Save Him

by William M. Hayes

  Ray eased his hands under Jesus's arms, helping Him up to His feet. Jesus looked at Ray for a moment, and then His legs gave out, forcing Him back down on His knees. Ray lifted Jesus off the ground and carried Him over his shoulder and out of the cell. Rydel and the believing members of Ray's Unit waited outside the cell. Ray removed his translator and gave an order.

  "Let's roll."

  Ray pointed at Steve to lead the way. Steve placed his binoculars on, adjusted the strap around his head, programmed them to find human life, and walked ahead. The group walked silently while Steve guided them away from any soldiers he could see, backtracking and moving forward through twisting passageways. At a sharp curve in the corridor, Steve lifted his arm, signaling everyone behind him to stop. He craned his head forward, staring just around the corridor bend. Steve looked back at Ray and waved him over. Ray gently handed Jesus off to Sal. Light on his feet, Ray reached Steve at the stone wall where he stood waiting. Ray took a knee by Steve's side and glanced down the corridor, not seeing anything but an empty, torchlit passage.

  "What do you see, Steve?"

  "Weird. Binoculars picked up two at the end of the corridor ahead. They have their backs to us and are leaning against opposite sides of the way out, taking cover behind the walls. I know we bagged all the soldiers before. It's not like one of them got away and reported they were under attack. The two ahead, however, are set to take us out. They know we're coming."

  Ray took in the situation. "Okay, move out with Adriana. Maybe they came late and saw the soldiers on the ground." Ray stood and trotted back to the others, tapping Adriana on the shoulder. "A, join up with Steve. There are still two left ahead, blocking our exit."

  Adriana ran ahead and took a knee next to Steve. The two whispered to each other for a few seconds and then rounded the corridor bend while Ray and the rest waited.

  After three minutes, Ray spoke into his headset. "Adriana, come back…Steve?"

  Not getting a response from the two, Ray motioned for the others to stay where they were. He dropped to the ground on his stomach and crawled his way through the winding corridor. On the ground in front of him, Adriana and Steve lay facedown and unmoving. Seeing them, Ray got up and rushed over without checking to see if anybody was up ahead.

  At the end of the corridor, John and Todd eased their way inside, using the wall at either side of the exit as partial cover. With their Smartround guns raised, the two took aim at Ray.

  Ray spotted the two and stopped so suddenly that he lost his balance and fell on his back. The smartrounds John and Todd fired followed Ray down to the ground and detonated on Ray's gun that had landed on his chest as he fell.

  "Fuck!" Ray screamed, trying to get to his feet, frantically scanning his body to see if he was hit by a Smartround.

  Sal came running down the corridor to aid Ray, and his head snapped back as he took a Smartround to his neck.

  Up on one knee, Ray fired back with his M9, the rounds missing both concealed men and hitting off the walls. With John and Todd using the walls of the corridor exit as full cover, it bought Ray some time. With one hand on Sal's arm, Ray dragged Sal backward while pointing his weapon ahead and made it around the corridor bend behind him. Rydel and Ben rushed over, helping Ray pull Sal the rest of the way. They reached an angled half wall leading down into another corridor, and Ray ordered the two to get behind the wall. Ray dropped to his knees, searching for the Smartround in Sal's neck. He found it embedded under Sal's ear and ripped it out before the drug could take Sal deeper into unconsciousness. Ray held up the Smartround, pinched between his thumb and forefinger, showing Rydel and Ben. He then shot up to his feet.

  "Where's Jesus?" Ray angrily asked.

  Rydel and Ben, understanding that they had just left Jesus Christ alone and slumped against the corridor wall where Sal had placed Him, turned and ran back before Ray could speak again. He would have preferred maybe just one person staying behind to help with Sal, but that was not going to happen, as the two were now gone and out of sight. Therefore, Ray slung Sal's heavy-ass body over his shoulder and made his way back to where they had left Jesus. And miraculously, Jesus was still on the ground with His back against the wall and His head slumped forward. Ray eased Sal against the wall next to Jesus and slapped Sal across the face a couple of times. Not getting a reaction, he tried again. After several attempts, Sal reflexively blocked the fifth slap. Sal opened his eyes, and Ray patted him on the chest.

  "Back in the game, Sal?"

  Sal groggily answered, "I am, Ray."

  "Okay—here's what's happening. A and Steve got taken down with smartrounds. We have to get the rounds out of them. Stay here and watch over Jesus. Can you do that?"

  "I got it, Ray. I got it."

  Ray turned to face Rydel and Ben behind him. "Come with me—you too, Rydel. Move!"

  As they ran side by side, Ben asked Ray, "It's Todd shooting at us, isn’t it, Ray?"

  "John is with him too. Use your sidearm. Do not sedate them. There's too much at stake here now, Ben."

  "Kill them?" Ben asked, hoping he hadn’t heard Ray correctly.

  "On my command…yes."

  As they arrived at the corridor bend where the ambush began, Ray ran around the corner and reached Adriana and Steve on the ground. With a pocket flashlight in his hand, Ray searched their faces and necks for the smartrounds. Ahead, Todd appeared in front of the corridor’s exit—and was met by three bullets piercing the wall he was using for cover, the bullets coming from Ben's Glock 19, missing Todd's head by only inches. Todd dropped to the ground and retreated behind the wall.

  "Those are the last warning shots you get!" Ray yelled out.

  Ray searched Adriana's neck, found the Smartround, and pulled it out. He frantically searched Steve's body for the Smartround that took him down. Unable to find it, he turned and motioned for Rydel to help take Adriana and Steve away. Ben stepped around the corridor bend with his sidearm drawn, targeting the opening ahead, and confirmed the path was clear.

  __

  Sal stood over Jesus Christ, who was leaning against the right wall of the corridor, His head slumped. Jesus began coughing, and Sal reached out to put a comforting hand on His shoulder when he saw something move to his left. Head still feeling a bit banged up, Sal's adrenaline started to kick in, reacting to what he had seen.

  He pointed his Smartround gun at a shadow on the opposite wall—the dark shape of a large man. Swiveling left and right, Sal could see that there was no one in the corridor casting the shadow. He stepped toward the shadow on the wall, and it moved, rising up the wall of the corridor, making its way above Sal on the ceiling. The shape fell from the ceiling and landed in front of Sal. Sal fired a round toward the black form, but the round hit the rock wall behind it. The shadow reached out for Sal and grabbed him by the neck. It dragged Sal over to the wall, where his Smartround detonated, slamming Sal's head into the wall. Sal fell to the ground, unconscious.

  The shadow glared at Jesus on the ground, tilting its head slightly. It then pointed an ink-black finger at Sal and began to walk away. Sal's unconscious body lifted to its feet and followed the shadow, walking as if he were a toy controlled by a child, his arms flailing and his legs unnaturally dangling off the ground.

  __

  A unit of temple guards entered the cell that had formerly held the man claiming to be the Son of God. The guards could see blood on the floor, and they followed its trail over to the Roman soldier. The guards then noticed one of their own on the ground. The commander of the temple guards—adorned in the same black armor as the rest, with a white sash around his waist being the exception—ignored the Roman and knelt beside the temple guard on the floor. The anger he felt caused his face to twitch. He screamed to the guards he commanded.

  "Find Him!"

  The guards ran out of the cell, followed by their commander. It did not take them long to find Jesus. They stumbled upon Him leaning against a wall—a torch above Him lighting the corridor He was in. The te
mple guards approached slowly, surrounding Christ. The commander stepped past his men and stared down at Jesus with angry hazel eyes, waving over two of his men.

  "Take Him to the dungeon. Do not be tricked by His evil magic!" he yelled at the two. The commander lowered his head so he could face Jesus. "There's no way for Him to escape below."

  __

  Down the dark corridor, Ben and Rydel dragged Steve, each man with a shoulder under one of Steve’s arms. Behind them, Ray followed with Adriana over his shoulder. They reached Sal, who was trying to lift himself off the ground. Ray placed Adriana against the corridor's far wall and rushed over to Sal. He lifted Sal's head carefully and noticed a bruise on his forehead. Taking a quick glance around for Jesus, Ray turned back to Sal.

  "Sal, where is He?"

  "I don't know. I saw something…and then hit my head somehow."

  Ray walked Sal over and sat him down next to Adriana, took the binoculars from around Steve's neck, and ran down the corridor.

  Ray could see the imprint left behind on the ground where Jesus had been sitting in the corridor. Two paths lay ahead of Ray. Ray searched with the binoculars, and no human movement could be seen on either path. He sprinted back to the others. Ray knelt next to Adriana, who was still unconscious against the wall, and took the Smartround gun she tagged Jesus with from off her shoulder. The screen slid out from the side of the weapon, and he studied it for a few seconds, then turned toward the others staring back at him.

  "He's not showing up. We lost Him."

  __

  Steve opened his eyes to see Ray standing over him, staring upward. In the sky above Ray, deep purple clouds slowly swept by. Steve pushed himself up into a sitting position, realizing it was now dawn and having no recollection of how he got to where he was. He glanced toward the fire where the others slept and then turned his attention back to Ray.

  "What happened, Ray?"

  Ray heard Steve stir and gave him a few seconds to take in his surroundings. He had found the Smartround lodged in Steve's calf muscle after losing Jesus in the corridor. Adriana had regained consciousness but was now resting again.

  Ray looked down at Steve.

  "We failed, Steve. We have one more chance to save Him."

  The Storm

  Alone in his office at Genesis, the sound of the door opening turned Will around in his chair to see one of the techs entering the room. Will wasn't sure if his name was Bill or Bruce—it was something like that. Whatever his name was, why the hell did he just enter without me giving the okay? Will thought.

  "Sir," the tech said in a barely audible voice.

  "Yes, what is it?"

  "Something is heading our way."

  Outside the office, Will followed the tech down the hallway to the Overlook. Will entered the Overlook and walked over to the man he did know, Robertson, who was seated in front of a monitor. With his black hair and black beard, Robertson always made Will think of a pirate in one of those Johnny Depp movies.

  "What the hell's going on, Robertson?"

  Robertson remained focused on the screen in front of him as he answered Will. "I sent Bob for you, sir, because I didn't want to take my eyes off of what's heading our way."

  "What's heading our way?" Will asked impatiently.

  Robertson looked away from the screen and stared up at Will for a few seconds before answering.

  "Category five, sir. It's over the ocean now, making its way toward us."

  Will leaned down to get a better look at what Robertson was tracking and then straightened up, taking a step back from Robertson's monitor.

  "My God," Will said under his breath.

  Ultimatums

  With the dawn in full bloom, a sky of fading purple and fire-orange blazed over John and Todd walking on a deserted road just outside the walls of Jerusalem. John stared down at his Smartround gun and picked up the pace, walking ahead of Todd, trying to get a fix on Ray and the others. Too tired to keep up, Todd walked at his own pace while John stretched the distance between them. A man in a pure-white hooded cloak—the hood covering his face—walked out from behind a palm tree and stood near the side of the dirt road, waiting for Todd to reach him. Todd saw the man at once and veered away to keep clear of the individual, walking on the far side of the road, passing the man in white.

  "They returned up the mountain."

  Todd spun around, slipped his Smartround gun out from under his cloak, and pointed it at the man, who had just spoken to him in English. Todd gave a quick look at John up ahead and was about to shout out to him as the white-hooded man spoke again.

  "Look at me, Todd."

  The kindness and the sincerity in the man's voice turned Todd around at once. Todd stepped closer, unable to control his body, and stood in front of the man. The man pulled back the hood covering his face. He resembled Jesus Christ in every way Todd had seen the man pictured and portrayed from the Christian tale. The man smiled.

  "Do not second-guess yourself as you do now because of Raymond, Todd. My dying in this time is for a reason. And it will cause the death of millions in your time if Raymond or the others interfere. I will return again to save humanity."

  On the dirt road ahead, John turned around so he could see how far back Todd was dragging his slow ass.

  "Fuck is he doing?"

  John saw Todd talking with the white-cloaked man and sprinted his way back to the two. He came to a stop in front of Todd and reached out to grab him, accidentally brushing up against the man in white. John's arms dropped to his side, and his whole body went limp. Terrified, with his lips slightly parted, he turned and faced the man in white. The man in white eyed John for a few seconds, then walked away, heading toward the city of Jerusalem. Todd took a stumbling step closer to John, watching the man in white, not believing what he saw.

  "My God, sir, you were right all along! I'm sorry if I had any doubts. We have to stop them—they will kill millions!"

  John watched the man in white making his way to the city and could feel it inside of him—what he had touched was the very origin of evil. The damnable images filling his mind were so overwhelming that his whole body shook with fear, and he was having a hard time not throwing up.

  John gave Todd an order—one he could not perform with his shaking hands. "Call Ray. Tell him we wanna help them."

  "Why, sir? We just witnessed a miracle here. He came to tell us—"

  "That wasn't Him," John shouted at Todd. "That was something else—I can feel it inside of me."

  "Todd, my son."

  The voice came from behind Todd. He spun around to face the man in the white cloak, whose kind eyes were staring back at him. Astounded at how the man could be so close once more, Todd giddily grinned and his eyes widened. "There's no way you could've gotten behind us that fast. You are real," Todd said in amazement.

  "I am your Savior. You must believe."

  With a hand on Todd's shoulder, John turned him around.

  "Fall back, Todd."

  "But it's really Him!"

  "It's not! I don't know what that is. Fall the fuck back with me—right now!"

  John reached out with his other hand and yanked Todd by the shoulders away from the man in white. The man moved closer.

  "Stop moving," the man in white demanded.

  Todd dug the heels of his boots into the sand to stop John from dragging him away from the blessed man standing so close. But then Todd noticed something different in the holy man's eyes and started backing away, tripping over John and landing on his back.

  A stream of black bile came out of the man's mouth, landing on the ground in front of Todd. The fluid burned a black flame for a moment and then melted into the sand. The man's glowing blue eyes fixed on Todd and then John. The man laughed—a wild, high-pitched, insane laugh.

  John stepped closer toward the man in white.

  "I know that laugh. I've heard it before."

  A coal-black finger slipped out from under the man's white cloak, pointed at John. "
Unlike the basement, you will die this time, John. That is, if you interfere in this time. Wait and do nothing until you are taken back, and I will spare your life."

  Eerily slow, the man turned his head toward Todd, the eyes staring at Todd no longer peaceful and kind from the imposter Jesus. The eyes now came from hell.

  "As for you, Todd…you live and return home. And when you do, your daughter will be hanging dead from the swing you set up for her before traveling here. Do not be persuaded by Raymond or John. If you help them in any way, you kill your own daughter. Do nothing, and she lives."

  The man turned his back on the two and walked toward the mountains, away from the city. As he walked, he turned to John and Todd once more, blue eyes burning with hate.

  Todd's body shook, and tears streamed down his face at what he saw and what he heard from the man in white. He looked up at John for answers as to what just happened, unable to speak. John moved closer and patted Todd's shoulder, trying to reassure him that it would be okay, even though he felt like he was standing on legs of Jell-O.

  "Calm down, Todd. It's over."

  Todd nodded at John, unable to stop the tears or his body from shaking.

  "We have to go, Todd. C'mon."

  __

  At the highest point on the mountain, away from the camp, Ray stared down at the city of Jerusalem below. The sound of shifting gravel and heavy footfalls turned him around. A man in a black hooded cloak stood behind Ray. With the sun rising, Ray could not make out the face of the man under the hood; a shadow thrown off by the sunrise shaded the man's face.

  "Your wife is eight weeks pregnant. Congratulations, Raymond. She feared to tell you because of the miscarriages before. The child in her womb will not miscarry this time. Your daughter will go on to be a doctor, healing many. However, if you go anywhere near Jesus again in this time, I will send a man to kill your wife tonight. This man will reach up inside of Kate and rip out your daughter-to-be, shoving the fetus down your wife's throat until she chokes on it."