by S. R. Booth
He checked the time—almost noon. He wondered if he could make it to the cafe in time to help Sarah intercept Mary. Mary must know something about Mr. Bryant since she’d known where to find him, but she might not know he was planning to meet her at the cafe.
The ring! He forgot he could just call Sarah.
“Sarah,” he thought. “Are you there?”
“I’m with Mary. We’re okay.”
“Good!” Billy thought in relief, starting his truck and driving randomly. “Where are you now?”
“She said she’s taking me somewhere secure.”
“Where’s Ritchie?”
“He’s here with us. I didn’t want him to have to stay down in that shelter any longer than he had to. I can definitely think of a few things that need to be updated down there if we plan on ever using that for any long-term situation.”
“Did you or Mary see Mr. Bryant or anyone suspicious at the cafe?”
“I wouldn’t know him if I did see him, but no one looked suspicious, and Mary didn’t say anything. Do you want me to ask her?”
“Does she know you are talking to me?”
“No, I’m just thinking, not speaking out loud.”
“Listen, don’t let her know. Don’t let anyone know about the ring for now.” Billy turned his truck towards their small downtown. “I’m going to the cafe to see if anyone is there waiting for Mary to show up. Contact me when you know where you’ll be and I’ll meet you there later.”
“Mary seems really nice, but are you sure we can trust her?”
“I think so. Just to be safe, let’s not trust anyone too much right now, okay?”
“That’s probably a good idea.”
“I love you. I guess you can check in with me any time since we have these rings.”
“All right. You do the same. And Billy, be careful. These plans have been in the works for a long time. No one is going to just walk away from this without a fight.”
Chapter 31
Billy took a cautious step into the cafe then tried to duck back out when a man on a barstool swiveled towards him.
“William,” Mr. Bryant checked his watch, “you’re late. I expected you to escape your confines much sooner.”
Billy stood frozen in the doorway, feeling foolish to have just walked right into Mr. Bryant.
“Come. Sit down.” Mr. Bryant indicated the stool beside him. “We have much work to get done. Today is a big day you know.” The sickening smile that accompanied his words turned Billy’s stomach.
Billy walked slowly towards the barstool. “You expected me to escape and come here?”
Mr. Bryant looked at him as if he was simple. “Of course. If I hadn’t wanted you to escape, or more technically correct, to be freed, you wouldn’t have been. Someone reported our, um, confrontation to your nosy friend, Ms. Sinclair. I allowed her to orchestrate your release and confirm your meeting here so I could be assured that you would both be here when I arrived.”
He snarled his lip at Billy. “I assume you used your ring to warn her not to come. She and her little friends have blessed the office building which weakens my powers—only slightly mind you—but I would prefer to confront her in a more neutral location,” his voice gentled, “but not to worry, I’ve modified my plans.”
His eyes lowered to the ring on Billy’s finger. “I neglected to relieve you of that ring earlier,” he continued briskly, “but I’m afraid it will be useless to you now. Hand it over.” Mr. Bryant held out his hand.
Billy wanted to turn and run. He knew he had to get away, knew something was really wrong with Mr. Bryant, but his legs continued to propel him forward even as his mind demanded he flee.
“What are you doing to me?” Billy asked as he slipped off his ring and unwillingly dropped it into Mr. Bryant’s hand. “I’m not doing this!” Billy exclaimed.
“Oh, do be quiet,” Mr. Bryant ordered as Billy sat beside him. “You are about to take part in the biggest event in human history since the great flood. Once again humans will have a fresh start, a clean slate, only this time we will be with the remaining people to make sure they don’t continue to mess up.
He waved his hand at the plate that was set in front of Billy. “Eat,” he instructed. “We are going to have a long day.”
Billy’s hand picked up the fork and he began to eat, his mind rebelling the whole time. He didn’t want to eat! He wanted to get away from Mr. Bryant. Far, far away, and yet he sat, obediently eating one bite after another against his will.
Mr. Bryant continued speaking, “I know the Tops have been interfering in my plans. However, their interference is minimal. Did they really think I was just going to poison some food that would quickly be recalled and do little damage? Ha! So naïve. Our big plan has been kept so far under wraps that they don’t even have a clue that there is a big plan.” He calmly took a sip of his hot tea.
“What is your big plan?” Billy asked as he finished his meal mechanically.
Mr. Bryant gave him a sly smile. “Hmm, I could tell you. You are in no position to either do anything about it or try to alert those pesky Tops. I am rather proud of it. It has been years in development.” He turned excitedly towards Billy and slapped his palms on his thighs. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”
He glanced at the TV hanging on the wall in the corner. “Actually, I’ll let her tell you.” Billy’s head turned toward the TV in time to see a reporter standing before the local hospital.
“Today,” the petite, dark-haired reporter began, “marks another wonderful advancement in modern medical science. In just a few minutes, Central Hospital will join hundreds of hospitals around the world and deliver the first MRSA vaccine to every one of their patients.” She gave the camera a pert smile.
“MRSA, as many of you are aware, is an antibiotic resistant disease that has been running rampant in medical facilities around the world. Due to an extremely generous donation from a private company, Scinegue, this new miraculous, preventive measure is being provided at no charge to either the hospitals or the patients.”
The reporter turned to a man wearing a white coat by her side. “Dr. Johnson, what do you think about this generous donation aimed at preventing such a tenacious disease?”
Dr. Johnson smiled at the camera. “I’m so thankful someone finally came up with a solution to this problem which has been growing rapidly. The fact that the vaccine is being donated just shows that there are still humanitarians in the world willing to cut into their profits to help others.”
Turning back towards the camera, the reporter smiled broadly. “For those of you not fortunate—or unfortunate—enough to be in a hospital this afternoon,” she joked, “free vaccines will also be available at many pharmacies and doctor’s offices. You can check our website to find out where and when the vaccines will be available. The supplies are limited, so hurry.”
The news changed to another reporter covering a traffic accident and Billy turned back to Mr. Bryant to find him watching him with a manic smile.
Mr. Bryant looked at his watch. “Just a few more minutes and we will be able to witness the beginning of the end of stupidity, disease, weakness, deformity. They will all be gone within hours.” He sighed with contentment.
“The best of the best indeed. The Tops have become so high and mighty, so worried about what can be done to make things better for everyone, they will be totally blindsided by this. Once the vaccines are administered, nothing can be done to reverse the effects. The vaccine manufacturer will be blamed by the general public for producing a faulty vaccine. Scinegue will release a sympathetic statement of how they were just trying to help and are so saddened by the results.”
“You say you’re ridding the world of undesirable traits, but you’re just randomly killing anyone unlucky enough to be in the hospital today and those who want to prevent MRSA. You could be killing some of the most brilliant people in the world who just happen to have broken a bone or something. You aren’t even trying to be selective in wh
o you kill,” Billy accused, drawing a frown from Mr. Bryant.
“You are a little short-sighted on this, William. We have chosen those who must live, and be assured, they will not receive the vaccine today. Yes, a few people who are assets might receive the vaccine, but it is really irrelevant. Our main goal at the moment is to reduce the population. Today we will rid the world of a huge number of the infirm. This is only the beginning of our plan, not the end. We will refine the population until only those worthy will still be alive.”
A waitress set a fresh cup of steaming tea before him and took his empty cup. He moved it to the center of the counter and aligned the handle perfectly with the edge of the counter before continuing as if he hadn’t been interrupted.
“Then you will be put into power within Scinegue and your vote will enforce rules that keep those who remain in perfect condition. We have already found ways to optimally raise foods. The earth will need time to heal in many areas, but with the burden of the population reduced we will still produce more than enough food for everyone. New learning centers will be implemented. Education won’t stop with a college degree. No, learning should be a life-long process. We will ensure that it is.”
“I thought Scinegue believed that people can’t be forced to learn or to be healthy, that they have to want it for themselves?” Billy questioned.
“Oh, we can force it if necessary. We will have the power at our disposal to force everyone to do exactly what is good for them as soon as you are placed in charge.”
“Why do you think you need me to be in charge? Why don’t you just take control of Scinegue yourself?”
“We don’t need you.” Mr. Bryant gave Billy a cold look. “You will just make the transition smoother. Your uncle hasn’t been...influenceable,” his lip curled, “but you will be. I could take over but there would be questions—and resistance. You will be welcomed to the position with open arms. You will present our plans as your own and they will be considered innovative. For example: Everyone will be required to contribute to society. If they don’t, for whatever reason, they will lose their right to life.” He smirked. “But we won’t mention that last part right away.”
“What good will this do you?”
“This is what I was bred for,” Mr. Bryant said calmly. “I was raised to make the world a better place. I am finally in a position to fulfill my destiny.”
“But who are you making the world a better place for?” Billy persisted. “If you force people to eat healthy and to learn and be productive and whatever, how does that make anything better? It sounds pretty miserable and scary to me.”
“I was forced, as you put it, to become who I am, and I am just fine. The world will thank me for forcing them to be better, to not accept being mediocre or inferior. Just think how much better things will be for the survivors if there are no more parasites devouring the world’s resources while contributing nothing. That is what is not fair!” he concluded, pounding a fist against the countertop.
“No,” Mr. Bryant shook his head, “I don’t think Sarah will be safe.”
“What?” Billy asked.
“You were wondering if Sarah would be safe. I was just giving you my opinion,” he smirked at Billy’s shocked expression. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. You make a deal with the devil, you get a few perks for your efforts.” He shrugged.
“You can read minds?”
Mr. Bryant waved a hand to minimize the question, “Not exactly. Not yet anyway. Right now I’m just shown what I need to see.” He smiled, staring blindly at his cup of tea. “Once I complete my mission I will not only be able to read minds, I will be given infinite power.”
“So, you’re saying you work for the devil?” Billy asked slowly. “Like the real devil in the Bible and not just some hard-nosed boss?”
“I like to think of it as working with the devil, not for him exactly.”
“If you believe in the devil, you must also believe in the Bible, and in God. Don’t you think God can take care of the world without interference from us?”
“God knows good and well the time to purge the earth has come again, but He won’t do it so we are doing it for Him. He used a flood and only saved a handful of people. We will use this vaccine as the starting point of our refining, but will still ultimately save millions. Who sounds like the more gracious of the two? People will come to realize who they want to serve in the very near future, and it won’t be a tyrant.”
Billy fought to keep his mind as blank as possible. He found it hard to believe that the man beside him was working with the actual devil, but why not? Something was certainly controlling his body, and Mr. Bryant had picked up his concerns about Sarah. He turned his thoughts back to his brief conversation with God and suddenly felt foolish. Here he was asking God for more time to accept Him. Why didn’t he just do it now?
Would he be doing it for the wrong reasons, though? Was he just trying to find a way to escape from the situation he was in? He was raised by Christian parents. He’d had a lifetime of opportunities to make this decision but hadn’t done it.
Yes, he needed all the help he could get to escape his current situation. But, he did—and always had—believed in God. He decided this was a decision he really wanted to make, even if the timing wasn’t the best, and he felt thankful that he served a merciful, understanding God.
Oh God, I need you. Please forgive me for my sins and my pride and my hard-heartedness. I believe that Jesus is your son and he came to earth and died for my sins so that I could have everlasting life with You, and I accept Him as my Savior. Thank you, Lord, and I’m sorry for not doing this a long time ago. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Billy looked around, kind of disappointed to not feel any different, and saw Mr. Bryant look toward the television set in the corner. The expression on his face froze before melting into a look of horror.
Billy turned to see what had elicited such an extreme reaction from him. The same reporter was now inside the hospital standing beside a bed that held a smiling toddler with dark hair and fresh stitches in his forehead, clearly excited to be on TV.
“This young man is here today because he got hurt at the playground earlier, and his mother brought him in. His unfortunate accident is allowing him to be the lucky recipient of the very first MRSA vaccine being given in our area.”
A nurse entered the camera frame with a syringe in her hand and swabbed the boy’s upper arm, telling him the same fib nurses everywhere told, “Now you are just going to feel a little pinch.”
Mr. Bryant jumped to his feet and roared, “No! No! This isn’t supposed to happen. Not to him!” He punched numbers on his cell phone and soon a cell phone could be heard ringing in the background of the TV. However, no one answered because the little boy’s mother was consoling her now wailing son who kept rubbing his arm where he’d been jabbed, and the reporter was trying to convince the world that the shot really wasn’t as bad as it looked by getting one herself. She winced as the needle was inserted into her swabbed arm then smiled brightly at the camera.
“Yep, just a slight pinch. Nothing to it. Now be sure to get your shot right away because supplies are limited.”
Everyone in the cafe had stopped watching the news and stared at Mr. Bryant as he sank back onto his barstool, his phone still in his hand.
“No.” He shook his head in disbelief. “He promised my son would be safe. He promised!” His body started shaking with silent sobs.
Billy clearly heard the words, He is the father of lies. Tell him.
“He is the father of lies,” Billy whispered, then repeated it louder so Mr. Bryant could hear him.
“What? Who?” he asked distractedly.
Billy waited for the voice to give him some more help, some kind of direction, but it remained silent. “Um, doesn’t the Bible say the devil is the father of lies? That he stalks the earth looking for someone to devour?” Billy surprised himself with that reference, not knowing that he knew it.
Mr. Bryant lo
oked at him blankly and then in that horrible empty voice said, “It’s too late for him, Billy. You should save your efforts for someone who is worthy of them.”
Fear unlike anything he had ever known filled Billy. He was scared earlier today when Mr. Bryant sounded like this, but it was incomprehensible that this could be something evil—perhaps even the devil—speaking through him!
Cast him out, the voice commanded.
“What?” Billy asked aloud, his voice filled with fear. “I’m not a priest. I don’t know how to cast somebody out.”
The empty Mr. Bryant laughed gleefully. “You? Cast me out?” He laughed again without mirth, then stopped abruptly and with a cold, empty voice said, “I don’t know you.”
He looked directly into Billy’s eyes and Billy could feel evil emanating from him. Oh God! Oh God, help me! he thought over and over, frozen in terror.
You are Mine now, the voice said calmly, and he knows Me. Cast him out in My name.
Billy, surprised by the words but believing them completely, spoke confidently. “I cast you out in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior! Leave this man alone!”
Mr. Bryant’s face twisted in agony just before he slid from the barstool and collapsed in a crumpled heap on the floor. Billy watched his progress in shock before realizing he had control of his limbs again. He slipped from his own stool and squatted by Mr. Bryant’s limp form.
“Call an ambulance!” he yelled, thankful to feel a fluttering pulse in Mr. Bryant’s neck.
Billy suddenly remembered the vaccines. If Mr. Bryant was taken to the hospital, he would be killed by his own hand. He reached into the pocket where Mr. Bryant had stashed his ring and slipped it on his finger.