Reverend Jones walked to the pavilion with Karen. For a second, the sound from the outside was like any other worship service. There was yelling, but it was the kind of yelling that happens during election time in a church. But only for a second.
Reverend Jones opened the door and saw about two hundred people standing and yelling. At the front of the auditorium was Reverend Scopes, a pastor out of a large church in Denver. He was yelling and people in the audience were yelling as well.
Reverend Jones and Karen pushed their way to the front of the crowd and both of them walked up on stage.
Reverend Scopes was attempting to preach. “God is with us. There is nothing anybody can do to a child of God. If God is before us, who can be against us? I know my redeemer liveth.”
Reverend Jones walked over to Reverend Scopes while he was preaching. Reverend Jones turned his back to the auditorium and said, “Give me the microphone, Scopes.”
“And who are you?” Reverend Scopes said. “Don’t interrupt my sermon.”
“I’m Reverend Jones, and I am in charge.”
“My sisters and brothers, this country bumpkin with 30 members claims he is in charge. Deacon Kerry, get this guy out of my face,” Reverend Scopes said while turning to one of his supporters. A large man pushed Reverend Jones off the stage and stood there to ensure that he didn’t get back up.
A member of the audience came over and asked, “Reverend Jones? Are you the one that Bishop Meredith left in charge? We heard your announcement over the intercom, but Reverend Scopes said it was a mistake.” A few others heard what the member was saying and ran over.
“What’s going on?” one asked.
“What should we do?” another asked.
Reverend Scopes continued preaching. He was entering the close of the sermon and a number of people were shouting at that point. Reverend Jones made one more attempt to go on the stage, but Deacon Kerry smiled and shook his head no.
Reverend Jones spoke to the few who were there around him. ”Follow me. Let’s go somewhere we can talk.”
Reverend Jones, Karen, and three other ministers walked out of the auditorium.
When they got out of the auditorium, they saw David running towards them.
“That guy needs to stop making so much noise. He is going to attract whatever is out there right to us,” David said.
“I tried, but he is not going to listen to anybody.”
“This thing is spreading, and it is going to be here soon. Remember when I told you that this place is not safe? Well, it is going to be sooner than I thought. And this preacher is going to bring them right to us with his screaming and yelling. Come on, I have to show you something right now,” David said.
All six of them walked to the front desk and back to David’s television room. David pointed to a few of his monitors. There were people shuffling along. They walked with a weird lean, and they were attacking people in cars who appeared to be a few miles away from the front of the campground gates.
“How far away is this monitor showing us?” Karen asked.
“About 10 miles. But look. They are headed right for us because of that preacher holding his prayer service.”
“Can you cut the power to the auditorium?” Reverend Jones asked.
“No. Well, yes. Just not here. I mean, not from here. We have to go to the building and shut it off there,” David said.
“Can you take audio from him like you did before?” Reverend Jones said. “Turn on my mic,” he continued while he grabbed the microphone.
David turned it on and pointed at Reverend Jones, indicating that he could talk.
“Sisters and brothers, this is Reverend Jeremiah Jones again. I appreciate Reverend Scopes attempting to calm you down, but we are in a dire situation. We must get out, and get out now. We are leaving this campground. To all members who wish to come with us, please meet us at the front desk in 15 minutes.”
He turned to David and asked, “Do you have a plan to evacuate about 300 people in about 15 minutes?”
David laughed and said, “300, are you serious? I can evacuate 50 at the most.”
“We are going to have to tighten up. We will have to,” Reverend Jones said.
Reverend Jones turned to the five other people who followed and said, “Please go to your room, get one suitcase full of stuff and we will go. Make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes, some food and any tools you may have. It is going to be tight, so don’t bring too much.”
As soon as Reverend Jones said that, it sounded like a choir began singing in the pavilion.
“Are you sure we need to go? Reverend Scopes said...”
“You saw the pictures on the monitor. Yes. Now go.” Reverend Jones rushed to his room. He saw a few people walking about. However, these people were not walking to their room. Nor were they walking to the front desk. They were on their way to the pavilion to hear Reverend Scopes.
When Reverend Jones got to his room, he saw his roommate, Minister Lester. Lester wore the bow tie and suit that he had on earlier in the day. “Les, we gotta get out of here now. What are you doing?” Reverend Jones said.
“Pastor, I’m going down to the pavilion. I know you said that you are in charge, but Reverend Scopes says that he is. I mean, I have to believe that the Bishop would leave him in charge over you. He pastors a 2K member church in Denver, and you don’t even have 100 members. Maybe you heard the Bishop wrong.”
“We saw them, they are coming. If you stay, you will die.”
“That’s not what Reverend Scopes is saying. He says that now more than ever it is time to stand still and know that God is God.”
Reverend Jones grabbed a few things and put them in a suitcase. He said, “Minister, I am ordering you to come with me. If you don’t come I will never ordain you to the ministry.” Reverend Jones hoped that idle threat would work. A threat that was almost laughable at this point.
“Pastor, I’m staying. I pray God will bless you as you leave, but I’m staying.”
Reverend Jones hugged him and pulled a revolver out of his suitcase. He put it in Minister Lester’s hand. Reverend Jones said, “It is prudent to watch while others pray.”
Reverend Jones ran out of the room towards the front desk. He saw David, Karen, and an overweight elderly lady who had on a uniform. Reverend Jones remembered she was one of the cleaning ladies.
He saw two other ministers in suits and ties.
“We had more than this 15 minutes ago,” Reverend Jones complained.
“They went with Reverend Scopes,” one said.
“Hell, if I hadn’t seen it with my eyes, I would have stayed too,” the other said.
“Ok, David, let’s go,” Reverend Jones said.
The group ventured deep into the woods on what didn’t deserve to be called a trail.
“I thought we were going to go on the street. Do you know where you are taking us?” Reverend Jones asked.
David said, “Preacher, I’ve been preparing for this my whole life.” He continued walking through the woods.
They walked for 15 minutes. The men started to complain about their hard dress shoes and the elderly woman was having a hard time keeping up.
“You have to slow down, David. Mabel can’t keep up. I assume that we don’t want any broken legs when we get there,” Karen said.
“About five more minutes,” David said while ignoring Karen.
They pushed on through the brush and woods until they reached a clearing. On the other side of the clearing was a small camper.
“Welcome to my home,” David said.
“You live in that?” Reverend Jones asked.
“Yes, now come on in,” David said as they all piled into it. There was a bedroom in the back and a little kitchen area. The six members were able to get in without much problem.
“I thought you said you could get 50 in here,” Reverend Jones said.
David laughed. “Look over there,” David said while pointing out the window at a school bus. “That is t
he bus we use when the camp has outings. We could have gotten 50 in there, but since we have six, I think this would be better on gas mileage.”
In the background, they could still hear singing from the pavilion. Mabel asked, “Do you think we should have stayed? It is possible Reverend Scopes was right.”
“No. I hate to say it, but our sisters and brothers in that building will die tonight,” Reverend Jones said.
David smiled and said, “Well, let’s look at it this way. They won’t be dying without a cause. The more they sing, the more they become a diversion for us to get out.”
“That’s not funny,” Reverend Jones said.
It got quiet in the small bus as David’s words sunk in. David jumped behind the wheel and began driving on the winding dark roads. Reverend Jones sat down behind David and asked, “Where are we going?”
“I have a fortress that we all can stay in. We have enough food for a couple of years.”
“Who are you?” Reverend Jones asked.
David smiled. “You know those folks who pack up and plan for the apocalypse? You know y’all made fun of us while you have a week’s worth of food in your house? Well, I’m one of them survivalists.”
“God blessed us to run into you,” Reverend Jones said.
“It wasn’t God. It was me. I worked at this religious campground for a few years, but I was storing up food and supplies just in case. There will be about five or six other folks there as well. I hope there aren’t any issues,” David said.
“Issues? Why would there be any issues?” Reverend Jones asked.
“Well, pastor, we shall see,” David said.
Reverend Jones was too tired and drained to ask any other questions, so he fell asleep as David drove.
Chapter 11 - Carl