The Days of Noah, The Complete Box Set: A Novel of the End Times in America

by Mark Goodwin

  Sharon seemed to be confronting the reality of what Noah was saying rather than sticking her head in the sand. “So do you think we will be staying on earth until the sixth seal?”

  Noah tried to keep a look of hope on his face. “On the bright side, we have what Isaiah called the doctrine of Christ’s imminent return. In Mathew twenty-four, Mark thirteen, and Luke twenty-one, Jesus tells us to be ready and always watching for his return, which implies that it could be at any time. In fact, in the account of his ascension in the book of Acts, two angels had to shew the disciples away because they were standing and waiting for him to come right back.”

  Noah thumbed through the pages of the Bible. “First Thessalonians four is the passage where we get the word ‘rapture,’ which means to scoop up. Verse seventeen says ‘After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.’ When writing this passage, Paul put himself among the people who would still be alive when the rapture takes place. That makes it a little hard to dismiss the doctrine of Christ’s imminent return. If that’s true, the rapture could literally occur any second now.”

  Sharon crossed her arms and forced a smile. “But there’s no guarantee that it will come before the sixth seal is broken.”

  Noah took a deep breath. “The first four seals are the four horsemen. You have the antichrist, Conquest, on the white horse, War on the red horse, Famine on the black horse, and Plague on the pale horse. Between them, they are given power to kill a quarter of the earth’s population. When you look at what is going on around us, it wouldn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to think this crew is already on the scene.”

  “What about the fifth seal? Is that something we need to be concerned about?” David asked.

  “Not really,” Noah answered. “It’s the souls of the righteous crying out to God for him to avenge their deaths.”

  “Isaiah.” Sharon sighed and looked up.

  “What’s that?” Noah didn’t quite catch what she was saying.

  Sharon held a bittersweet look on her face. “Isaiah will be one of those crying out for vengeance. And, then”—she paused and smiled brightly—“and then the rapture; we’ll be reunited.”

  Noah was happy to see that Sharon was finding strength and comfort in the thought of going home. He hated to burst her bubble, but he didn’t want to be responsible if things didn’t pan out the way they all expected. “Yeah. But remember, that’s just one possible interpretation. Nothing in Revelation looks definitively like the rapture until chapter fourteen, which talks about the harvesting of the earth. If Revelation is written chronologically, that leaves us here until the beginning of the Bowl Judgments.”

  Becky held her hand up. “But then we would be here for God’s wrath. And we’re not appointed for God’s wrath.”

  Noah nodded. “I hope you’re right.”

  Sandy jumped in. “How could you reconcile us being here with the verse that says we’re not appointed to wrath?”

  Noah suddenly understood why many pastors skipped over the subject of the rapture and the tribulation. It wasn’t the best way to get people to like you. The reactions from Sandy and Becky were borderline hostile. “Remember, I’m just telling you what the Bible says. If you don’t like it, your quarrel isn’t with me. In chapter six, it’s the inhabitants of the earth that refer to what is happening as the wrath of the Lamb. No one in heaven calls it wrath until the angel who blows the seventh trumpet. That’s in chapter eleven, after the seals and the first six trumpets. We all know that God’s standards are different than our standards, so his definition of wrath and the world’s definition of wrath could also be quite different. The next wave of assault against the earth after the last trumpet is in chapter sixteen. And those are called the Bowls of God’s Wrath by the loud voice from the Temple. I assume that is God’s voice. And by the way, if first Corinthians fifteen is referring to the rapture, it says it will happen at the last trumpet. There are plenty of folks that think the last trumpet is referring to the seventh trumpet in Revelation.”

  The room was silent for a moment. Finally, Elliot broke the silence. “Then what should we do?”

  Noah snorted. “Pray for the best and prepare for the worst.”

  A feeling of heaviness lingered over the group for some time. While the hope of eternal salvation was strong, the anticipation of what more they would have to endure hung like a shadow of darkness over this particular Christmas Eve.

  CHAPTER 8

  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

  Ecclesiastes 4:12

  Everett had been dreaming of his life before the collapse. He fought to hang on to the phantom of a more comfortable existence, but it was fading fast as Courtney shook him.

  Courtney gave him another push. “Get up. There’s someone outside. Ken is already out there!”

  Everett grabbed the Ruger Mini 14, and Courtney followed him down the ladder with the HK G36.

  Everett waited for her. “It better not be another bear.”

  Courtney pushed him toward the door. “Not unless bears are using flashlights.”

  Everett didn’t like the sound of that. “Okay, don’t hesitate. As soon as you see something move and you know it’s not one of us, take it out.”

  The two walked out the front door just as they heard Ken yell, “Get on the ground!”

  Everett saw a quick flash of light fall to the ground near Ken’s Camaro. He took aim and tried to see the person who’d dropped it. He saw some movement in the brush just beyond the tree line and took a shot. POP!

  “What are you doing?” Ken yelled.

  “Trying to eliminate the threat!” Everett yelled back.

  Courtney was behind Everett. “Stay focused. We need to clear the area.”

  Everett nodded and continued to search the immediate area, just as they had done during the drills. They checked around back, looked in the wood shed, and inspected the perimeter of the tree line.

  “All clear,” Everett called out.

  Ken responded. “All clear. Come check this out.”

  Everett walked over to Ken’s car, which was in the area that Ken and Lisa had been responsible for checking. “Whatcha got?”

  “Gas can and a siphon. Someone was trying to steal gas.” Ken held the scoundrel’s abandoned items up for Everett and Courtney to inspect.

  Lisa held up a flashlight. “They dropped this when they ran also.”

  “What happened to waiting for everyone to go out at once?” Everett asked Ken.

  “I thought they were stealing my car. I was afraid they’d be gone by the time you got down here.”

  “I can understand that, but we need to stick to the plan. We’ve all trained to respond to threats in a certain way. If we deviate from the protocol, all of the training falls apart.”

  “Sure, but why did you take a shot? They were on the run. It wasn’t really a threat.”

  Everett was surprised that Ken would challenge him like this. “They could be retreating, or they could be regrouping so they can hit us from a distance. Either way, we’re living in tough times. The weak are getting slaughtered.”

  Ken led the way back to the house. “They were just gas thieves. Do you want to kill someone over stealing a couple gallons of gas?”

  Everett considered the fact that, however unlikely, his shot could have hit the person. What if it were a teenage boy or a child just trying to get by? Sure, he had to be certain that they didn’t come back, but he could have taken a shot in the air. Still, he wasn’t about to admit as much to the others. “I want to survive, Ken.”

  Once back in the house, the tension was thick between Ken and Everett.

  Courtney asked Lisa, “Did you see them? How many do you think there were?”

  “I believe I saw two. One holding the light and the other was trying to get in the gas tank.”


  “Any idea how big they were? Male, female?” Courtney continued the interview.

  “Not sure. I couldn’t see much at all.” Lisa started a pot of tea while Courtney continued to check the windows in case they came back.

  Everett’s heartbeat soon regulated, and the tension level dropped.

  Minutes later, Ken extended his hand to Everett. “I don’t want you to think I’m siding with the enemy. I’m more worried about you. I was concerned that you’d hit someone and then feel bad about killing them if it wasn’t a life-threatening situation.”

  Everett took Ken’s hand and shook it. “Thanks. And you’re right. I suppose we need to rethink our rules of engagement. I guess I’m not sure what’s appropriate in this situation. We’ve heard those reports over the ham radio about gang bangers taking hostages and doing horrific stuff while they pillage and loot the homes; I just don’t want to go through that.”

  Ken stuck his hands in his pockets. “You’re right. Err on the side of caution and you could kill someone that isn’t really a threat. Err on the side of trying to be nice and it could cost you your life.”

  Courtney grabbed her rifle and started back up the ladder. “Coming back to bed?”

  “No, I don’t think I could sleep right now. I’m going to have a cup of tea.” Everett blew her a kiss.

  “Okay, see you in the morning.” She disappeared into the loft.

  When the tea was ready, Lisa poured a cup for Everett. “You better get some sleep. Aren’t you planning to stay up and ring in the New Year later tonight?”

  Everett forced a smile. “I don’t know. I doubt we’ll be watching Times Square. Do you think Carson Daly is even alive?”

  Ken snickered. “No, but the White House is putting something on in DC. Supposedly, they’ll have fireworks and music.”

  Everett took a sip of the tea. “That’s a good way to expend resources when half the country is dead from starvation or disease.”

  Lisa poured herself a cup of tea and sat at the table. “On New Year’s Day, UN Secretary General Angelo Luz is giving a speech on the state of the world and how they plan to move forward. After what the pope said, it should be very interesting.”

  Everett tittered. “Yeah, the pope basically banned your version of Christianity, right? So you two are like felons.”

  “And you’re aiding and abetting.” Lisa winked.

  Ken was more serious. “Laugh now, but we may soon be wanted by the world government.”

  Everett lost his smile. “I’m sure it’s some type of treaty between Israel and the Muslims. There’s no way the pope could get that temple built on the Temple Mount without a formal treaty.”

  “Then why would they announce it in Washington? The whole world blames America for the mess we’re in.” Ken sipped his tea.

  “I guess we’ll find out.” Everett suspected that this would be the new system that Jones had warned him about.

  Hours later, the first hint of light began to peek through the mountains. Everett grabbed his rifle. “I’m going to check the woods and make sure I didn’t kill anybody last night.”

  Ken stood up from his chair. “I’ll go with you.”

  Everett appreciated what a good friend Ken had been to him. “Okay, thanks.”

  The two cautiously approached the area where the bandits had been spotted. They saw nothing. They continued on into the woods in the direction the vandals had fled. After walking several hundred feet and finding no signs of blood or bodies, they were satisfied.

  “Looks like I got lucky.” Everett turned to head back toward the cabin.

  “Looks like they got lucky.” Ken smiled.

  “You were right, Ken. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I’d killed someone over a can of gas.”

  Ken nodded. “I know. But like you said, you didn’t know if they were armed or what their intentions were. I didn’t mean to put you on a guilt trip. I’m not big into blaming the victim. In the post-collapse world, thieves have to assume a certain level of risk. At any rate, I doubt they’ll want to take that chance by coming back here.”

  Everett sighed. The relief of not finding a dead body felt great, and he was instantly in a better mood. “So, how is married life? You’ve covered night watch with Lisa every night since the wedding.”

  “It’s great! We’re really happy. And we like the quiet time together on night watch.”

  “And you don’t miss the couch?’’

  Ken laughed loudly. “No. Not at all.”

  Soon, they reached the porch of the cabin. “I’m going to try to grab a couple more hours of sleep. I won’t be worth a nickel all day if I don’t. Thanks again, Ken—for everything.”

  Ken held the door for Everett. “No problem at all.”

  Everett drifted off into a restful sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

  Later that afternoon, Courtney woke him with a gentle nudge.

  Everett slowly rolled over and opened his eyes. “More bears with flashlights?”

  She pelted him with a pillow. “No. It’s one o’clock. Time to get up.”

  “Why?”

  “Because everyone is asleep and I need you to keep me company.”

  “Courtney, I barely got any sleep last night.”

  “What are you talking about? You’ve been asleep all day. Get up. I’ll make you brunch.”

  Everett slowly rolled out of bed. “I guess I better take you up on that. I usually have to cook for you.”

  “Last time I’m cooking for you this year.”

  Everett winked at her. He couldn’t believe how cute she could be sometimes. “What’s on the menu?”

  “Pancakes, eggs, and some type of salt cured goat that Mr. Goldberg gave us. Lisa said it tastes like ham.”

  “And coffee?”

  “And coffee!” Courtney headed down to the kitchen and started brunch.

  Everett made the bed and came down shortly thereafter. He brought in a stack of fire wood and set it next to the fireplace. He poked the fire and stuck in another log. When he returned to the kitchen, his coffee was waiting for him on the table. “Thanks, it smells great.”

  “I told Lisa that Mr. Goldberg could come by tonight to ring in the New Year. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Everett looked at the slice of cured goat. “It doesn’t really look like ham. But sure, he brings us stuff every time he comes over.”

  “Maybe we could offer to give him something in return.” Courtney plated up Everett’s brunch.

  “Like what?”

  “Some of that venison. We’ve got a pretty good stock of it now.”

  Everett started eating. “Wow, the goat is pretty good. I wouldn’t call it ham, but it’s good. You’re right. I suppose we can give him one of the shoulders.”

  Courtney sat down with a small plate of pancakes. “I think that’d be the nice thing to do. And if we’re up here a while, we’re going to need to learn how to get by from him.”

  Later that evening, Everett heard a knock at the door. “I’ll get it.”

  He pulled his shirt tail up over the handle of the pistol and looked out the window. It was Elijah as he expected, but after last night’s run in, he was being very cautious.

  Everett opened the door. “Mr. Goldberg, come in.”

  Elijah kicked the snow off of his feet. “Please, call me Elijah. Here, I brought something for you.”

  “Thank you.” Everett took a brown paper bag from the man. “And we have a big venison shoulder for you to take when you leave.”

  “That’s very kind. Thank you.”

  “It’s the least we can do. Every time you visit, you come bearing gifts.”

  Ken walked in the room. “Elijah, it’s so nice to see you.”

  “It’s good to be seen,” he said with chuckle. “Here, these are for you.”

  Ken held out his hand and took the three double A batteries from Elijah. “Thanks. I’ll switch these out and give you the others to take back and recharge.”

&n
bsp; “That’s very nice, but we’ve got tons of batteries.” Everett didn’t want to get too far in the negative with this guy.

  Elijah put a hand up. “Save them for when you really need them. I’ve got rechargeable batteries, and it’s no problem at all for me to keep them topped off for Ken. It’s a good deal on my end because I’ve got so many projects going at any one time that I can’t keep up with the news. Ken keeps me filled in on what’s happening around the world. From what I understand, he spends several hours a day scanning the ham, shortwave, as well as AM and FM stations. It takes me less than a minute to stick his old batteries in the charger. I’d say that’s a good trade-off.”

  Everett quickly understood the value being exchanged. “Yes, Ken is the best at collecting information. He keeps us informed.”

  Elijah laughed. “Indeed! He could make a career out of it.”

  Everett didn’t like the sound of that. “Yeah.” He forced a chuckle. Surely Ken didn’t say anything to Elijah about where we worked or what we do. We all had an understanding from the beginning, and I reiterated the need for secrecy when Lisa first started hanging around the old man.

  “Where are the girls?” Elijah looked back toward the back of the house.

  “Putting together some food for us to share.” Everett led the way into the kitchen where Lisa and Courtney also greeted Elijah.

  Everett looked in the bag and retrieved several links of what looked like summer sausage. “This smells fantastic.”

  “Thank you, I made it myself. I grow my own herbs, grind fresh meat, and cure it in my smokehouse.”

  “Of course you have a smokehouse.” Everett handed one of the links to Lisa to slice and put on a tray.

  “That one is rabbit. The darker one is venison, and the other three are goat. The venison is quite spicy.”

  Everett was very impressed. He smelled the deep aroma of the handmade sausages. “I’ve been trying to cure a bunch of our venison by making it into jerky. I wish I knew how to make sausage like this. Do you have to have a smokehouse?”