It was just a matter of time before they were caught.
The next round of push alerts was sent out in the hopes of capturing the hundreds of thousands of Christians foolish enough to comment on Yogesh Patel’s social media platforms, upon hearing of his death.
Romanero was especially interested in detaining those proclaiming to have been visited by the 144,000 in dreams. Many had since been captured and were behind bars until the Man of Peace decided what to do with them next.
Even many who didn’t have dreams, but foolishly posted on Patel’s social media sites, or shared Ajit Laghari’s posts, were sought and subsequently arrested. As a result, tens of thousands of born-again Christians were quickly detained in Romanero’s global prisons.
But after what happened at the conclusion of the award ceremony, Romanero ordered a new “video” global push alert app, to broadcast enemy combatants being interrogated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Everyone connected to Yogesh Patel’s escape in any way, became part of the first round.
Although Ajit Laghari wasn’t part of the escape team, per se, the video he made a few months back accusing Romanero of being the antichrist already made him a wanted man.
The fact that he was caught posting on Patels’ social media platforms, not to mention that Hana Patel’s admission that the two had met on occasion, meant he would suffer the consequences of his foul actions.
For someone who thought he was so smart, he was easily tracked down by his IP address. He was posting on Yogesh’s social media accounts, using a low-grade encryption system, making his capture rather easy. Even a novice could have found him.
Laghari surrendered without putting up a fight. It was then that all of Patel’s social media platforms were taken offline for good.
Thankfully, his underground location wasn’t connected to the one Yogesh had funded before his death.
After being given a strong dose of sodium thiopental—truth serum—a crude drug used to make people talk, the interrogation on the video push alert app began. “What is your connection to Yogesh Patel?”
The expression on Laghari’s face showed a man who knew what would soon become of him. It went far beyond the fear of being incarcerated. “He is my friend and brother in Christ.”
The man lit a cigarette, “Don’t you mean, ‘was’?
“No.”
The interrogator shifted in his chair. It was late and he was tired. He was getting aggravated. “Where was he trying to escape to?”
“I don’t know…”
That earned him a hard slap across the face. Taking a drag from his cigarette, he said, “I’ll ask you again, where was he trying to escape to?”
Laghari winced, “I don’t know, honest. I’m not sure even he knew where he was going…”
Ajit was slapped harder this time. His lip started bleeding.
“Who were the people that nearly helped him escape?”
Ajit looked down at his feet and sighed. “I don’t know…”
He was slapped hard again. The more he refused to answer their questions satisfactorily, the more he was beaten.
The other guard in the room said, “I think you’re lying!”
When Laghari remained silent, the man took one last drag from his cigarette, blew the smoke in his prisoner’s face, then extinguished it in his right ear. Ajit screamed in agony. The pain was excruciating.
But, in truth, he didn’t know…
After being interrogated for nearly 20 hours, they finally let the bruised and bloodied man with two black eyes sleep.
Two hours later, the video push alert app was turned on again. When Laghari still wouldn’t answer their questions to their satisfaction, he received burn marks all over his naked body from cigarettes the chain-smoking interrogators kept extinguishing on him. He was their ashtray.
He also lost a few teeth. Three were pulled out with pliers, without the use of lidocaine, before or after.
His two front teeth came out quite differently. A female guard, hamming it up for the camera, grabbed the Bible her prisoner clung to at the time of his arrest. “Doesn’t it say in here that if you eat and drink these words, you’ll never hunger or thirst again?”
Ajit remained silent. His eyes pleaded with her not to continue.
But her job was to get answers, not extend grace. She went on, “The last thing we would want is for you to starve to death in this place. If this is food, I assure you it’s the best food you’ll ever eat again.”
“So, eat up!” she yelled, smashing him in the mouth with the Bible.
Ajit wasn’t expecting it. One of his front teeth was knocked out, which he ended up swallowing.
The sadistic woman struck him again with the spine of the Book. “Drink up!”
The second front tooth came out. Ajit managed not to swallow this one. Pain shot through his brain.
The mocking continued. “Just so you know, this…” She hit him in the mouth again. “is…” SLAM! “the…” SLAM! “last time…” SLAM! “you will ever see or read this Book!”
Pulling a lighter from her pant pocket, she set it on fire. “Aww, too late for you. Looks like the restaurant’s closed forever…”
Ajit was handcuffed to the chair and couldn’t defend himself. He moaned in agony. Blood poured out of his mouth and slowly trickled down the front of his body.
The tears streaming down his face weren’t from the pain he felt, or from the missing teeth, but from knowing he would never read that Book again. It was a crushing blow to him.
Ajit—which meant invincible—felt anything but that at present, at least in the physical sense, especially knowing this was just the beginning. But knowing his final destination, regardless of what happened to his mortal flesh, it was well with his soul.
Similar images were sent out worldwide, of those captured in Dubai—the two men in the shopping mall parking lot, the driver who delivered Braxton, Nigel and his pilot to Dubai International Airport, and the five Middle Eastern men who aided and abetted Patel by attempting to be his lookalikes.
All begged for mercy but received none…
When the man who drove Braxton Rice, Nigel Jones and his pilot to the airport in Dubai, publicly denounced Islam during his interrogation, declaring Jesus as Lord and Savior, Muslims in the region located their remaining family members; all were beheaded with sharp knives.
Twelve other men were incarcerated with them, suffering the same constant torture. While they weren’t directly involved in Patel’s escape, they were 12 of the 100 fathers flown to Dubai to celebrate the women they’d recently impregnated.
Of the 100 who were flown to Dubai and shown the time of their lives, only 19 left the country.
Half of them drank themselves to death with poisoned whiskey. Fourteen succumbed to drug overdoses. One was found with his face buried in a mountain of cocaine laced with cyanide. He started having a seizure and cried for help, but no one came to his rescue.
Another man was found dead in his hotel room bed wearing nothing but boxer shorts. Needles were found in both arms. The heroin mixed with fentanyl was so strong that one dose would have killed him. The added dose all but assured his demise, which was the hope all along.
The needles were administered by a woman he’d slept with.
The other twelve new fathers weren’t killed, they were arrested. After hearing Yogesh’s speech, all twelve repented of their sins in their hotel suites and became Christians. Every word they spoke was recorded.
Their rooms were stormed by GC police in the middle of the night, and all twelve were taken into custody.
Lastly, the pilot and lone crew member in the Philippines experienced the same amount of torture.
This was only the beginning for born-again Christians…
36
ONE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
CLAYTON HOLMES, TRAVIS HARTINGS, Charles Calloway and Dr. Lee Kim were driving southbound, on I-5, in the state of California, headed in the vicinity of another
ETSM safe house location near Big Bear Mountain. This was their fifth stop in the past two days.
When they left the subterranean location housing Jefferson Danforth at 5 a.m. the day before, it marked their first-time seeing daylight since arriving in Idaho, on the day of Jefferson Danforth’s alleged funeral.
Braxton Rice was the first to leave the hiding place, when he flew to the Middle East with Nigel Jones.
Agent Sullivan drove him to a bus depot, in downtown Spokane, Washington that day. From there, Braxton was met by another ETSM member. He placed his luggage in the back seat then was taken to Felts Field five miles northeast of Spokane. It was the city’s main airport until their international airport was opened mid last century.
Nigel Jones’ G-V was fully fueled at Felts Field and loaded with supplies they would deliver to the Middle East. No one knew at the time it would be their last mission on earth.
With full access to power and secure internet, the four ETSM leaders had no intention of leaving the underground facility until power was restored in America. The recent events changed everything…
More to the point, the mass detainment of Christians worldwide. Ever since Yogesh Patel made his bold declaration for Jesus, the ETSM website was overwhelmed with desperate emails from frightened Christians looking for food, guidance, and for places to live.
They were already praying and fasting for their brothers and sisters on the outside before Yogesh did what he did. Millions more had since contacted them. Knowing many were starving and freezing to death, the time to help them was now. But until they had dreams, the only way they could help them would be monetarily.
It was decided then. Of the $5B the ETSM had hidden and buried all over the world, one-tenth was earmarked for the 144,000. It was stored in Idaho with Jefferson Danforth, until it could be transferred elsewhere.
They would give one-tenth—half a billion dollars—to Christians in need who didn’t have dreams, so they could purchase land for themselves. If more funds were needed later, it would be given to them.
They had to spend it soon. The new international monetary card being distributed to replace debit cards from the many now-closed banks, would replace much of the cash in the world, and ultimately set the stage for the cashless system.
Once the Mark of the Beast was implemented, cash would become a thing of the past. On many levels, it already felt that way. But until the microchip was implemented, a cashless economy would be impossible.
In this economy, properties could be purchased for pennies on the dollar. This could potentially help many Christians living on the outside. Once they found land, funds would be buried for their use. The recipients would receive text messages with GPS coordinates to collect it.
The ETSM would even supply them with some of the things they received from Jefferson Danforth. Other than that, aside from praying for them and pleading to God for their safety, they would be on their own.
And this meant all land purchased had to be in their names. With so many children soon to be living at their safe houses, there could be no compromising connections between them.
With the decision made, leaders were appointed on every continent, to help with the redistribution process, so to speak.
At that, the four ETSM leaders left Idaho with $30M stashed in the back of the 15-passenger van. The cash would be given to leaders at ten different safe house locations situated closest to where large groups of Christians had emailed them seeking assistance, in $3M allotments.
They already parted with $12M. The next $3M would be given to an ETSM leader residing near Big Bear Mountain, only to be hidden again, until land was found, then purchased by the others. Once established, additional funds would be given to them for popup campers, so they wouldn’t freeze to death. They were presently living in tents.
The plan was to visit ten safe houses before heading back east. They would drive in shifts, only stopping for fuel, food and bathroom breaks.
With a confirmed warrant out for his arrest, Charles wouldn’t do any of the driving, especially with millions of dollars stashed in the back of the van. He was snoozing away in the back seat.
Dr. Lee Kim’s cell phone vibrated. He checked his secure message, “They’re already there waiting for us.”
Clayton looked in the rearview mirror, “Tell them we’ll be there in fifteen minutes…”
“Roger that.”
Clayton looked over at Travis in the passenger front seat. He didn’t like what he saw. “Are you okay, partner?”
The ETSM co-founder and chief facilitator was racked with paranoia. It went beyond the fear of being in a vehicle loaded down with millions of dollars in cash, while being Christian. Having Braxton Rice around always soothed his nerves. His absence made him feel vulnerable.
Travis was grateful for the many AFK members God sent their way, now standing guard at their many safe houses, but Rice’s absence not only left a gaping hole in his heart, it shredded his peace of mind.
He looked out the passenger window, “I know I sound like a broken record, Clayton, but I’m not sure if we should stream the Christmas Eve service online, at safe house number one. Conferencing on secure Satphones is one thing, streaming live globally is altogether different.
“When Danforth’s people spied on us at the outset, at least we met at places that weren’t ours. Perhaps I’m just being paranoid, but if the enemy finds a way to spy on us this time, it’ll lead them straight to our safehouses. All it would take is for some bureaucrat to find a lone forensic link connecting us to the Danforth administration, and it’ll be enough to bring a world of trouble down on us.”
Travis turned his head to face Dr. Kim in the back seat. “You’ve yet to convince me we’ll be safe, Lee…”
Kim replied, “I understand how you feel, Travis, and I share your concerns. But even if outsiders miraculously break the codes and track our location, which I still insist is highly unlikely, instead of zeroing in on Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, they’ll be directed to Uranium City, which is a sparsely-populated city on the shores of Lake Athabasca, in the northernmost part of Saskatchewan, Canada.
“If and when that happens, the system will be triggered, and that IP location will re-scramble every few seconds. While I admit streaming worldwide from our own locations may soon be impossible, I’ll even go so far to say this may be the last time we ever attempt it, I feel it will be safe this time.”
“I’ve already ratcheted up the private and public numbers a few notches each. That said, the chances of someone breaking the new security codes are next to impossible. I’ve had some of Danforth’s most trusted cyber security people try breaking the codes. They couldn’t do it.
“I assure you, Travis, if anyone could do it, it would be them. Even they assured me our security couldn’t be breached. And if it could, it would take many months or even years.”
“That’s good enough for me,” Clayton said.
Travis gave Clayton a sideways look, as if to say, “Are you serious?”
Before he could speak, Clayton went on, “This is Romanero’s coming out party, Travis, at least when it comes to replacing Jesus on the calendar. Who knows what that’ll mean for us in the coming days and weeks? I don’t have to tell you it won’t be good.”
Clayton tightened his grip on the steering wheel, “I need to reach out to everyone at this crucial time, especially those living at our less fortified locations, and do my best to prepare them for who knows what? Since the whole world will be celebrating Romanero’s new self-proclaimed birthday, this will be the best and perhaps only time to do it.”
Shooting a quick glance at Travis, he said, “God hasn’t failed us yet, brother. We must keep trusting Him.”
“True, Clayton, but who among us had dreams about streaming on Christmas Eve?”
Clayton sighed and left it at that…
37
SALVADOR ROMANERO’S BIRTHDAY EVE ONE MONTH LATER
AT 11:30 P.M., AT Vatican City, Italy, the Po
pe appeared before a jammed packed Saint Peter’s Square. After blessing everyone down below, the curtain widened. Standing alongside him was Salvador Romanero.
The massive crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
Behind the two world leaders were the Israeli Prime minister, former NATO Secretary-General, Jurgen Staat, former UN Secretary-General, Li Ping, and the Israeli Prime Minister.
A few shadowy figures stood behind them, but it was too dark for anyone down below to recognize their faces.
Once the crowd settled down, instead of saying the traditional midnight Christmas Eve Mass Catholics had cherished for many centuries, every word out of the Pontiff’s mouth was centered on the Miracle Maker and his many earth-shattering accomplishments thus far.
After waxing poetic for 20 minutes, without a single mention or reference to the One for whom his religion “supposedly” stood—the Lord Jesus Christ—he ended by reminding the many filling Saint Peter’s Square of the glorious future they all had to look forward to, once the dissidents of the faith were gone.
Everyone knew to whom he was referring—born-again Christians.
This massive step being taken was necessary to establishing a new universal religion in which Romanero would be the sole object of adoration among the people of the world. He would be his righthand man.
Without a single protest or inquiry from anyone in attendance regarding what they’d just heard, and the spectacle they’d just witnessed, or from the millions of Catholics watching online, and on TV, it further revealed their vast spiritual blindness.
Their overall enthusiasm confirmed that they were all for this new direction in which the Pope was taking them. More importantly, their continued allegiance to him, and Salvador Romanero, meant they wouldn’t suffer the same fate as the scores of mentally deranged Christians who were now suffering from behind bars.
Even more bizarre was that the Pope insisted that Romanero stay at the Apostolic Palace, which was his official residence.
The Sealing Page 24