as it pulled people away from true Christianity. She would, but little did she know that she was also filling the scriptures of the Harlot of Babylon.

  It was just convenient that Angelica liked to dress so extravagantly: she was even more extravagant now, always dressing in swirls of purple and scarlet, then prided herself on excessive jewelry that challenged the most wealthy to imagine. She was a walking fortune of gold, diamonds, and pearls.

  Once she established her foothold back in Babylon, then she would issue verdicts to all the clerics of every religion that in order for them to operate freely; they would have to pay homage to her religion and swear an oath to her personally. She did this with having them state their loyalty to her in public and drink out of a golden communion cup that was filled with hell’s potion—a potion of what could be called a cup of fornication. It was communion to her. Her cup. Her religion. Her communion. Her religion was one of anything goes, nothing is a sin, nothing is unrighteous, and there is no God but many gods.

  She defied everything Godly by purposely wearing a medallion on her forehead that stated Mystery, Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth. It was her way of making fun of the scriptures. Her defiance also pulled to her more than just those who dabbled in the dark arts, but a vast number of the most reprobate of unreligious people looking for any excuse to be worse than that what they already were.

  Competition

  Andre sat across from Thelipsis and preached to him about making sure he didn’t embarrass him in any way.

  “Don’t promise more than we can deliver. Don’t put me in front of people and ask me to do something that we haven’t practiced. And that means those magic tricks of yours. I know Dar Raven has been coaching you on these. I need to know about every one of them before you do them. Don’t mention Jesus in any way unless you’re are challenging His authority and diminishing Him in some fashion, then replacing Him with our own stuff.”

  Thelipsis answered piously, “I am trying to present a new gospel that includes you, but you need to realize that your importance is only a simple accommodation to my financial benefactors. I am really serious about this new biblical version. It is so inclusive and pointing to you is just incidental, not necessary as far as I’m concerned. Although, I still am amazed at the interest in you as a god. That one caught me all off guard. I just thought the statue thing as a little techno miracle, not realizing it would attract people to you that way. I could have used any statue, but Mr. Raven suggested yours. I still can’t imagine the interest, but boy did it get some. God Andre, now, that one isn’t in the gospel I got. Mr. Raven said there is indication that you are there in a way I never realized. He said you were represented by a number. I can’t remember that number right now.”

  As Thelipsis reached for the coffee pot for a refill, Andre noticed unusual marks on Thelipsis’ right forearm. Thelipsis pulled his sleeve down to prevent it from showing, but Andre saw a number six as clear as anything and a partial mark beside it that seemed like the beginning of another number, but he could not quite make it out. Thelipsis was bothered by Andre’s stare and quickly pulled his hand back and put it in his lap.

  “I know what you are looking at. I noticed a little mark the other day. Must have just burned myself when I was cooking. I put some medicine on it. Don’t worry about it.”

  Andre smiled knowingly, knowing exactly what Apollyon was doing. Apollyon was permanently marking Thelipsis as his own, like a brand on cattle. Years ago Andre received the same mark on his right forearm. It took almost six months before it was finally finished, but it was all about Apollyon and being branded by him and him only. He rubbed his right forearm slightly while thinking about it.

  “I’m not. I burned my arm in the same place years ago,” as he pulled up his sleeve to show the numbers that were plainly 666.

  Thelipsis jumped up and shouted, “I am not a bad person! This is not a sign that I am a bad person! Don’t try to make me a bad person! I just want people to change the way they think about this exclusive Jesus! That’s all!”

  “And they will, Thelipsis; they will, wait and see. You will do a lot of good. Now, where are we going tomorrow and what kind of magic tricks do you plan to work? What do you want me to do and when?”

  Thelipsis sat down suddenly and put his face in his hands, took a deep breath, then nodded while pulling out his list and notes. He then got up and pulled out a stack of bound manuscript books that were going to be distributed at the next meeting. It included a small flash drive that fit around someone’s wrist like a bracelet that included all his past sermons and his private notes on the gospel scriptures.

  Andre asked him point blank, “In this gospel, who is the main person who gave you the scriptures or is speaking in them?”

  Thelipsis spoke instantly, “It is the same angel, the one who gave the tablets to Thomas Becker. Funny that the same angel spoke in both. Got to believe an angel, right?”

  Andre chuckled to himself, “Well, Apollyon, you were sneaky back then, and it worked so why not do it again. Can’t fault success.”

  Difficult Evacuation

  The evacuation was becoming more and more difficult with exploiters starting the gouging of customers from everything including gas and goods. The army arrested thousands of street gangs in an attempt to control the madness. The prisoners would be the last to leave; but on the street, they doubted they would ever be set free and were to be left to fry in the nuclear first blasts to come. Good riddance to bad rubbish was the word on the streets. It was just convenient if not a practical to do it this way.

  The States finally finished over half the evacuations and slowly but surely streets were beginning to look abandoned from anything that move
d. It didn’t take long before the Chinese-Korean military satellite surveillance understood this would not be a surprise attack, but the onslaught of thousands of missiles from sea would make it impossible for all of them to be shot down and destroyed, anyway. It was the calculated risk but one that pure volume would handle, no matter what.

  Tullahoma

  It didn’t take long before the Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma was full of scurrying aircraft and C147’s loaded with armament. The preparation distracted most of the base from incoming flights, especially from Hayden’s group that were just arriving. As Hayden arrived, he was greeted by the base commander.

  “Mr. Hayden, I am Commander Scott. We understand that you are in a privileged status and are now under our protection. The bad news is that we have secured this part of Tennessee for something far more important and nothing will be moving in or out for at least the next 37 days plus.”

  Hayden was astounded with the news, “How can this be! I am supposed to meet my father at his place as soon as I get here! What is happening that won’t allow me to travel only 15 miles to his place?”

  “Mr. Hayden, we are preparing for an invasion. You must stay here so we can protect you. I can’t explain all the details of this. It just has to be for right now. You will be given appropriate accommodations in the barracks with all the privacy you need. Prince Yatzen and Princess Mi are to be given special accommodations because they must be vetted by homeland security. We can’t take any chances now.”

  Another officer briskly walked towards Hayden, “Hey, Hayden, your dad said he was going to go to Miss Irish when the time came. He said you would know what he meant.”

  “Oh, well that’s better. I know exactly what he meant. Did he say where he would anchor?” asked Hayden feeling much better that the communication lines were opening.

  “He said something about Cozy Cove. You know where that is, right?” the officer answered, then ran off before hearing the answer.

  “Prince Yatzen and Princess Mi are with us. They barely escaped with their lives. You have to be kidding, vetting? You have to be kidding?”

  “Mr. Hayden, we aren’t kidding. Nothing we do here has anything to do with kidding, especially when it comes to Chinese visitors, no matter whether they escaped danger or not. We are all in danger. I’m sure you realize this by now.”

  “Wait, I’m sure with some calls I can get this straight. I just need to get in touch with my dad. He knows who to call. Can you get me to a phone?”

  “All communication is shut down. We are now on a complete communication disconnect. Please, just calm down and go with our men to your quarters. There is a message from your dad that he would be in touch with one of our main command sites soon. If you still feel strongly about this, we can continue this conversation then. Hayden, I promise no one will be mistreated but treated as special guests; I promise.”

  “Prince, please go with my other officers. You will be well taken care of. We will begin some very soft interviews in the morning with our security people.”

  Hayden calmed and asked gently, “Thank you. Can we be there when the Prince and Mi are interviewed? We are the only ones they know. His special Black Cat guards who survived with him never came with us. I don’t want them think we have abandoned them.”

  “Well, we can have you nearby so they see you before and after they have their interviews. On breaks, you can come into the interview facility and chat. Is that okay?”

  “Yes, that is better. Let me explain to them if you don’t mind?”

  “Officers, hold a minute and let Mr. Hayden talk to our guests, please.”

  The officers backed away while Hayden pulled the Prince and Mi away for a private visit. They seemed relaxed and comfortable with the arrangement, but Mi was specifically interested in only one thing.

  “Will this Dar Raven be after us? I am so scared of him. He said he would track us down.”

  “Mi, I don’t know. This is about the safest place you can imagine. In fact, it is far safer than at my dad’s place right now. We all might be better off staying put until this all blows over, okay?”

  “Okay, just for awhile. You will be near, right? Can we have supper together and just as you say, ‘hang out,’ okay?”

  “That is exactly what we want to do. We won’t abandon you. We will be here.”

  Taint Hades

  “Go get them! Kill them!” ordered Dar-Raven to a large dark angel covered with snake-like tattoos. He reminded Dar-Raven of Sinte Hades. It was hard to imagine that Aaron took Sinte out, but this one looked just like him. He wondered if the likeness was from choice.

  “You’re hell name?” asked Dar-Raven.

  “Taint Hades,” replied the angel.

  “Now, that is quaint. Did you ever know Sinte Hades?” asked Dar Raven knowing the answer.

  “I was trained by him. He was my mentor,” he replied with his lower lips quivering in emotion.

  “You must have been very fond of him. I noticed the resemblance. Did he teach you many of his assassin ways?”

  “Yes, and I helped him on many occasions, except not the one to kill Irish. That one was his doing or undoing, as it was. I couldn’t have handled Aaron either.”

  Dar Raven grimaced, “I barely can, too many draws and not enough wins for my own good.”

  Dar Raven shook slightly remembering just how those battles ended many times. It was a confession that surprised Taint. It was almost a confession of weakness.

  Apollyon interrupted, “I want Taint to go to Tullahoma and take care of business. His previous affiliation with Sinte is why I chose him. They will have some guardian angels with them. It might be one or two of the Aaron group. The problem will be that where one is the rest can be on a moment’s notice. We still have limited time for all of this. We are still trapped by prophecy whether we like it or not.”

  Dar Raven was stunned by Apollyon’s own confession of being trapped and asked innocently, “What specifically are you speaking about, Master?”

  “We already have the two witnesses messing with us and will soon have the 144,000 Jewish preachers to contend with, then The Lord of Host will send millions of his angels to earth for one last try at preaching about Jesus. It will be his final try to bring everyone to Him. Those millions of angels will really be a problem. We only have to contend with a handful right now. We need to hurry up.”

  “Thelipsis and Andre are doing well. Andre is really getting into his part, but Thelipsis still thinks he is some kind of good person.”

  “Silly, human. Thelipsis will soon find out just how bad a person he is. Angelica has started her own religion and is winning hundreds of thousands to her ways, even the Muslims. She is actually pretty good competition for Thelipsis and Andre. I don’t really care. Since she is the Harlot of Babylon, she needs to start killing Christians again. Without the marking, it makes it more difficult.”

  “I can send thousands of angels to her region to help hunt down the Christians if you like,” replied Dar Raven knowing the answer.

  “You know the answer to that. You were just a second ahead of me. Good synching. Do that. God has such a habit of hiding His precious treasure, His peculiar people, that is. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if God didn’t find a way to taunt us a little, then protect them too. He is so good at that. Reminds me of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal. Wow, He out did Himself that day. Or Shandrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace to name a few.”

  Dar Raven flinched as Apollyon reminded him of the Godly victories. It was almost as if there was no way to win, then he asked, “We will win, won’t we, Master?”

  “Win? Win? Well, of course, we’ll win or go down in flames trying,” he chuckled with his own hell-fire metaphor. Apollyon ignored Dar Raven’s sense of insecurity, thinking he asked the same question of himself before.

  Dar Raven flinched again remembering his charred remains he so recently knocked off himself after coming back
from his own hell prison.

  “How much time do we have?” asked Dar Raven, not knowing if he wanted to know the answer.

  “Well, let’s see,” replied Apollyon counting on his fingers, one, two, three, and a half, and a partridge in a pair tree,” while singing the little tune.

  “Oh, I remember, originally seven years, right, so under three-and-half years, but we are down to weeks and days, now. I’m not counting anymore. It just doesn’t matter. If we can’t get the U.S. under control and start the attack against Israel done, nothing will matter anyway.”

  Dar Raven, thought he’d be cute, “Killing one little, two little, three little Christians,” then did a dance sweeping his wings around himself in a dark-cloak move.

  “Dar Raven, leave the singing to me. Just take care of business and don’t mess up. Get some more traction from Thelipsis and Andre. I will give them more dark magic help to do some unusual things. Let’s turn up the heat a little,” more hell humor.

  I Like Squirrels

  “What’s going to happen?” Birdy asked Doc while munching on the breakfast toast.

  “It’s all going to be like hell on earth for a while. There is no reason to not let you know. You can’t tell anyone, anyway. We originally heard that the Chinese-Koreans were going to move up to Tennessee like in a big funnel, up I-24, where there is no escape, then sap, no more Chinese-Koreans. We are ready here in Tennessee, but I don’t know about what’s going on up and down the other interstates. Hope they are ready too.”

  “Why did you just tell me that? Isn’t that a secret?” Birdy exclaimed with her hand over her mouth in surprise.

  “Like I said, ‘Who are you going to tell?’ You are stuck out in the middle of nowhere; you know no one; and by the time you get back on your feet, it will all be over.”

  “That sounds simple,” she chirped.

  “That sounds that way, but it is sad, very sad. In order to do this, nothing living will be alive when it is finished. Not even a cricket will survive. We have made moves to reserve as many local species close to the action so we can repopulate them, but it will take years to get back to normal. At least you won’t have to worry about hitting a deer up and down the interstate like you do now.”

  “Rabbits? I like rabbits? Squirrels? I like them too,” she asked depressingly.

  “Okay, Birdy, enough of the fun-talk; it’s time for you to walk around a little and strengthen your hams. Doctor’s orders. I will be there to lean on,” Doc ordered.

  “You like taking care of me, don’t you?” Birdy asked shyly, liking Doc’s gentle ways and not imagining how he could have ever hurt a fly, then vaguely remembered seeing Jonsey flying through the air beside her at the college.

  “Hey, when do you go back to class? You got a job, don’t you?” asked Birdy.

  “Everything is in Spring Break; so soon I will go back. Already have my grading done while you took your naps. You do know you are a champion napper, but do you snore! You actually scare Nash sometimes. I have to go to campus to hand back homework and let my students know to get as far away from Middle Tennessee as possible. Yes, I do like taking care of you, little Bird,” he chuckled and went to get her another cup of tea for her morning breakfast.

  “My napping and snoring are my business. Since when do you think you don’t? I hear you all the way from the other side of the cabin. What is it with the tea and that little pot you use? There are official tea kettles, you know?”

  “It’s my dad’s. He was British and always made his daily cup of tea with a tea bag in it, just enough for a two-cup, yours and mine.”

  “Sentimental, aren’t you?”

  “Actually, I am more a romantic than sentimental,” he said, then watched Birdy’s face twitch slightly.

  “What does that mean?” she asked cautiously, not knowing exactly what he meant.

  “Relax, I love small love stories with happy endings. You know where two people meet, fall in love, get along, live happily ever after.”

  “Well, then you must have been very disappointed since your wife and you didn’t, right?’ she asked and watched him twitch this time but regretted saying it.

  “Yes, a little disappointed. Missy loved being alone with me, even in my solitary ways. I was on missions most of the time, and she got used to it, but we made the most of it. We did everything together. She got sick, but I was there for her. I never left her side. It was hard, but she smiled all the way to the end. What a girl! She was 30 years my younger. See, shouldn’t have worked, but it did. Hayden was our greatest achievement.”

  “Thirty years your younger? You decrepit old man! You really are a dirty old man,” she kidded and thought how something like that could work.

  “We just never thought age was that important. Funny how blind true love can be. I bet she didn’t weigh over a hundred pounds and was almost your height. I called her my little war orphan.”

  ‘What did she do when you were gone?” asked Birdy, thinking in her mind that she and Doc were sort of like Missy and him, then shook her head to knock out the thought. Impossible. Just impossible, then her mind would drift warmly back again. It was just that no one ever treated her as gently as Doc. Later, she would remind herself that he was like her grandfather for a week or two, then like her father for a little while, then her brother after that, then she didn’t know what he was like now. Sometimes that scared her, then didn’t, then did. It was all mixed up and confused, but she admitted she was enjoying it.

  “She and I became Christians after the rapture. Boy was she a reader. You haven’t seen my library. I’m wall to wall books up to the ceiling. Every book on the Bible, and all the old preachers are all there. You name it. She had it. Her I-Phone was loaded with over 500 books on a Kindle app, then she had the newest Kindle Double Fire too. Let me show you her chapel.”

  “Her chapel, where could you fit a chapel in this place?’ she asked looking around mystified.

  Doc, walked to the spare bedroom where he had the library, then pointed to a small kneeling alter in the corner with a prayer bench and kneeling pad with an open Bible placed carefully on it. This was more like a shrine than anything. Birdy hobbled past him and was amazed at the books. There must have been thousands of them stack sideways and vertical, many so old that covers were falling off. She picked from a stack on a small conference table and noticed that they were so marked up that it was hard to see the print. Missy looked to be an avid studier of the scriptures. Here the lamb living with the wolf. What a contradiction. She must have seen something far deeper in Doc than anyone else could ever see.”

  “Doc, you are a mystery. I would have liked to have met Missy,” she said affectionately.

  “I believe you and her would have got along famously. You look at lot alike. See her picture over there. You both have that shy spirit that is from a good soul.”

  Birdy looked at the picture and thought she could have been her younger sister. Then, she felt a little uneasy and confused again about staying here with Doc. Something in her was changing. She was more frightened by what and how she felt than her lame foot. She felt such a new tenderness towards Doc, and it made her uncomfortable. She never let anyone get this close before.

  “Maybe, you can find me somewhere else to stay, Doc,” she stated without emotion.

  “Are you serious? Do you realize how bad it’s going to get out there? Even for a healthy person, never mind a broken one. I couldn’t in good conscious let you go back into that mess. Give yourself at least a month or so, then I promise if you still feel that way that I will go find out if the Lady’s of Charity are taking in more. Henry called before I left, and they were all filled up.”

  “Okay,” surrendered Birdy.

  She was surrendering to Doc as much as to the situation. She was saying, ‘I trust you,’ and she never trusted anyone in her whole life. Finally, she felt safe, at home, cared for, at least for the time being.

  Hiding Not En
ough

  Andre returned to China for a short visit. He reviewed the progress of millions of troops loading on ships accompanied with wall-to-wall tanks and heavy armament. He felt a certain satisfaction about the success. He thought just maybe they could move enough out and beyond the Chinese coast to escape the impact of the rock of fire as he called it while his command center was fortunately moved even farther from the coast for extra measure by over 200 miles.

  “I must go back to a new meeting with Thelipsis by tomorrow. How is the loading working? Are we almost finished? We have only 35 days left.”

  A land-invasion general was pacing back and forth and mentioned, “We are almost done. I don’t think that our flying rock will interrupt. We are to set sail in two days. The scientists now say that the rock won’t arrive for a week. At least, they think so.”

  “Do you really trust scientist who want you to have good news and are afraid to tell you the truth? Remember, we are trapped by Judeo-Christian prophecy even though you are neither. It is written, and what is written may be more predictable than your silly scientist and astrologers.”

  “I am a pragmatist, cold and simple, with no regard for whatever is written. Nothing is done till it is done. Anything can change!” proclaimed the General loudly while waving his arms in defiance of the scriptural warnings.

  “I see, well, why don’t you join your command on the coast instead of being here in this protected place if you think this is written stuff is such a joke.”

  The General shuddered a little with the thought that he may be wrong and slowly stuttered a response that was full of uncertainty and skeptism, “I, well, maybe, okay, it might be better to stay here for just a little longer; maybe a couple weeks, more. I have my people on site taking care of everything.” He turned and left hurriedly before Andre could have him ordered to go, not taking any chances.

  Two days later, the flying rock sped up and plummeted down through the atmosphere at an alarmingly accelerated rate, ahead of time and plunged into the ocean just off the Chinese coast. The tidal wave caught another one-third of the ships still loading, but the rest made it to the open ocean while watching the disaster behind them. The inland command post was barely good enough. Everything including all the rivers and water systems were polluted with poisonous gasses activated by the mixture of salt water and unknown meteor elements.

  The General sat in a stupor looking squarely at Andre and only said in remorse, “I guess I was wrong. I can’t believe they got it wrong. We still have enough to launch the attacks. It will take us a little longer, but we can still do it.”

  “No, it won’t take longer. You will launch with what you have. How many troops are remaining now?”

  The General stated flatly, “Almost two million or so, 1.7 to be exact. We have lost about three million between both those events. We have over 3500 troop carriers carrying over 500 troops each while we have at least as many supply ships loaded with tanks and land transport carriers. We also have only a hundred million left for the invasion of Israel with the Arab League’s 100 million.”

  Andre smiled knowingly, “Two hundred million. Now, that is very prophetic.”

  “What does that mean?” asked the General.

  “Never mind,” answered Andre shaking his head in another show of disrespect. The General noticed, then just walked off in a huff.