The Scarlet Plan

by Rick W. Warren

  “Thomas?” Emma said with a gleam in her eye. “Don’t you mean, Lawrence Harrison? That is your real name isn’t it?”

  The Actor stood stunned. “No one knows my name.”

  “Well the Thinker did,” Aaron replied. “Although I’m sure he kept that tidbit to himself, though. Don’t worry, his name is Edward Magnus, so now you’re both even.”

  “Shut up!” Thinker said through clinched teeth. His rage came quickly. “You think you can overpower us? Tonight you’ll both be dead and then where will your knowledge get you? No God can save you, even if He can tell you some secrets! You can keep your name games. Make sure you think of our names as we drive a knife through your heart!”

  “Is he going to be ok?” Aaron asked Damon sarcastically.

  Immediately, Damon slapped his face with the back of his hand almost tipping the chair over. It hurt bad, but Aaron loved that they got under their skin.

  Thinker gained his composure. The revealing of his name, which was a closely guarded secret within the Scarlet, really threw him off. “Do you really believe that God will save you? Do you really think you have any real power? Where was your God when the Cleaner brought you here? Where is your rescuer?”

  “Convert is coming,” Aaron said. “When he gets here, you’ll be sorry.”

  “I already had a nice talk with him,” Damon said. “He called your phone. He’s not coming for a while. I told him if he shows up here before 5:30 you’re dead.”

  “Why does the time matter?” Emma said.

  “To get him out of the way for tonight.”

  “Tonight? What’s that matter?”

  “My game is tonight, moron,” Clayton said. “We don’t want him anywhere around.”

  Aaron looked at the grins of the three men. They knew something Clayton didn’t.

  “Clayton,” Aaron said. “Why are you here? What is your association with these people?”

  “We gave him power,” the Actor said. “The power to play and the power to win. Real power, not the false promises of your feeble God.”

  “You don’t really believe them, Clayton, do you?”

  “Of course, I do,” he said. “I tried praying to your God over and over again and nothing ever happened. I was just a clumsy kid who hung out with losers. Then I met Mr. Rule and he promised me glory if I promised him devotion.”

  “Devotion to what?”

  “The Scarlet… and it was the best thing I ever did. My body grew stronger overnight. I obtained skills that you couldn’t imagine. I received real power, not the make believe stuff your church sells! Tonight is just the beginning. I am going to continue to win. I will eventually become the greatest football player the world has ever seen. I will make millions. I will be on top of the world and it will be thanks to the Scarlet, not God.”

  “You can’t really believe this, Clayton,” Emma said. “Don’t you realize this is evil? Don’t you know that everyone will one day appear before Christ? Hell is real! What about your soul?”

  “Hell is a myth. Salvation is a myth. The God as you know him is a liar. He didn’t come to save. He came for power. The Scarlet has shown me the truth. They hold the true power and that power will overcome the lies of Jesus. Your God is weak. He had a good run for a while, but his suppression of the truth is failing. The Scarlet will rise and will reign eternal!”

  Aaron and Emma looked at each other in shock. How could someone believe something like this? How big was the Scarlet? How many had fallen for this lie?

  “Clayton,” Aaron said. “You’ve been lied to. Christ is the only way of life. He is the only real power. You’ve been fooled by the demonic and your plans for life will never happen. Repent while you still can.”

  Clayton leaned in close. “After today, you won’t be around at all. How does that work out for your plans in life?” He spit in Aaron’s face and stepped back.

  Damon stood there grinning with the face of a devil.

  “Come on, Clayton,” the Actor said. “We have a big day.”

  Clayton looked at Aaron. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to take good care of the boys you stuck up for. Never cross the Scarlet. You’ve learned that now, and after football, they will too.”

  They turned and left the barn. Everyone except Damon.

  “You two sit tight,” he said with a devilish grin. “I’ve got some stuff to set up outside just for you. I think you’ll love it!”

  “I highly doubt that,” Aaron said.

  “Maybe,” he said. “But never doubt the Scarlet. We will do what we say.” With that Damon stepped outside.

  The sun broke through various slats in the side of the barn causing rays of light to hit the ground. Aaron hopped in his chair to look at Emma. “Are you alright?” he said.

  “I’m ok,” she said. “How’s your face?”

  “I’ll be fine. I didn’t expect this.”

  “Clayton’s in trouble. Did you see the way they looked at each other when he was talking? It was like they were in on an inside joke that he wasn’t aware of.”

  “I did see that and that’s why I tried to warn him. Clayton is merely a pawn and I think they will get rid of him when they are done.”

  “How can a kid get so demented? He is complicit in our kidnapping and our impeding murders if we don’t get out of this.”

  Aaron looked down in thought. “When I met with his dad and Charles Stratton, they had this same kind of arrogance. I’m beginning to think that Clayton isn’t alone in this and I wonder if there wasn’t more to my suspension. How deep could the Scarlet be? What is their endgame here?”

  “Remember,” Emma said as the gears turned in her mind. “They said they wanted Convert here to keep him out of the way. Out of the way of what?”

  Aaron’s eyes began to widen. “I think something terrible is going to happen at the game tonight! Think of all the people!”

  Emma tried to loosen her bonds, but had no luck. “We’ve got to get out of here and warn the city!”

  “Maybe we’re here because of what is going to happen.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We may not the able to stop their plan, but maybe we can stop them from getting away.”

  13

  The warm weather made it a perfect day for all of the festivities planned for the city of Galesburg as they waited for the playoff game to begin. All throughout the property of the school there were various booths containing food and memorabilia. One section of the campus was used to form a mini carnival, which had a few rides and bounce houses. All in all it was a fun family event and a good thing for Galesburg. People were laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Kids ran around in their costumes holding bags of candy. Those who were tailgating would hand the candy out to kids who passed by. Trick or treating would begin early at 4:00 so that it would be done by the game.

  Jordan and his friends stayed behind while their families went to the fun. There was a part of them that wanted to enjoy everything everybody else was, but they knew that an evil was hiding in the shadows. They knew that their friends were in trouble and they had to help them. As 4:00 approached, the guys got on their bikes to head over to the McKenzie’s. They still didn’t really have a plan, but they felt that Aaron’s message to them had to have something to do with Convert.

  It took about ten minutes to get there and they were relieved to see his truck still in the driveway. They had feared that he might have left early to go do something, but thankfully he was still home. The walked up to the front porch and knocked on the door. Marie answered it almost as soon as they had knocked. “Hello, boys,” she said.

  “Hello, Mrs. McKenzie,” Jordan said. “Is Convert here? We would like to speak to him.”

  “Sure, he’s in back yard. You can come through the house if you want.”

  They walked in through the living room and dinn
ing room and out of the sliding glass door that lead to the deck out back. Convert wasn’t on the deck. Instead, he was out in the yard. There was a fence post set up with a really old tire. Convert had his hand on top of it with his eyes closed. They could see that his lips were moving slightly and they understood that he was praying. As they slowly approached him, he opened his eyes.

  “Hey, Convert,” Mark said. “Sorry to bother you. We just wanted to talk.”

  “No problem, guys,” he said with a smile. “It’s good to see you. I was just praying.”

  “What’s the deal with this tire?” Trent asked.

  “That’s a different story for a different time. What can I do for you?”

  “We think we should go with you,” Jordan said.

  “No way. This is dangerous and there is no way I’m going to bring you to confront this madman. You don’t understand, but he is not working alone. He’s part of something bigger than we thought.”

  “What’s he part of?” Josh asked.

  “Jack left me a note. He knew he was going to die and he knew who would be responsible.”

  “He did!” Jordan said. “How is that possible?”

  “A man visited him and told him two weeks before it happened.”

  “A man came to him? What man?” Trent asked.

  “I don’t know. He didn’t say who he was, but he wasn’t wrong.”

  “Did he say who would kill Jack?” Mark asked.

  “It was Damon Marshall, but Damon did it for an organization called the Scarlet.”

  “Wait a minute…we’ve heard that name before!” Trent said.

  “When?” Convert said intrigued.

  “We heard Drago mention it before he killed Earnest Weller!”

  Josh’s eyes widened. “That’s right! We did! The Scarlet killed him for his money!

  “Wait a minute,” Mark said. “You don’t think that Earnest’s money was used for the new football stadium, do you?”

  “Maybe it was,” Jordan replied. “But why would the Scarlet want to do that?”

  Convert stared blankly, lost in thought. “Guys, think about this for a second. How many people do you suppose are going to be at that game today?”

  “Thousands!” Josh said.

  “What if they were gathered together on purpose?” Convert said as worry grew on his face. “What if this whole football season has been part of a greater plan?”

  “What do you think is going to happen?” Mark asked.

  “I don’t know for sure, but something isn’t right about it.” Convert replied as he looked at his watch. Everything happening was overwhelming him. “I have to go. You guys stay home and stay safe. You can’t get hurt if you’re not there. Maybe the football game is nothing. I just don’t know enough. I need to say bye to Marie and then go and get Aaron and Emma.”

  “Let’s go, guys,” Jordan said to the surprise of his friends. Trent was about to protest, but the look on Jordan’s face told him all he needed to know. Convert went inside the house from the back door while the guys walked down the driveway toward their bikes. As they passed by Convert’s truck, Jordan looked in the back and his suspicion was confirmed. There were blue tarps spread out, which Convert had used to cover some of his larger tools from the rain.

  “Guys!” Jordan said. “The tarps!”

  They all looked inside the truck bed. “What do we do?” Mark asked.

  “We hide underneath them,” Jordan replied.

  “What about our bikes?” Josh asked.

  “We have to hide them fast!” Trent said. “We can put them behind the garage. Let’s go!”

  Quickly, they grabbed their bikes from the front yard and brought them down the driveway to the garage. They made sure they were out of view of the house and then they ran to the back of the truck.

  “Are you sure about this?” Mark asked.

  “Yes,” Jordan said. “It’s what we were told to do and I trust Pastor Aaron. Do you?”

  “Yes,” Mark said with resolve. “Let’s go.”

  They climbed in the back as fast as they could. Josh, Trent, and Mark laid down while Jordan spread the tarps out over them. Finally, he laid down and put one over himself as well.

  As they waited for Convert, Trent looked over at Jordan and laughed. “This is the craziest thing we’re ever done and it’s your idea! I love it!”

  After a minute, Convert came out of the side door of the house and walked to his truck. He saw that the guys had left and that made him feel better. He hoped they would say put and stay out of harm. The adrenaline began to course through him and he had to steady his breathing. All of this was real. Aaron and Emma were in real danger as was the whole city.

  He started up the truck and began to pull out of the driveway. “Jesus, help me,” he said. “Help all of us.”

  He backed into the street and started his journey to the barn. He eventually turned onto Henderson Street and headed north. The same road that Jack and Ralph walked down forty years ago was the path he was taking now. Convert felt a jolt of sorrow as he left the city limits. He thought about how he would much rather be laughing with Jack and Ralph instead of avenging them. He looked over at the new fence now in the place where the old fence with the tire used to be. Convert realized that what he ultimately longed for was peace and this was the only way it could come. The Scarlet had to be stopped.

  The guys held on as they endured the bumps of the road. Fear and excitement ruled their minds. They were afraid because they knew they were going to Drago, but they were excited because Convert was with them. They didn’t know exactly where they were, but as Convert drove by the old site of the tire on the fencepost, they simultaneously fell asleep without knowing it. There was one more dream to share.

  14

  Jack stood with his hands on the railing of the deck gazing at the sky, while Convert made his way back into the house. He could see that it was going to rain tonight. As a matter of fact, he knew when it was going to happen: after his death. He closed his eyes and breathed in a deep breath with his nose, smelling the autumn air. He wondered what heaven would smell like as he stood there. He knew it wouldn’t be long until he found out.

  He looked out into the yard and saw the old tire, that Ralph had loved so much, hanging on the lone fencepost. Slowly, he walked down the stairs and into the yard. Every sense seemed to have been heightened as he heard each leaf crunch beneath his feet while he walked toward the tire. A gentle breeze blew across the yard scattering leaves everywhere as he reached out to place his hand on the tire for the final time. A tear ran down his cheek as he understood the finality of everything. He wanted so bad to tell Convert what was about to happen. He wanted to save him from the confusion and pain that would happen after his death, but he knew that those very things would be what would get him to where God wanted him to be.

  Jack looked at the tire. “See you soon, buddy,” he said. The only relief he felt from his sadness was that he would soon see his son again.

  Jack turned as he heard Convert’s truck start up and pull out of the driveway. The garage blocked him from seeing him, but he knew he had left to go speak to the kids at Aaron’s youth event. Jack smiled as he thought about Convert’s redemption. He thanked Jesus for giving him another son in place of the one he lost.

  He walked back towards the deck and went inside to see Marie doing the dishes. He grabbed a towel and dried them for her and put them away. “Everything was wonderful tonight, Marie. Everything has always been wonderful with you. Your love has been the greatest blessing I could have ever had and it was always more than I deserved.”

  Marie turned the faucet off and looked at him with tears in her eyes. “Jack McKenzie. I wouldn’t have wanted to do life with anyone else.”

  “What can I do in these final hours?”

  She took a towel and dried her hands. “Just
be with me.”

  They walked hand in hand into the living room and sat together on the couch in front of the lit fireplace. Marie took out an old photo book and they laughed together as they reminisced about their lives. They talked about old dates they took, old friends they knew, and old times they spent together. Eventually they took out pictures of their son. Tears ran down their faces as they looked at baby pictures of Ralph. He was so adorable and he was the light of their life. A complication from her pregnancy made it so that she wasn’t able to have any more children after him so they knew that he would be their one treasure. Ralph had to wear glasses since the age of four and they always made his eyes look so big. The only thing bigger was his smile, which was always on his face. As they came to the end of the album they saw the last picture. It was the last one they ever took of him. Dressed up like knights in shining armor, were Ralph and James on Halloween. Convert had put the picture back in the album and they hadn’t known it until now.

  Marie looked up at Jack. “I’m actually jealous of you. I wish I could go with you. I want to see Ralph. I want to see Jesus. I don’t want you to leave. I want to be at peace together, forever.”

  Jack took her hands and looked her in the eyes. “That day will one day come, but for now, Convert needs you too.”

  “I know,” she said wiping her eyes. “I know. I just can’t help but feel that my heart is torn in two directions. I long to go home to heaven along with you, but I know that there is still more for me to do here.”

  Jack smiled. “That’s exactly what the Apostle Paul said too.”

  “Well, I’m no Apostle Paul,” she said.

  “No,” Jack said. “You’re Marie McKenzie. You’re my wife and you’re the most wonderful and faithful person I’ve ever known. I have always been better because of you.”

  As it got closer to the time for Jack to go, they went upstairs. Jack sat down at the end of the bed and listened to Marie sing as she got in her pajamas. Her voice always brought him comfort and it made him think about the angelic voices he would soon hear. She laid down as Jack put the covers over her. With his hand in hers, he began to pray. He prayed for his wife, he prayed for Convert, he prayed for the city, and he prayed for God’s will to be done.