by Ian Andrew
Francine walked back to the Thule Room and picked up one of the spare assault rifles. She slung it over her shoulder and stuck another few magazines into her pockets. Then she stepped back into the HPL. From the doorway she called to Leigh and Heinrich who were at the console station at the front of the room. “Hey, you two. Do us proud. When I shut this, lock it from your side.”
“No Franci, I need you in here,” Leigh called.
“No Leigh you don’t. You can operate the Projection and Heinrich is the one with the history lessons. We can’t leave Mary out here on her own and I used to be handy with one of these,” she held up the S-98, “but lock the door, we won’t need to come back in.”
Leigh made to run the length of the room but stopped short when her friend simply waved a goodbye and slid the heavy opaque door shut. She still hadn’t moved when a half minute later a text message popped up on her Fone.
“What’s it say?” asked Heinrich.
“Lock the door silly or they’ll walk right in. Love you.”
Heinrich walked down to the door and eased the manual lock into place. Leigh sent a final text to her friend and turned back to the console station. She reset the Window and reconstituted the Projection for 02:00 local Jerusalem time on the 7th April 30 AD. As it opened up on the coordinates they had previously used for Gethsemane an almost complete blackness filled the screen, save for the very centre of the image, where three lamps shone like beacons.
Just before she started to adjust the display to spiral down she turned to Heinrich, “I wish we could have had longer together as well. I think I would have been very happy.”
“And I think I would have been very much in love.”
They shared a gentle kiss and then she centred the image on the light.
He knelt alone in prayer on what looked like a large flat rock protruding from the earth.
Leigh fought to control her voice, “We are come to be by your side.”
“And I am pleased. For I have prayed this night to be divested of this cup of sorrows but only if it is the will of my Father. If He wills that I should bear this burden then that is what I shall do, but I fear the burden will be a heavy one. Your voices bring me resolve to hold fast to the course that may be set for me.”
“They did not act against you at the Temple?” Heinrich asked.
“No, they cowered from us. They asked their questions and they tried to entrap me but again they failed and again they would not denounce me in front of the many. I fear we have been too successful. We have buoyed our many followers and we have scared our few enemies into drastic action.”
“But you said that the Roman Prefect wouldn’t allow a trial to go ahead,” Leigh said.
“I did, but he will have no choice. Our adversaries are imaginative and resourceful. They have lined up their witnesses and aim to take me to Herod first. He will refer me to Roman authority. Pilate will have no choice but to hear me.”
“But Messiah...”
“Hush now Leigh, for it is not the way of our choosing but the path we are given and how we deal with it that mark us. I came into this world to rid the evils from mankind and I must believe that my sacrifice will achieve that. Be not sad for me but rejoice.”
“What can we say or do for you Messiah?”
“Just watch with me for they draw close now and when it is done do not follow me but instead comfort my brother. Comfort Judas. Will you do as I ask?”
“Of course Messiah but how will your followers know if you are taken? How can we get word to Miriam?”
“Ah, worry not. There are three here with me this night. They are weary and they know not what they watch for and so they sleep a little way off. But if it is to be my fate then they will come to my side. All I ask is that you keep vigil with me as I pray for courage.”
They waited with him; alert and silent.
Mary had chosen the upturned bench on the far side of the lab and Francine the one on the near side. They had looked at the fifth bench, designed to give them cover back to the Thule Room and both had shaken their heads.
“Franci, do you want to go there?” Mary had asked her.
“No, thanks all the same. I think both of us know that this is as far back as we get to go.”
Mary had smiled and nodded. They had checked their weapons in silence and settled down to wait.
“Mary, I watched you kill Uwe Joyce.”
“I know, Heinrich showed me the footage.”
“Why did you?”
“I’d had enough of him, them, all of it,” she responded then added, “Why are you here?”
“Similar to be honest. I’ve had enough. Today is my last day living in a world that hates me for my skin and my eyes and my looks and my gender. If this works it will mean equality, true equality.”
“Will it?”
“I have to hope, yes.”
As they fell back into silence each reflected on how they had ended up in this place, at this time.
Mary’s thoughts also considered what was potentially about to happen. She figured that when the explosions did come they would neatly pop the main HPL door off its hinges and disintegrate the heavy blackout curtains. But, given that it opened outwards the attacking force would probably still have to pull the door back into the small cleanroom that was between the HPL and the main Oscar Lab. She knew that would delay their progress. She also thought they would be surprised to see the lights still on. They were out everywhere else in the labs so they would assume the same was true in here. The attacking troops would have donned night vision equipment but with the lights on they would have to remove it in order to function. That would serve to delay them a little more.
“Franci, when they come they’ll blow the entry but they’ll delay before they come through.”
“Okay, what do you need me to do?”
“Just get into position and then drop anything and everything that tries to get through the doorway. It isn’t subtle or clever but it’s what we’ve got.”
“Well, I’ve never been that subtle either,” said Francine.
“Me neither,” said Mary.
“I’m glad I met you Mary Reid, with an E and an I.”
Leigh wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she noticed a flare of light drawing into the Window. Yeshua did not move but said, “I must drink of this cup and His will must be done.”
Leigh repositioned the Projection a little further out. As she panned it up she could see a large group of men approaching the inner garden, their procession lit by numerous torches. The flames reflected in a macabre fashion off many unsheathed swords and illuminated the long sticks and clubs being carried by others. She reached down and flicked off the microphone input. “Heinrich, they look like the torchbearers from the Nazi rallies.”
He just nodded and watched the scene unfold. She tightened the Window again and saw Judas walking forward. As he entered the triangle of lamps they could see the tears streaming down his face but those behind him would see nothing other than his actions. Yeshua stood and turned to face him.
“Oh Master, my Master,” Judas said with a heartbreaking sadness, leant forward and kissed him on the cheek.
A number of the men in the procession pushed forward and immediately restrained Yeshua, fixing his hands behind his back. Leigh gasped as three men appeared out of the darkness with swords drawn. One of them swung at the men holding Yeshua. There was a faint spray of blood and a scuffle broke out.
“Peter, put up thy sword and sheath it! Hear me all of you!” and Yeshua’s voice was raised in command, “If it is that conflict and war hold fast in this world it will not be done in my name. It must not be done in my name.”
The scuffle ended as soon as it had begun. He turned to the rest of the men who surrounded him, “So you have finally found your courage to come for me in the dark. You are like thieves armed with sword and stave. Could you not come for me in the Temple in the daylight when I was surrounded by my followers?” He tilted his head
back and said, “My children who watch from afar, know that God, the source of shalom, will soon crush the adversary under your feet.”
He was led away and Leigh and Heinrich did as they had promised. They waited until the garden was emptied all save for Judas. Leigh flicked the microphones back on. “Judas, we’re here.”
“Oh Leigh it is as I had to do but I will be shamed for this.”
“You won’t be. He knows you did it for Him, that’s what’s important. You acted out of love and tenderness for future generations. Even if He stands in front of Pilate, He will be released and you will unite with Him again. Everyone will know the truth.”
“But no one will know!” he wailed with a pained, distraught cry. “No one will care. My friends and my family will think I have betrayed my Master. They will castigate me and hold me to account for what is planned. We have gone too far and there is no way back.”
“What do you mean? What is planned?” asked Leigh.
“They mean to take Him to Golgotha.” Judas was crying openly now and spoke between large sobs. “They aim to move Him as soon as the hour allows. As the sun rises they will move Him to Pilate. But the Disciples will not know, they will not go with Him. He will be left on His own. They will forsake Him.” Judas collapsed down onto his knees, “I cannot go to His side for I will be an outcast.” Raising his head, he pleaded, “Leigh, You must go to Him. You must. You must go to Golgotha.”
Leigh looked to Heinrich and saw his whole pallor was faded to a sickly white. “Heinrich, what is it? What’s Golgotha?”
He turned to her and held her hand, “It’s the ancient site of execution just outside Jerusalem. It’s the place the Romans use for crucifixions.”
She stared back at him blankly, “What on earth’s a crucifixion?”
When he didn’t answer she turned back to the Projection but Judas was nowhere to be seen. She scanned out but in the pitch blackness of the valley she knew she was never going to find him.
“Oh Judas, please come back,” she said forlornly. “Please come back and be with us this night and into the morning sun.” Her pleas were returned with silence. She finally turned back to Heinrich, “What’s crucifixion?”
As he was about to answer a series of explosive charges detonated in the HPL. A small, hesitant pause was ended with a volley of automatic rifle fire that quickly escalated.
“Heinrich, what do we do now?” she looked up at him and he could see no fear, only a determination in her eyes.
He racked his memory for accounts of crucifixions that he had read in the Archives. He tried to remember the hours that the Romans used and when that would correlate to. In the end he made a best guess. “Push the Window forward by twelve hours. I’ll get you a location.”
She began to set in the time coordinates and he scanned through his maps for what he knew would be the last time, one way or the other. The rifle fire had intensified more and even the triple glazed glass couldn’t diminish the sounds of a ferocious firefight. There was an occasional crump of a grenade but given the proximity of the blasts he was guessing that whoever had thrown them in to the lab was getting them thrown back before they were detonating. He knew that wouldn’t last.
Francine saw the first potato masher grenade come arcing into the lab and land just between her and Mary. She scrambled forward, grabbed it and hurled it like a discus back to where it had come from. The next two were dealt with in the same manner. Mary continued to fire suppression bursts at the door and then Francine switched to doing that whilst Mary sighted on individual troops hesitating in the darkness and trying to muster their courage to storm in.
“I’m ready,” Leigh called and as they looked up they saw the beautiful Garden of Gethsemane bathed in the afternoon light.
“How long will it take to track due west for one kilometre?” he asked looking back down at the satellite database.
“About twelve minutes, maybe ten.”
“That’s too slow. Jump directly to 31, 46, 42.16 north and 35, 13, 46.59 east. He registered the increasing tempo of the firefight raging metres away from him. Whilst Leigh manipulated the controls he put on his sidearm and slung the last of the S-98s across his back. The Projection image blanked, relit and then came slowly into focus. They were looking vertically down on a small rise. Leigh was trying to identify what she was looking at. Heinrich had read about them and knew at once.
Leigh said in a faintly distracted way, “What’s that on the hill?” She continued to manipulate the image and zoomed into what looked like three wooden structures. As she finally realised what she was looking at she gave a cry that sounded like her mind and soul were being ripped apart.
Heinrich came to her and put his arm around her. The noise of the fighting so near to them seemed to rescind momentarily.
“My God Heinrich! My God! How could they do that to Him? How could they do that to anyone?” She turned and buried her face into his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry Leigh. I remember reading about what crucifixion was in the Archives. It’s barbaric.”
The gunfire from the next room intensified yet again. Leigh seemed to suddenly free herself from the shock of the sight in the Projection. She straightened back up and stepped away from Heinrich. “Mary and Franci are in there doing that for us, the least I can do is be as brave as them.” She forced herself to look back and orientated the image to look on the face of Yeshua. “Oh Messiah, what have they done to you?” She watched as his eyes flickered open and he cast his gaze around as much as his tattered body would let him.
“My God, why had you forsaken me!” he cried in anguish.
“No, Messiah, no! We didn’t, we wouldn’t! We would never do that. We are come to be your strength and your comfort. Oh please know we are here with you, for you,” Leigh cried the words as she looked at him, so pale and drawn. Blood dripped from his hands, his feet, his head and his side. She scanned out a little and she could see women gathered around the foot of the cross including the Magdalene, her face a mask of sorrow. There was a lull in the firefight next door.
Francine and Mary looked over at one another and shrugged shoulders. “Could be they’ve given up?’ asked Francine in a hopeful and sarcastic way.
“Yeah, perhaps,” Mary winked at her, “but more likely they’ve gone off to re-fuse their grenades.”
“Ah! Well that’s a bit of a downer.”
“How you doing for ammunition?”
“I’m getting through it. You?”
“Yeah, probably fine for all we’re gonna need. By the way, Franci.”
“What?”
“I’m glad I met you too.”
Leigh and Heinrich heard his voice so faintly gasped from parched lips.
“My children. Stay with me... I need you… To be my witness... I need you to hold faith… As Mary spoke of it... Or I may fail in my courage… To see this passion through... Please stay with me… To the end… So… I may deliver all of us.” His head slumped forward and blood oozed from cuts left by thorns that had been pushed into it.
“Of course we will stay with you,” they answered.
The troops poured forward through the entrance and raced for the cover of the smaller workstations and shelving units. Mary and Francine dropped most of the new arrivals in the midst of Heinrich’s prepared killing zone. But some managed to gain a foothold in the lab.
“Where’s the grenades?” Francine shouted as she knelt up and fired another burst into the doorway, knocking a silhouetted figure over.
“Fuck knows. Maybe they just fancy a fair fight?” Mary responded and let loose a carefully aimed three-round burst into the furthest forward workstation. The spray of red told her she had found the slim target of the exposed forehead she had aimed for.
“Yeah right. Cos that’s what the fascist bastards have always gone for?” Francine tried to pop her head up to get an aim point but the fire coming their way was intensifying.
“Hey, watch your lip. I’m one of those fascist bastards
you know.” Mary propped herself up on an elbow and swapped out another magazine.
“Not any more. You’re one of the good guys now,” Francine yelled and both of them knelt up again and fired into the occupied workstations at the front of the lab. More troopers fell and then the incoming fire stopped.
Mary saw the three grenades sail into the air. They curved up in a perfect arch, tumbling end on end like a juggling act performed by an invisible conjuror. She knew the fuses would be set differently to the ones Francine had managed to throw back. On reflection she decided it was probably just as well. She was down to her last half magazine for the S-98 and had her Glock resting next to her. Running out of ammunition and being taken back to a cell wasn’t high on her to-do list. She gazed across at Francine who was on her knees still firing short bursts at the invisible attackers on the other side of the dark gap leading into the cleanroom and further into the Oscar Lab. Francine crouched down to change magazines and looked back at Mary. Their eyes locked as the first grenade fell short on the other side of the tables and exploded on impact. They smiled, nodded and as the final two grenades sailed over their heads and fell just behind them, they both knelt up and emptied their remaining fire into the doorway.
Heinrich was mesmerized with the image of the Projection and yet couldn’t fail to feel the heavy crump of the close detonation of three grenades in quick succession. The noise of the firefight ceased. He pulled the S-98 round, checked the magazine was seated, cocked the weapon and flicked the safety catch off. He loosened the catch of his holster so that his Glock was easily drawn. These actions were automatic as he watched Leigh scan in as tight as she could to the cross. They both stepped up to the image to be near him. From the room next door came two short bursts of automatic fire.
“Oh Yeshua, they have taken Mary and Franci to be with you this day. They will take us soon. I am so sorry for what we have done. We have come too late to be with you in your suffering. Oh Messiah you must have thought we had all forsaken and abandoned you. And now we have no time to be with you.”