Without

by E. E. Borton

  “You just did,” I said. “And you’re welcome.”

  After one of his bear hugs, we parted ways. I walked to the edge of town and stopped at the tree line. I turned to see my uncle disappear around the bend that would take him back home. I waited a few minutes before returning to the museum. I had to make sure Uncle Perry was gone.

  “I hate to ask this of both of you,” I said after closing the door, “but I need your help.”

  “If I remember correctly,” said Bruce, “I owe you one.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. What I’m asking of you is for Kelly, my family, and this town.”

  “I knew you had somethin’ up your sleeve,” said Parker, standing. “You don’t seem the type that quits.”

  “It’s a long shot and I don’t know if there’s enough time to make this work, but you’re the only two that can do it. If you can’t, I’ll understand. It’s crazy and it’s dangerous.”

  “So am I,” said Parker.

  “Is there a chance this old goat could die a horrible death?” asked Bruce, pointing at Parker.

  “Almost guaranteed,” I replied.

  “Then I’m in,” said Bruce. “What do you need?”

  *****

  After leaving Bruce and Parker to their work, it was a short walk to the compound. Tucker wasn’t exaggerating when he called it Fort God. There were two towers flanking an eight-foot wooden gate. I imagined the wall stretched around the entire perimeter. In each tower was a man with a rifle. Both were aimed at me as I approached. The only structure I could see above the wall was a massive steeple. Another rifle was sticking out of a window near the top. I followed the instructions being yelled down from the tower, removing my jacket and proving I wasn’t carrying a weapon. I was greeted by a small army when the gates swung open.

  Four men approached me as six others were lined up behind them with fingers on their triggers. After a vigorous and thorough search for anything I could use against their leader, they tied my hands behind my back. It was another first for me, and I didn’t like it at all.

  As the gates closed behind me, I had a clear view of all the structures within Fort God. Several small, identical homes lined the fence to my left, and the church itself took up all the space on the right. Near the back wall there were two large buildings, one open and one enclosed, that they probably used for community meals and meetings. In the middle of the compound was a raised platform with a wooden post. My stomach sank when I saw the chains dangling on its sides. I had a feeling that was made special for me.

  I saw shadowy faces in every window, but only men with guns out in the open. There were twenty-foot towers on each corner of the compound and all were occupied by shooters. Every building was brilliant white with a green tin roof, except the church. Its roof was red. Matching flower boxes were underneath most of the windows, and each small yard was meticulous and manicured. If I hadn’t known who ran the compound, I would’ve described it as painfully beautiful and serene.

  As we approached the steps leading up to the doors of the church, all of my escorts stopped, turning their eyes upward. I followed their gaze as a thin layer of clouds in a perfectly straight line painted the fading blue sky, blood red.

  When they opened the doors, I saw Rick behind the elevated pulpit at the far end of the church. I also saw the backs of three heads that were sitting in the front row of pews. They didn’t turn to look at me until I was standing at the altar. When my escorts allowed me to turn, I took a deep breath and smiled.

  “You stupid, stupid, man,” said Kelly, trying to fight back tears.

  “There’s no need for those restraints,” said Rick, exerting his power. “Free his hands. This man is harmless.”

  His goons complied. I rubbed my wrists, turning my gaze up to him. I wondered how many bullets I could take in my back before I got to him. The only problem was that the women were still there. I’d do whatever he said until I knew they were safe. I had to play his game just a little longer.

  “Can they go now?” I asked.

  “Of course,” said Rick. “I’m a man of my word as you seem to be.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Ladies, you may rise,” said Rick, lifting his hands. “You’re free to go.”

  “Remember your promise,” said Kelly, staring at Rick. “And I’ll keep mine.”

  River and Donna hugged me, kissing my cheek. I told them I was going to be fine and I’d be home for dinner. Neither one of them believed me. I wasn’t quite sure either.

  As they walked down the aisle to the front doors – and freedom – Kelly came to me. She stood silent, squeezing her eyes shut, biting her lip. I couldn’t tell if she was angry at me or sad. When she opened them, tears began to stream down her face.

  “You’re willing to die for me?”

  “That’s not my plan,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’d rather live for you.”

  “Then do whatever he says. Don’t argue, don’t fight. Just do what he says. Promise me.”

  “I promise I’ll try.”

  “Don’t do this,” said Kelly. “Don’t come into my life like a storm, making me fall for you against my will, and then get yourself killed. Just do what he says.”

  “Was it really against your will?”

  “Stop talking now,” said Kelly, reaching up for my face, pressing her lips into mine. “I love you, sweet boy.”

  “I’ll be seeing you soon,” I said. “I love you, too.”

  I watched the doors of the church close behind them. After a moment, I turned to face Rick. There was no expression on his face.

  “I bet that hurt, didn’t it?” I said.

  “Not as much as you’ll be hurting,” said Rick.

  “You know you’re about to die, right?” I said. “Just thought you should know that before you get started on me.”

  “Defiant to the end,” said Rick. “That’s admirable.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Chapter 51

  Green Sun

  My escorts weren’t amused by my defiance. A sharp pain shot up my spine from the rifle butt being slammed into my kidney. I dropped to my knees as a second blow to the back of my head sent my face into the floor. They yanked my arms behind me, returning the restraints Rick had them remove a few moments before.

  “I won’t stand for that kind of language in this house of God,” said Rick, coming down from the pulpit.

  “God’s nowhere near this house, asshole” I said.

  “Thank you, gentlemen,” said Rick, motioning his goons to the door before they bashed my head in. “Wait for us outside. We won’t be long. Gather the people around for the sentencing.”

  “The sentencing?” I asked, hearing the door shut behind me.

  “Yes,” said Rick. “I’m going to let the people decide your fate. I made a promise to Kelly I wasn’t going to kill you. So I’m not.”

  “But they are,” I said. “Your people are going to kill me.”

  “It’s up to them,” said Rick. “And the Lord.”

  “Enough, shithead,” I said. “It’s just us here. Drop the spiritual leader crap. You raped Kelly and River, and you have stacks of bodies buried in a field behind your house. Not exactly a holy man’s path to enlightenment and favor of the Lord.”

  “Ah, so, you did interrogate Scott,” said Rick. “I thought maybe you would. It was a gamble taking the women, but I had a feeling he was going to talk. He always had such a weak mind.”

  “I’m not the only one that heard him,” I said. “The entire town is going to know what you really are.”

  “What am I?”

  “A fucking lunatic, for starters,” I said.

  “In your eyes maybe, but not in theirs,” said Rick, pointing to the outside. “In their eyes, I’m seated at the right hand of the Father. I give them food, shelter, and protection. They couldn’t care less what you think I am. The only thing that matters is what they think I am.”

  “They’ll find out as well,” I said. �
�Eventually you’re going to be tied up to that post in the courtyard. And if they don’t do it, you can bet your ass my family will. They will come for you.”

  “I know they will,” said Rick. “But they can’t beat me. There are ten times more of my people than yours. They’d gladly give up their lives to protect mine. I’m the only hope they have.”

  “You’re an arrogant prick,” I said. “I’ll give you that. But your little world is about to come crashing down around you. Kelly is never going to be with you. She knows you’re a monster. She knows it was you that attacked her and the others.”

  “So what if she does?” said Rick. “As soon as I’m finished with you, I’m sending them to kill your uncle and his family and bring Kelly back to me. I’m going to do horrible, horrible things to her. And when I’m done playing, I’m going to give her to my men. I don’t care about her. I just enjoy fucking her and making her suffer. Put that thought in your head.”

  “Oh, it’s there,” I said. “Don’t you worry about that. It’s also what I’m going to be thinking about when I cut your throat.”

  “I’d love to sit here and chat all night, but I have a schedule to keep,” said Rick. “Shall we get started?”

  “Let’s.”

  We walked through the doors of the church to the front steps. There had to be close to a hundred people standing quietly, waiting for us. Half of them were armed.

  The sun had set, but the aurora from the light storm overhead cast a green hue over the courtyard. Unlike the storms of the past, the light remained steady in its brilliance. There were no waves of color rolling through the low clouds, and there were no sonic booms. There was no need for torches or campfires either. It was as if a green sun had risen after the yellow had set.

  Parting like the Red Sea, the crowd cleared a path to the post. As their modern day Moses held on to my arm, we walked slowly past them. Most of the faces were angry. Some of them were morose. All of them looked scared. I imagine the pastor painted a demonic picture of me for them. I was the devil and he was their archangel, keeping me from eating their children and stealing their souls while they slept. I was evil personified. I was the reason why they needed him.

  Shit. They are going to kill me.

  Two of his men cut off my clothes, leaving me shivering in the cold air, wearing nothing but my boxers. As they shackled me to the post, the crowd gathered around. Rick stepped onto the platform beside me ready to address the mob. As he opened his mouth to speak, we all felt it coming.

  Everyone covered their ears, familiar with the vibrating in their chests. The ground shook as the sonic boom rocked the courtyard. The great manipulator used it to his advantage.

  “‘The adversaries of the lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed,’” said Rick. “That is the word of the Lord in 1 Samuel 2:10. Fear not the thunder, my children. For it is the voice of God, standing with you in judgment of this man’s desecration of our world. He leaves pestilence and destruction in his wake. He is here to be judged by the righteous and the believers who stand before him.

  “How shall we cleanse our sanctuary of this demon? Who will be the vessel through which our Lord reveals his fate?”

  As if on celestial cue, a blast of wind kicked up the dust in the courtyard. A wall cloud rose from behind the steeple of the church, rolling across the green sky. Within the cloud, bolts of heat lightning illuminated their faces as if they were watching fireworks. They were no longer scared – they were terrified.

  “‘Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee,’” said Rick, trying to calm their fears of the display overhead. “Ezekiel 38:9, my children. Do not fear God’s wrath against this man. Embrace the power of his acceptance of what we do here. When this evil is dead, this storm will pass, leaving us in peace.

  Two of Rick’s men standing in front of me whispered to each other. One of them stepped up to the platform, walking behind me. He wrapped his arm around my neck, pinning my head to the post. The other pulled a knife.

  This is it. This is how I’m going to die.

  I felt the skin tearing away from my wrists as I fought against the shackles. My legs were bound to the post, leaving me defenseless against the blade. He pressed it into the space between my collar bones, pulling it down the middle of my chest and into my abdomen. Finishing the cross, he sliced me open from armpit to armpit. As I felt the blood running down my body, I knew this injury wasn’t meant to kill me – at least not quickly.

  Smiling, he carved two more crosses into my thighs, and one on each arm. As if he were an artist painting on a canvas, he stepped back to admire his work. Cheers and clapping erupted from the crowd, showing their approval of the branding. When the man behind me released his grip, my head fell forward. There was already a large pool of blood forming at my feet. I watched as it inched toward the edge of the platform.

  Wanting to join the execution, a man stepped out of the crowd and walked up to me. After a short prayer he cocked his arm back, landing a heavy punch to my nose. My head bounced off the post from the momentum, sending white streaks across my failing vision. One by one, more spectators became involved in the beating. Listening to the bones cracking in my face and chest, I waited for the blow that would end this.

  A series of thunder blasts from the light storm distracted them from the task of beating me to death. Even through the excruciating pain firing through my body, I felt it coming again. When the sonic boom unleashed its power, every reinforced window in the compound exploded. The steady illumination of the green hue morphed into a kaleidoscope of colors. Millions of tiny streaks of light danced through the swirling clouds.

  It was beautiful.

  Rick used the display to encourage his followers to continue their efforts. He told them it was God rejoicing at the slow death of the devil. Through swelling eyes, I could see some of them dancing in the light. Others were on their knees, praying. Closest to me, working their way back onto the platform with wide eyes and heavy breathing were the executioners. After several more punches, I heard one of them begin to scream. “Burn him! Send him to hell already cookin’!”

  All I could think about were the men I set on fire in Atlanta. I remembered their screams as the flames consumed them. I remembered the smell of their flesh sticking to my skin and clothes for days after. I couldn’t think of a more horrific way to die.

  Closing my eyes as I felt firewood being thrown at my feet, I tried to slow my breathing and go somewhere else. I had to remember that if I wasn’t there, Kelly, River, and Donna would be. It offered enough comfort for me to drift away from the reality of my death. When I opened my eyes, torches were being lit and Sam was walking toward me through the crowd.

  “Looks like you’ve gotten yourself into quite a mess, baby,” said Sam, smiling through tears.

  “I have, sweetheart,” I said. “I thought I had figured a way out, but I just ran out of time. Maybe this is my punishment for all the things I did since you left me. I can’t say I don’t deserve it.”

  “No, angel,” said Sam. “This has nothing to do with that. This has everything to do with you coming home.”

  “I’m scared, Sam,” I said. “Will you stay with me until it’s over?”

  “Of course,” said Sam, walking up the platform, standing in front of me.

  “I was hoping you’d find happiness with Kelly,” said Sam. “I was hoping you’d have a long, peaceful life with her. That’s why we sent you both here. It’s okay that you love her and that you’re going to miss her. Do you understand me?”

  “She reminds me of you,” I said. “How could I not love her?”

  “They’re coming now, baby,” said Sam, losing her smile. “Don’t fight this. It’ll be over soon.”

  “I won’t fight,” I said, breathing fast
er. “Just stay right here, okay. Just keep looking at me.”

  She reached up for my face, putting her forehead on mine. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see the torches being hurled onto the pile of wood at my feet. A wave of hot air rolled up my body, cutting through the cold. I could feel Sam’s grip tighten on my face. As the flames grew, searing my legs, I couldn’t stop trembling. This time is was fear.

  “Sam, please!” I screamed over and over.

  I didn’t know what else to say.

  “It’s okay, baby,” said Sam, wrapping her arms around me. “Scream; yell; cry; it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s almost over. It’s almost over.”

  I inhaled deeply, feeling the scorching air fill my lungs. Pulling at my shackles, I wasn’t trying to escape. I only wanted to put my arms around her.

  A brilliant blue light blinded me as I tried to focus on Sam’s face. I knew it was death coming to claim its elusive prize. When the light faded the rain came. The deluge came down as if I were standing in a waterfall.

  Chapter 52

  Fade to Black

  All I could do was laugh.

  I watched as my blood mixed with the water cascading over the firewood, dousing their attempt at cooking me before sending me to hell. Raindrops the size of marbles were being blown in every direction as the wind started a relentless assault on the crowd. Even through the wall of water and the dark clouds, the green hue intensified. It showed me how much blood I was losing when it formed a large pool in the mud. Looking down at my body, my skin was turning pale.

  I saw two shadowy figures standing in the distance as the confused mob scattered for cover. Between two waves of driving rain, I could make out the faces of Sam and Earl. He raised his fists to me, letting me know I wasn’t alone in this fight. I smiled through the hot wounds on my face that were being cooled by the water.

  Beside Sam and Earl, Rick was holding out his arms, trying to motivate his followers back to the platform. Another round of sonic blasts followed by a gust of wind pushed some of his congregation to the ground. Rick stayed on his feet, but he leaned into the gust as if he were on the deck of a ship during a gale. It was howling over my head.