Cabal

by Mark Goodwin

  Finally, the sun rose and Josh sent a text to Emilio on the burner. Need to talk. Meet me at the grocery by your place. 7:00 tonight.

  Emilio soon messaged back. Say no more.

  Next, he let Stephanie know that he was okay, reminding her that she and Micah should stay in Park City for at least a week. Feeling good about having survived the night, Josh pulled the SIM card from his burner and hid it separately from the phone. Then, he headed out to find some breakfast.

  No sooner had he left the parking lot than a Versailles Police Department patrol car put on its lights behind him. Instantly, Josh knew something wasn’t right. He was on Main Street, which was busy by Versailles standards, so outrunning a patrol car in an old pickup wasn’t a realistic option. He pulled over.

  Two officers exited the vehicle and walked up to either side of the pickup.

  “Good morning,” said Josh politely. “What seems to be the problem?”

  “You’ve got a tail light out. Would you mind turning off the ignition and stepping out of the car?” asked the officer on the driver’s side.

  “Is that standard procedure for a tail light?” asked Josh.

  “It is for you, Joshua.” The officer drew his weapon. “Come on out, nice and slow.”

  His stomach sank. Josh looked at the other officer whose pistol was leveled at his head. He had no choice. Josh opened the door and stepped out.

  “Place your hands on your head,” said the officer closest to him.

  The other cop came around the truck, cuffed Josh, then removed his firearm.

  “I’m guessing you guys aren’t taking me to jail. Are you even police officers?”

  “You’ve got bigger problems than who we are,” said the first officer.

  Once the second man had Josh in the rear of the patrol car, the first cop slipped a black hood over Josh’s head. He could see nothing and the men made no sounds. He felt sure that he’d just been abducted by Patriot Pride and was being taken out to the woods where a shallow grave had already been dug.

  The ride was longer than he’d expected. It gave him time to think about Stephanie and Micah. He was sorry that he’d never see them again, but felt glad that he’d taken steps to get them out of harm’s way. He prayed that God would watch over them and grant them wisdom to survive the coming storm.

  Contrary to his intuition, the men took him to a building rather than the woods. He could smell the mustiness and hear the echo of being inside a subterranean concrete structure. He was forced into a hard chair with no cushions. He heard a door lock, and then all was silent. His hands were still restrained behind his back and his head still covered. He had no proper concept of time, but it felt as if he’d been left alone in the room for hours.

  Finally, the door unlocked, the bag came off, and there stood SAC Carole-Jean Harris. “Good afternoon, Agent Stone.” Two large guards stood on each side of her.

  He said nothing as she stood leering down at him.

  “I’m disappointed, although I can’t say I’m surprised.”

  Josh, however, was greatly astonished to be sitting in front of this woman. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, come on, Agent Stone. Don’t treat me like a naïve child. Ethan Combs is an undercover ATF agent. I know everything.”

  “Combs? But he started the group.”

  “He started the group to catch radicals.”

  “Combs is the one radicalizing them!”

  “Only because they have the potential to be radicalized. Federal agencies have been doing this with Muslims for nearly two decades. We take a lot of loose cannons off the street with programs like these. And you’re going to get back in there and help him complete this mission. You’re going to not only provide birth certificates for the individuals he requested, but you’re also going to make new driver’s licenses for them. And from here on out, I’m going to get those progress reports.

  “Since you’ve proven yourself to be so unreliable and incapable of working without supervision, you’ll send me a report every day going forward.”

  Josh shook his head. “And why would I do that? I’m sure Combs expressed my sentiment. I haven’t broken any laws. I want to resign.”

  “Oh, but Agent Stone, you have broken laws. Some of the most egregious, I’m afraid.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like the child pornography on your laptop.”

  “What are you talking about? I never looked at porn.”

  “Doesn’t matter. What matters is what is on your computer. You’ll go to prison for a very long time, especially considering the age of the boys in the material on your computer.”

  Josh jumped up from the chair in a rage. The guards quickly knocked him to the ground.

  “Not only will you go to prison where you’ll be treated like a pedophile, but your wife and son will have to bear the humiliation of having you as husband and father. And poor Micah, people will whisper, wondering if he was one of your innocent victims.”

  Josh gritted his teeth. Never in his life had he hated someone like he hated the woman standing over him.

  She squatted down beside him. “Do we understand each other?”

  Powerless, he said, “Yes.”

  “Good. These men will take you back upstairs. You’ll have to find your own way home.” She opened the door. “And don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re not the first agent to try something like this since the new government began transitioning into power. That’s precisely why we have such protocols in place. I look forward to a good report tomorrow after your training session with Patriot Pride.”

  She walked out the door, then her goons escorted Josh upstairs to the main level. Josh recognized the sterile hallways of the ground floor as being the Louisville FBI office. Fortunately, he still had the credit card issued by the agency. He took some solace in the fact that the FBI would be paying for his long ride home.

  ***

  Josh watched for tails while driving to Shelbyville later that evening. He saw none, so he proceeded to the scheduled meeting with Emilio on Tuesday evening. Josh parked in the back of the lot and circled around the other vehicles, checking for anyone who might be watching him. He entered the grocery store, took a cart and began walking the aisles. He spotted Emilio at the far end of one of the rows. The two made contact and both navigated to the sparsely-stocked dairy coolers.

  “You look stressed,” said Emilio.

  “It’s been a tough day,” Josh explained everything that had transpired over the past forty-eight hours.

  Emilio placed some yogurt in his cart. “What are you going to do?”

  “Drop off the grid. Stephanie and Micah are already out. They’re waiting for me. I’m going to play along until I can tie up a couple of loose ends, then I’m gone.” Josh handed him a piece of paper. “This is the address where I’ll be. Memorize it and throw it away. Never mention that we were close if you’re questioned. Should the FBI find out that you and Nicole are an item, it’s going to be a hard sell. You should ask her to move out. Tell her that I have a place for her in Park City.”

  Emilio studied the address for a while, then began tearing off small pieces of the paper. “What do you think they’ll do? Kick in my door in the middle of the night to see who else is living with me?”

  “If they suspect we were friends and that you’re not telling them everything you know about me, yeah, I think that’s a very real possibility. Have you thought about what you’re going to do? I mean, when you have to start rummaging through the personal property of everyday Americans looking for guns?”

  “I plan to go in, look around, and say I found nothing, even if I’m staring right at a glass gun cabinet stocked from end to end. I’ve been told that I’ll be running a team, so hopefully, the guys under me won’t be overly gung ho.”

  “How long do you think that will last?”

  “Not long.” Emilio’s eyes fell to the selections in his cart.

  “Your two choices are to forget y
ou ever knew me or join up with us in Park City. If Nicole is set on staying with you, she’ll have to abide by your decision. You two should figure out how serious this thing is between you, and do it fast.

  “We’ve got room for you. Come when you’re ready. I made fake IDs for you and Nicole. They’ll be waiting for you.”

  “Thanks. I’ll talk it over with her.”

  “If you’re going to come, the sooner the better. If I were you, I’d start liquidating everything in your name now. Get money orders or cashier’s checks made out to bearer and then open an account with the fake ID when you get to Park City.”

  Emilio nodded. “Text me on the burner if you need anything.”

  “I will. Take care.” Josh pushed his cart in the opposite direction of Emilio.

  CHAPTER 22

  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

  Daniel 9:27

  Josh finished training Wednesday evening with the other members of Patriot Pride. On his way to the truck, Ethan Combs caught up with him.

  “I’m glad you decided to stick around for a while.” Combs handed him the list of names.

  Josh folded it and stuck it in his pocket. “You should have these by next week.” He didn't make eye contact with Combs, and he did not bid him farewell.

  Josh hurried to his vehicle, switched on the radio to drown out the angry voice in his head, and started home.

  The reporter on the radio gave the latest details about the escalating tensions around the world. “Secretary-General Alexander has successfully brokered a treaty between the GU and the Eastern Alliance nations, which are primarily represented by Russia, China, and OPEC nations.

  “Sources inside the Global Union say the deal limits the amount of military buildup by Russia and China in South and Central America. Additionally, the pact has reached a peaceful resolution between Israel and predominantly Arab countries in the Middle East over the highly-contested Temple Mount. Israel has appointed the GU as custodian over the holy site in exchange for a ten million mark grant to reconstruct the Jewish Temple on the temple mount. When built, the Jewish holy place will stand on the Temple Mount and coexist with the Dome of the Rock mosque, separated by a wall, which will be constructed of locally-quarried stone and paid for by the GU.

  “Secretary-General Alexander said in a statement earlier today that he sees the peace reached in the Middle East as his crowning achievement as it flows seamlessly with his core value of coexisting.”

  Josh shook his head. “I wonder if Micah will believe the Bible is real now.” He pulled off the highway and drove around the local streets of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky several times, making sure he wasn’t being followed. Once he was confident that he didn’t have a tail, he drove to Rev’s house.

  He pulled into the drive, cut the engine, walked up to the door of Rev’s simple dwelling and knocked.

  Rev came to the door. “Josh. How did you know where I live?”

  “We need to talk. Can I come in?”

  “You can, but I’ve made up my mind about Patriot Pride. I can’t go down that road with the rest of you. Not that I’m necessarily opposed to what you are doing, but I don’t have peace about it.” Rev held the door open.

  Josh walked inside and took a seat on the well-worn sofa. He explained that he was an undercover agent, then elaborated on everything that had transpired since he last saw Rev.

  The lines on Rev’s face grew deeper. “I suppose that explains why I had no peace about getting involved. Have you said anything to Solomon or the others?”

  “No. Ethan is watching me. If I deviate from my orders, the FBI will arrest me. Besides, I’m not so sure the others will believe me when I tell them that Ethan is ATF.”

  “I’m very sorry for your situation, but I’m not sure what I can do to help.”

  “Would you speak to Solomon, Christina, and Poochy for me?”

  Rev didn’t answer right away. “I’ll talk to Solomon. I’ll put the ball in his court about how to handle it with the rest of them.”

  “Thank you. I’ve got a place down in Park City. You’re welcome to join us.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’m planning to ride it out right here. I’m not sure if you heard, but Alexander just signed the agreement. The clock has been started on the final seven years of this age. Also, today is Sukkot, the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. I expect Messiah to return on the seventh Sukkot from today.”

  “I thought you said that you believe we’ll be out of here long before that.”

  “Oh, yes. I do. But seven years is when He returns to put an end to the kingdom of the beast and sets up His own dominion over the earth for one thousand years. At the latest, I expect to be out of here before Alexander breaks the treaty in three and a half years, but hopefully long before that.”

  “If you don’t want to spend whatever time you have left in prison, I highly recommend that you consider taking me up on the offer to come to Park City or find another place to lay low for a while.”

  “What do you mean? I didn’t conspire to commit any crimes with Patriot Pride,” said Rev.

  “As evidenced by their willingness to plant porn on my laptop, the FBI isn’t in the habit of letting little details like that get in the way. If you’ve got the finances to fight it in court, you’ll probably win, but it will cost you everything.” Josh looked around at Rev’s meager belongings.

  “If you can’t afford a good lawyer, you’ll have to take a plea, which will likely end up putting you behind bars for a few years. I can’t imagine that’s where you want to be, considering what’s coming down the pike. I took the liberty of making you a fake ID. It will be waiting for you in Park City if you decide to take me up on my offer. Please extend my invitation to Solomon, Christina and her daughter, as well as Poochy. I wish I could take in everybody from Patriot Pride, but unfortunately, I can’t.”

  “Suppose I do come. Where would I live?”

  “I’ve got land. We can put some trailers or RVs on it.”

  Rev nodded. “I’ve managed to squirrel away a little something over the years. I could purchase a decent RV with what I have saved.”

  “Don’t buy it in your own name. Wait ‘till you get to Park City and put it in the name of your alias. Pass that advice along to the others as well. They’ll also have fake credentials waiting for them.”

  “When are you leaving?”

  “I’m planning to wrap up everything I have to do by tomorrow morning. I’ll go to training at Ethan’s then head out right after. That should give me twenty-four hours before the Louisville SAC gets wind of me bugging out.”

  “When should I tell Solomon?”

  “Wait until tomorrow evening. I’ll be gone by six. You can tell him then.”

  “You don’t think a SWAT team is going to kick in my door in the middle of the night tonight?”

  “No. They’ll wait until the last minute. Ethan will be gathering as much evidence as he can on each one of the individuals all the way up until Saturday. That’s when they’ll make their move.” Josh handed him the address. “Memorize it and then destroy it. Make sure you’re not followed when you come. Bring everything you need, any supplies you might have. You can’t ever come back.”

  Rev inspected the piece of paper, which was identical to the one Josh had given Emilio. “Okay then. I’ll see you when I see you.”

  ***

  Thursday evening, Josh sped home from training. He backed his truck into the driveway to make loading the moving boxes as simple as possible. Only a few of their belongings would fit in the bed of the pickup, but thankfully, Stephanie and Micah had already taken half of everything they owned to Park City.

  Josh crammed his clothes, still on the hangers, into the back seat. He emptied the remaining cash
, silver, and gold coins from the safe into the front pocket of his large camping backpack. The rest of the space in the pack was already stuffed with toiletries, socks, tee shirts, and underwear. He placed the pack in the front seat of the pickup beside his M-4, then began loading the remaining ammunition from the safe into the cab.

  Next, he opened the garage door and shoved the moving boxes into the bed of the truck. His phone rang. Josh considered ignoring the call but decided against it. “Harris! What does she want?” He answered, “Mrs. Harris, I just got home from training. I’ll have a report to you within the hour.”

  “Josh, I had my men stop by your house today. They said your wife and son weren’t there. Furthermore, they said they looked inside and it appeared as though you might be relocating. I hope I’m not going to regret giving you a second chance.”

  “Not at all, ma’am. Are you sure they went to the right house? My wife didn’t say anything about going out today.” He needed only a few more minutes.

  “Don’t try to double-cross me. You know the resources we have.”

  “No, ma’am. I’ll have the report to you soon.” Josh ended the call, stuffed two more boxes into the back of the truck and slammed the tailgate shut. Ten more boxes were yet to be loaded, but he decided to cut and run. Josh closed the garage door, started the engine, and punched the gas pedal. The tires spun in the gravel and finally caught some traction. The pickup lunged out of the driveway.