*****
Jason stood by little Emma at the start of the Service. Shortly they would be heading out to take care of them Utari assholes. He gently stroked Emma's wild fluffy curls as she wandered between their legs making a game of it. ‘Gosh, just like his Heather, she was always on the move and loved running between legs.’ He smiled down at her with love in his eyes as the service started, reciting the Lord's Prayer with all the others while always keeping an eye on Emma. He sang Amazing Graze with the others also as his eyes watched his surroundings, the Minister, and his acolytes. Something wasn't right. They were too heavily armed whereas the Minister and this girl, whom he suspected was his daughter, were obviously naked under their thin cotton robes.
Then they finished singing and the Minister started to preach. The Reapers eyes narrowed. From the first sentence, he knew instinctively this would not have a happy ending. He had been looking forward to hearing the man speak God's Word and feeling the Lord's Grace. Instead, he felt sick to his stomach at this other’s words. Nothing about love, and kindness and the loss of cherished loved ones. Hate and evil vile putrid spewed forth from the man's mouth in the false name of the Lord God Almighty. Jason's hand stole to his Colt but he saw he was already too late for Jay was striding forward, fury on his face, and the Reaper in that brief moment saw blinding light emanating from this man he had come to call friend. Jason knew without doubt, the Lord's presence was here with them now, in their leader, and the Lord's judgment would be administered shortly.
He quickly grabbed up little Emma handing her to Cara whom he saw with approval had the instincts of a burrow rat and was already reaching for her. A quick glance saw his friends women had already gathered up the other children near and were quickly moving backward though the crowd. All he could do was place himself between them and hope they were protected. His friend was doing the Lord’s work now and needed no help from him. He pulled his Father’s Colt while retreating, fulfilling his secondary duties as a protector.
*****
The Reverend Jeremiah was in his Glory. God was fulfilling his dreams. Every one of them. He started with the Lord's Prayer. Every sermon should start thus and it was what he had outlined to this dirty spic Miguel. Then they sang Amazing Grace and the huge sorting room rang with the assembled voices. But from there he departed from the carefully prepared false script he had provided. His voice took on power and urgency as he started speaking. He told of his visions, and how the Lord had come to him while in prayer as his wife was being eaten. How he had come to realize in his prayer groups that he was a true vessel of the Lord's. Then he told them how Abraham had taken as wife his own daughter and he called his little Ashley forward. She was crying in gratitude he saw, as one of his men forced her forward. Then he started on those of impure blood.
"Fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. He has spoken to me this very day and told me we are on sinful ways and to renounce our past sins and embrace his Word and Holy Scriptures. Where we once led lives of Satan we can now rejoice that redemption at His hand is here, now, upon us. No longer will we live in fear, for with prayer and adherence to the Scriptures, He will save us from the evil creatures that abound outside these very walls." He took a deep breath, "We must obey the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior and cast down our false gods of wicked behavior and unnatural ways. We must cast out those of tainted blood and keep ourselves pure in the name of the Lord. Yes, my brothers and sisters. The Lord has told me through meditation and prayer that not only our spirits but also our bodies must be pure in His name. We must cast out those impure from our midst and the Lord has told me to command you in his name to do so. They must be cast out!" He leveled his finger at that black Army Sergeant. "Impure!" he shouted. Then his finger traveled to the spic Miguel and again he shouted, "Impure!" before continuing on to a half dozen others. By then the Governor was moving towards him and some were starting to shout. He knew that a moment of crises would occur, but he felt strongly the Governor would see the righteousness of the Lord’s Word. And if not, his followers were prepared to execute this Governor and all his Lieutenants. The others would follow them as they cleansed this world of the unfaithful and accept him, Jeremiah, as their rightful leader.
*****
Sgt. Trask signaled his men when he saw The Commander stride forward purposely and furiously. With approval, he saw that Cara, Jean and Corey were taking the kids to the back of the room. He hoped they were safe. Jess and their kids were already well back and he wasn't that worried. He deliberately drew his sidearm, his men following suite and shifted sideways slightly to place his body between other children whose parents or parent didn't understand yet what was about to happen while watching his men doing the same. He didn't worry too much about the Commander for he had seen him in action. He was worried about the innocent little ones.
The Commander was talking now to this Preacher in an angry hiss, for a hiss was the only way that his tone could be described, his tone so low it seemed to reverberate throughout the huge room. Then the Commander was shouting. He saw the Commander go for the chromed gun he was wearing. He had to admit the Commander was one fast son of a bitch. This was going to be very bad very quickly, like right now. He started bringing his pistol to bear on the first figure in white that was obviously reaching for a weapon. A shot rang out. Then more. Then Darin was firing, dropping a white robed figure and sighting in on the next.
*****
"Shut Up! You will shut your God Damned mouth," I hissed. The room was in an uproar but I'm pretty sure everyone heard me. I was beyond angry. I was furious. No even worse. I was so mad my vision was matted over in a red haze. Out of the corner of my eye a moment ago, I had seen my girls moving my children to the back, Jason covering them. Shit like this was so predictable. Like the Sergeant Major in NCO School had warned us years and years ago. There was always a Preacher who thought God spoke through them and the earth needed cleansing. Mother Fucker! I was mad at the predictable stupidity!
"Governor. The Lord has spoken to me. We must cleanse ourselves of the ungodly. It is His Word, His Voice, I am speaking with." This fucking Jeremiah was too much. Too full of shit and obviously delusional.
"You would throw out everyone not white from our group and marry this girl you say is your own fucking daughter?" My voice had grown from a hiss to a shout. I continued shouting.
"You are not of God. You are an evil man and you will leave us immediately and I'm letting you know right now I'll give you two hours to leave the area because I'll hunt you down after that and kill you like the rabid dog you are, and your daughter is staying." I wanted to kill him right now and in one fluid movement I drew my chromed 9mm and centered it on the bastard’s forehead. Oh God help me, I wanted to pull the trigger badly.
This false man of God was smiling at me though and nodding at my words. I caught a quick glimpse of this daughter. The amazingly beautiful angelic creature with the humungous tits and white blonde hair. She was crying and looking at me, hopeless pleading in her eyes for rescue. I had no more time. He was signaling his gang. For gang they were, as I saw weapons start to appear. I prayed my kids were safe. Fuck it! No more time.
I pulled the trigger putting one through his forehead. He was still smiling that evil sadistic smile as his lifeless body slumped in place with a third eye and the back half of its head gone. I took a step forward shooting another in the head. Then another step and another fell as my finger kept pulling the trigger a red haze of misted blood surrounding me as I moved into their midst. Just like bowling pins on the range and one every half second. It required no thought just action. They were falling all around me although some got a few shots off. Fuck! I couldn't kill them fast enough, then others opened up behind me taking them down in bloody heaps. I vaguely felt a burning pain in my shoulder then it was over. It was over in seconds. The angelic girl was laying on her back, watching me and still sobbing, then for some reason passed out. I turned slowly to see who was hurt.
*****
As
hley was sobbing hysterically. This was as bad as or worse than anything she could have imagined. She recognized the cadence in her father's voice. He was filled with his and only his version of the Holy Spirit. She saw some of his followers around her reach under their robes. There was nothing she could do.
Then the Governor was walking forward. He was really angry. She had seen him from a distance before but never this close up. He was tall and well formed and strong looking. She caught his eye briefly and in them she saw kindness and a gentleness, and hope. The area they were standing in was well lit with floodlights that men had set up earlier. It was very bright. There was shouting going on and she saw the Governor move.
Well move wasn't really the right word. His body became a blur and suddenly he was crouched and holding something that took the brightness from the floodlights and magnified it. He was holding a bright burning sword in his hand that radiated brilliance and it was pointed at her father. She didn't hear what they said. She didn't care. Her attention was on the object in the Governor’s hand. The reflections made it almost too bright to look at. His face was set in a hard-resigned expression as his sword pointed at her father. Then flame erupted from it and consumed the evil man her father was. For she was sure he was truly evil. And this Governor, this knight coming to her rescue was striding forward, striking down the others around her with more flame. She fell to the ground unable to take her eyes off her rescuer. The Lord spoke to her then. She felt it in her bones. This was her knight. She swooned losing consciousness. Her last sight, his eyes looking gently upon her in loving concern.
*****
"Who's hurt?!" I shouted looking around frantically. I saw a few people down. A woman and a child and ... no two women and a child. Top was there with his hand on one of the woman's thighs, an ugly black automatic with smoke curling from its barrel clenched in his other hand, looking for targets of opportunity. A Hispanic Corporal I had the pleasure to meet earlier, Rodriguez, was administering CPR to the child. I feared the worst. Tears sprung from my eyes and I ran forward looking for my kids.
"Clarissa. Paul. Emma!" I shouted. I looked for my girls. They had my kids.
"Here mi amore!" Cara shouted back at me from near the center of the room. Everyone was in a panic and shoving each other trying to get out but I stood on my toes and saw her and my other two women all holding my children safe and sound. All six were crying. Jeez. I saw Jason standing before them his navy colt .45 out and raised upward quite ready in one hand, his other held backward towards the woman and kids. Guarding. I nodded at him. He nodded back. Fuck!
Dr. Minasian came running up with his bag and immediately went to the child Rodriguez was trying to save. Noooooo. With anguish, I saw him take a look and place his hands on Rodriguez's stopping him. Fuck, fuck! This was so not right! Tears were streaming down my cheeks but I saw them hug each other and cry over the child. A little boy maybe all of four. Then they separated and the Doctor went to the next. A young woman with a wound in her belly. I lost sight of them after that as more emergency people swirled between us taking care of the victims.
Miguel was at my side in moments and we hugged each other hard, and then I wiped my face. He had tears also. This was family damn it.
"Just a sec." I said. He nodded.
I ran to my family and hugged them tightly kissing them all hard and often. My children and my women. All got needed attention. I turned to Cara. My little boss Chiquita. "Baby." I said. "Take them home and wait for me. Not sure how long I'll be. I love you all." she nodded gathering up little Emma again and took off with her gun ready in her free hand. I turned to my security and Jason. I pointed at my security.
"Guard my family with your lives. Grab a half dozen more. Don't make any mistakes." Pretty sure, I was doing that hissing thing again. They nodded and ran after them. I turned to Jason whose eyes were on the kids as they were carried away. I saw him finally relaxing and he holstered his old navy Colt as he turned to me.
"We have things to do this night partner. Help me get to the bottom of this and then we'll go reap a shitload of souls for the Lord to sort out." he nodded and smiled at my words. I turned and went back to the front. I stopped at the grieving mother bent over her dead little boy. I knelt and wrapped my arms around her shaking form.
"I'm so sorry for your loss. We'll give him a proper memorial service in the morning. You have my word." She nodded at my words accepting my brief embrace and I leaned over to kiss her little guy’s forehead as angry tears fell from my cheeks to splash on his silent pale ones while saying a silent heart filled prayer for the Lord to watch over him as he did mine. He was such a tiny little man with red hair and freckles. Fuck! I needed to kill something! And I was going too. I heard sharp intakes of breath around me as my lips touched his forehead. I didn't care. I felt like one of my own was gone and I mourned his loss. Who cared about a little blood and sometimes men do cry, damn it.
Miguel was standing next to this daughter of the dead Reverend. She was sitting up with the help of two women. Blood was splattered all over her face, hair and gown, her chest heaving under the thin fabric, as she tried to catch her breath. I dragged my gaze from her breasts and fastened on her eyes. She was staring at me with this weird wondrous look on her face. She was saying something about her night, or knight. I didn't know which and I didn't care. I was still furious. Rocked actually, and I turned to Miguel.
"What the fuck is going on?"
They didn't know a lot yet. Just what the girl, had been able to tell them in this short period of time as all the others were very dead. He was crazy and thought God spoke to him. They all did. Shit almighty. Evidently, he had been visiting her at night and her mother never said anything to anyone about it. Another piece of shit her mother. What the Fuck?! I would find out the rest later. At this point, she was fixated on me according to Miguel saying things like, I was an angel of the Lord with a shining sword that struck down her father with fire and she had been waiting for me her entire life. Whatever. I had no time for this. I growled turning away and signaled for MSgt. Trask.
*****
Well the Commander did it again, Darin thought to himself. The place was swarming with soldiers now, guns pointing everywhere as they tried to protect the Commander from any conceivable threat. They'd all witnessed his moment with the dead child, as did at least two hundred civilians around them. It brought tears to his eyes and to the eyes of most of the others. It was so tender and caring. It was obvious to everyone the Commander loved and considered them all as family, his family, each and every one, big and small, black white and brown, and if any had been hesitant before, from this moment forward they would gladly follow him to, through, and from hell or beyond. This type of man only came along once in a generation. Darin recognized that. He walked up and stood by his side ready for orders. Then noticed the Commander was wounded.
"Medic!" he shouted.
*****
Chapter 16
DAY 7: 1700 ET
I pulled my people together. I had some angst to relieve. I was still furious. Mainly at my own stupidity and arrogance for thinking I had all the answers. That I knew best, and now a small child was dead because of that. I hated myself and felt like joining Jason in his zombie-killing spree until both of us were dead if it weren't for my kids and now my women.
I felt no pain from my wound as my anger burned too brightly. My LSS was back and stitching it up, the doc’s being busy in surgery with the lady who had a bullet in her belly. I guess a round from one of their guns had ripped through the side of my shoulder. LSS kept kissing my neck and shoulder as she worked. She told me the kids were safe and under heavy guard. Cara and Jean were well armed also and with them. Except for that information, I practically ignored her. I was in love with her I realized, but just needed time to get over this. She finished and I forced myself to look at her handiwork and counted. Twelve stitches. Amazing. I hardly felt a thing. I half-heartedly swatted at her ass as she stood. She told me she was going back to sta
y with and help protect the kids since she had already given the latest reports we had on the Utari group to Top. Time to get even.
The Reverend’s daughter had been taken away. Miguel and Rosita would watch over her for now and put proper clothes on her and I am positive Rosita would love on her, as a mother should. That damned robe had left nothing to the imagination. I realized she had been just as much a victim of her father's lust for power as we had been. Perhaps more so as the picture I was getting was he had sexually abused her for many years before this. I prayed he rotted in hell for several eternities. The hula-hoop of thorns they had forced her to wear was laying on the ground and I crushed it under the heal of my left boot as I pulled my weapons harness back on. I told the crews to pile the bodies of the Reverend and his gang at the end of the courtyard near the gate. We would throw them to the zombies in the morning. No burial. No honor given. Strip them and pile up their naked carcasses like the carrion they were. The little boy we would make a special place for in the park across the street next to the Mortuary. He would join Jason’s little Heather in watching over us. He never had his chance in life and I could no longer give it to him. He was gone. I was so mad!
"Sgt. Trask are the men ready?"
"Yes, Sir!"
"Then let's go!"
The vehicles were waiting and there was little talk as they drove. The men all knew their roles tonight.
*****
Major Weston slowly made his way to the front where Jay was now being forced to sit down by those around him. Judy was helping him with an arm around his waist, his arm draped across her shoulders. He had been unable to get to the front in time to help having pushed Judy to the back telling her to get down and vainly tried limping through the throngs of people running in the opposite direction.
Blood, Brains and Bullets Page 37