Tribulation: An Apocalyptic End-Times Thriller (Kingdom of Darkness Book 1)

by Mark Goodwin

  Hinkle pointed to a lifted Dodge Mega cab with a Browning .50 caliber mounted to the roll bar. The pickup also had a snorkel air intake which extended above the hood. “You’ll be riding with Roy, Michelle, and Billy. I figured since you were former federal law enforcement, you’d get along with Oathkeepers better than militia, and certainly better than Boogaloo boys.”

  “Thanks for that.” Emilio inspected the pickup. “Looks like a spray paint camo job. Doesn’t that luggage rack on top impede the ability to shoot the big gun?”

  Hinkle shook his head. “Nope. We lifted the swivel high enough that you can hit anything on the ground more than twenty-five feet out. If the enemy gets closer than that you ain’t gonna be trying to shoot him with the Ma Deuce no how. Got a toolbox in the bed to stand on. You need that luggage rack to hold the ammo boxes.”

  Dom walked up to Hinkle. “Who’s driving the Dodge technical?”

  Hinkle motioned with his thumb to Emilio. “This guy.”

  Dom held out a hand full of plastic straws to Emilio. “Pick one.”

  “What’s this for?” Emilio asked.

  “To see who’s the cheese.” Dom extended his hand further.

  “The cheese?” Emilio furrowed his brow.

  “The bait,” said Hinkle. “One vehicle always rides ahead to scout for trouble, particularly GU patrols.”

  Emilio selected a straw. As soon as he’d pulled it from Dom’s hand, he recognized that it was pretty short.

  “Oooh, tough luck, pal.” Dom opened his hand revealing that all the remaining straws were much longer.

  “Good job,” quipped Mackenzie.

  Hinkle said, “The rest of the team will be right behind you. If you get into a mess, tell us the layout of the situation and get ready for us to come in hot. Don’t engage with the enemy. We’ll get set up to attack and roll in before they have a chance to get you out of the vehicle.”

  “On the bright side,” said Dom, “it’s one of the most comfy rides at the compound.”

  Hinkle checked his watch then called out to everyone within earshot. “Okay, troops. Let’s get loaded up. We’re rolling out in fifteen minutes.”

  Hinkle slapped Emilio on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine. You’ve got a good team riding with you.” He handed Emilio the keys to the Dodge and walked away.

  Emilio grabbed the strap of the duffle bag and carried it to the truck. He placed it in the bed of the vehicle along with his and Mackenzie’s large packs. They kept their chest rigs and weapons to be ready for whatever the dangerous journey had in store for them.

  “How y’all?” Roy walked up with his peculiar gait.

  “Ready to roll.” Emilio extended his hand to shake with the old Army sergeant. “I expect that we’ll be taking orders from you.”

  Roy tightened his lips and shook his head. “You’re in command. We’re your fireteam. Folks around here look up to you. It wouldn’t be fittin’ for morale to have it any other way.”

  “Then I’m honored to lead,” said Emilio.

  Roy hoisted his gear into the bed and got in the back seat. “Besides, I hear you had some experience taking people into harm’s way even before everything fell apart.”

  Emilio got into the driver’s seat. “I ran a SWAT team for ICE back in the day.”

  Michelle and Billy arrived and placed their bags in the truck bed. Billy asked, “Do you want me to take first shift on the .50, boss?”

  “Do you know how to run it?” asked Emilio.

  “Yes, sir. Ripped up the sandbox with one of these.”

  “Iraq?”

  Billy answered, “Yes, sir. US Army, 25th Infantry Division.”

  “If you’re volunteering, go ahead.” Emilio motioned toward the back of the truck.

  Thin with long black hair, Michelle got into the back seat next to Roy.

  Emilio watched her buckle in through the rearview. “Were you in the military also?”

  Her reply was succinct. “No. Louisville PD.” She had a look of permanent sorrow in her eyes.

  He tried to break the ice. “We civilian law enforcement have to stick together.” He watched the rearview for her response.

  She glanced up with a forced smile but quickly looked away. The visage of heartache returned to her face just as fast.

  Emilio stuck the keys in the ignition. “Do you guys mind if we say a quick prayer before we leave?”

  “Y’all some of them, huh?” said Roy.

  “We are now,” Mackenzie replied.

  “Go ahead.” A shade of anger crossed Michelle’s face as she turned to look out the window.

  Emilio closed his eyes. “God, watch over us. Keep us safe. Bring us all back in one piece. Amen.” He looked up and put the vehicle in gear.

  Hinkle’s voice came over the radio. “Let’s roll out. Emilio, you take the lead. We’ll be right behind you. I-65 north until you hit the big crater that used to be Elizabethtown. From there, we’ll take the Bluegrass Parkway east. We’ll have to go through Lexington, but this route avoids a multitude of evils by steering clear of Louisville, Cincinnati, and Columbus.”

  Emilio pressed the talk key on his mic. “10-4.” He drove down the crackled and uneven pavement of Mammoth Cave National Park toward the county road which would lead the convoy to the interstate.

  ***

  The last trace of daylight began to fade shortly before the convoy reached Lexington. “I’m not going to be able to see much longer,” said Emilio.

  “We gotcha covered.” Roy unzipped a small bag and handed Emilio a bump helmet with a PVS-14 night vision monocular attached. “Can you drive with one eye?”

  Emilio slowed down to put on the headgear. “I guess so.” He pulled down the unit and powered it on. He was surprised at how well it illuminated the road in front of him.

  Hinkle called over the radio. “You’ll be coming up to a small regional airport soon. Take your first right after you pass it. That will take us around Lexington. We can probably handle anything they have to throw at us, but I’d prefer to keep our powder dry until we get to the Big Apple if at all possible.”

  “10-4,” said Emilio.

  Hinkle added. “Once we’re around Lexington, we’ll get back on US-60 and follow it for a few more miles. We’ll stop for a break before we pick up I-64 outside of Winchester.”

  They drove for another 45 minutes then pulled to the side of the road. The first leg of the trip which would have taken only two and a half hours prior to the quake had taken them nearly four hours to successfully navigate. Emilio stepped out of the truck and stretched. “It’s going to be a long trip.”

  Mackenzie walked around to his side and sipped from a bottle of water. “Do you want me to drive the next leg?”

  “I still feel good,” said Emilio. “I can keep going.”

  Billy got down from the bed. Michelle and Roy exited the back.

  “We ought to take turns getting’ some shut-eye in the back seat,” said Roy. “Three of us can ride up front and one can lie down back there. This big ol’ truck, we’ll be alright.”

  “Sure,” said Emilio. “Do you want to try to sleep first?”

  “Naw,” said the old sergeant. “I’ll man the .50. I reckon Billy’s legs must be getting’ tired.”

  “Thanks, Sarge,” said Billy.

  “Could you sleep?” Emilio asked Billy.

  “Sure. I can take a little nap until the next stop.” Billy handed off his bump helmet with the PVS-14 attachment to Roy and crawled into the back of the truck.

  The break ended and everyone loaded into the vehicles. Michelle sat in the middle seat of the Dodge. Emilio flipped down the night vision monocular and began driving toward I-64. The bumpy ride caused him to brush shoulders with Michelle on multiple occasions. He was glad for Billy’s sake that the cab was quiet, but couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable being in such close proximity to this unhappy woman.

  He managed the uneasiness and silence all the way through Huntington, West Virginia, but th
en he finally broke. He decided he’d make one more attempt to break the ice. “So, Louisville PD, huh? You left after the quake?”

  “Yep.”

  Emilio knew his work was cut out for him. “Were you connected to Oathkeepers prior to the chaos?”

  “Yep.”

  “I guess you had to keep that quiet, especially after the GU took over.”

  “Yep.”

  “Did you come down to the Igloo with anyone else?”

  “Nope.”

  “What about before? Who did you live with?”

  “My mom and my two kids.”

  Emilio knew he’d hit a sore spot. He was tempted to back off but knew he’d never make any progress if he did. “Your kids, they were taken in the rapture?”

  She looked away from him. She was silent for a long time. Finally, she spoke. “If that’s what you want to call it.”

  He didn’t say anything for a while. A few miles later he asked, “What about your mom?”

  “Her, too. She went to church all her life.”

  He swallowed hard, thinking about his own loss. “What were your children’s names?”

  “Tommy, he was eight. Ginger was five.” She turned away from him again, drying her eyes with her shirt sleeve.

  Emilio hoped he hadn’t pushed too hard. He let up on the questioning for a while. After several more miles, he asked, “What about Ginger and Tommy’s dad? Was he taken?”

  “I doubt it. We’d been apart for a long time. We met at the academy. We were partners on the force for a couple of years before we got married. Being a cop takes a toll on the family, even when the other person understands what it’s like. He moved out to Mount Washington years ago; got a job with Kentucky Highway Patrol.”

  Emilio understood why the woman’s eyes were so despondent. “What about you? Did you ever go to church?”

  “Christmas and Easter, if I wasn’t working.”

  “So when it happened, you knew?”

  She sighed as if contemplating whether or not she was willing to continue the conversation. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

  Emilio wasn’t sure how to ask the next question. “Did you try to get right with God afterward?”

  She shook her head hopelessly. “Why bother?”

  “So you can see your kids again.” To him, the answer seemed obvious.

  “It’s too late for all of that. I missed my chance, and now I’m damned to this. When it's over, then I’ll just go to Hell and burn.” She wiped her eyes again. “Listen, I don’t know if you’re trying to be nice or just looking for some conversation to pass the time, or whatever, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to keep to myself.”

  “Okay, I can respect that.” Emilio nodded. “But you’re wrong about it being too late. As long as you have breath in your lungs, you can still call out to Jesus and tell Him you accept His invitation.”

  Michelle said nothing more and neither did Emilio.

  CHAPTER 19

  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

  Revelation 8:1-6

  As instructed by Hinkle, Emilio pulled to the side of the road after passing through Morgantown, West Virginia. All the other occupants exited the truck. They stretched out the tightness from the long journey but kept a vigilant watch for trouble that could be lurking in the surrounding darkness.

  The convoy arrived soon after them, and the members of the group from those vehicles also got out. The sound of the doors shutting seemed muffled. Emilio thought it was curious. Mackenzie walked up to his side and whispered. “Do you hear that?”

  He listened but heard absolutely nothing. “No. I don’t hear anything at all.”

  “Exactly,” she said softly. “Silence.”

  “Do you think—this is it? The next wave?”

  She tapped his watch. “We’ll know soon enough.”

  Roy and Billy refilled the tank with fuel cans from the back of the truck. No one spoke. Emilio knew that everyone was keeping quiet for the sake of operational security, but it almost felt as if it were out of respect for the soundless tranquility, or what might be the calm before the storm.

  Twenty minutes later, Hinkle walked up to Emilio. He spoke quietly, “Have your crew mount up. We’ll move out in five.”

  Emilio nodded his reply. It was almost as if he could not talk.

  Roy asked, “Do you want me to drive the next shift?”

  “Sure.” Emilio managed to force out a verbal response. “I’ll take the gun.”

  “I’ll take the .50,” said Michelle. “I need the fresh air.”

  Emilio handed off his bump helmet with the attached night vision device to her.

  Billy got into the front seat. “I’ll take shotgun. One of you can get some rest.”

  Mackenzie said to Emilio. “You can ride in the back with me. I don’t think anyone is going to be sleeping in a few minutes.”

  Emilio felt a great uneasiness as he climbed into the back of the pickup.

  A distant thunder broke the silence. The rumblings continued and were soon accompanied by brilliant flashes of lightning. Streaks of light shot across the sky, illuminating their surroundings as well as the interior of the vehicle.

  Roy said, “Looks like we have a storm coming.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Mackenzie said.

  Roy lifted the radio and pressed the talk key. “Cheese unit is ready to roll.”

  Hinkle’s voice replied over the walkie, “Move out. We’ll be right behind you.”

  The thunder grew louder causing the pickup to vibrate.

  Before Roy could put the truck in gear, it began swaying from side to side, like a ship on turbulent waters.

  Emilio held tightly to the handle over the door. Mackenzie did likewise.

  “What in the devil is going on?” Roy asked.

  “The seventh seal,” Mackenzie said.

  “It’s an aftershock,” said Billy.

  Emilio turned to look out the back windows. Michelle was barely holding on to the handles of the heavy machine gun. The vehicle continued rocking.

  “Have we got anything around us that can come down on the truck?” Billy looked out the window.

  “Nothing but trees,” said Emilio. “And I think they’re all far enough away that they won’t cause any damage.”

  Mackenzie added, “Yeah, as long as the earth doesn’t open up and swallow us, we should be fine—for now at least. It’s what comes next that I’m worried about.”

  The truck kept rocking. The movement became far too violent for Michelle to remain standing. She sat down in the bed of the truck.

  “What is Mackenzie talking about?” Roy asked.

  Emilio held tightly to the handle. The continuous swaying was making his stomach queasy. “The trumpet judgments. Blood and fire falling from the sky, water turning to blood, more meteors, that kind of thing.”

  Roy turned back to face Mackenzie. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

  She maintained a firm grip on the handle above the door. “You’ll see.”

  “If blood and fire fall from the sky, come talk to me,” said Billy. “But for now, I say that’s all superstition.”

  “Great,” said Mackenzie. “We’ll be talking real soon.”

  The shaking finally ceased after several minutes. Hinkle’s voice called over
the walkie. “Everyone hold up. We’re going to do a quick check to make sure all the gear and personnel are still operational. You can get out of your vehicles if you want.”

  Once out of the truck, Mackenzie waved for Emilio to follow her. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?” He jogged along behind.

  “We need to talk to Hinkle. We have to turn back. The trumpet judgments are about to begin. We need to get to the cave.”

  “I don’t think Hinkle is going to want to hear that.” Emilio kept pace with Mackenzie who was moving quickly.

  She found Hinkle and began to unleash. “You have to call off the mission. The next wave of judgments has begun. If we turn around now, maybe we can get back to the safety of the cave before the fires.”

  “Hang on there, cowgirl. That was just an aftershock. It was a big one, so it’s understandable that you’re rattled…”

  She cut him off. “I’m not rattled. The sky is getting ready to rain blood and fire.”

  Hinkle laughed, “Boy, wouldn’t that be something.”

  “Are you going to back me up?” Mackenzie poked Emilio in the stomach.

  “She’s right,” he said. “Everything that has happened so far was predicted in the Bible, the disappearances, the quake, the asteroids, this thing with Alexander taking over the Temple in Jerusalem and declaring himself to be a god; it’s all in there. The next wave is called the trumpet judgments and they contain everything she just said.”

  Hinkle looked Emilio in the eyes. “I can see that you’re convinced that this is a real thing.”

  A raindrop landed on Emilio’s cheek. He wiped it off. Mackenzie shined her light on his hand. “Look, it’s blood. We should get back to the truck.”

  Another drop hit Hinkle’s arm. She put the light on his hand after he wiped it away. “We need to go, now!”

  Then, small pieces of hail began to pelt them. “Okay,” said Hinkle. “Back to the vehicles, but nobody goes anywhere.”

  Mackenzie took off in a sprint back to the Dodge. Emilio followed close behind. He yelled at Michelle, “In the truck! Right now! Grab as much gear as you can. We need to get it into the Dodge!”