by Todd Fries
To face the SS on their own terms would have been disaster, so another approach was needed and by networking a vast army of freedom fighters, they kept nipping at the heels of the Nazi’s, forcing them to allocate precious resources to their defense. This wasn’t only a physical battle, but a physiological one as well. It was about winning popular opinion and spreading propaganda and since the Nazi’s controlled all of the media outlets, it was difficult to know who to trust.
So the resistance never advertised their membership or confided with strangers. Anyone could be a Nazi spy and since there was a great reward for their capture, it was necessary to remain hidden, even among the people they loved. And like this group, there were very few people they could trust and everything up to this point had been carefully planned and executed, but none the less, they were captured and imprisoned, so who was the traitor or had they been under surveillance this whole time?
General Taylor made his appearance and took a seat behind his desk. He didn’t look at up until after he signed a few documents and then setting them aside, he finally addressed them.
“If you don’t already know, my name is General Taylor and I’m your commanding officer at this facility. I don’t necessarily enjoy my work, but I do my duty and that’s all that’s expected of us and what I expect out of my officers.”
He cast a stern gaze at Major Brooks and Hannah and then continued as he addressed the rest of the team.
“As for my scientists and civilian workers, I expect full cooperation and adherence to our rules and regulations. What we develop at Groom Lake is important to our country and while each of you may feel like a king in your own little world, the work you do affects every other project on this base. You’re not an island onto yourself.”
Using his arm, he motioned to all of them with one broad sweep of his hand.
“Each of you contributes to the greater good, but none of us is above the system. This system of compartmentalized security was designed to protect our most valued secrets and any breach of this time-honored tradition isn’t acceptable. What you have done, quite frankly, is treasonous in nature. I could throw you all in jail or put you up on charges, which includes capital punishment!”
He paused for effect.
Nevertheless. I’m not without mercy. I recently offered a deal to Nickolas and in return he recanted his religious beliefs and admitted his mistakes. It was the sensible thing to do. In my generosity, I dropped all charges against him and re-instated him to his previous role as pilot and instructor. In the interests of doing what’s best with SM1, we’ve agreed that his act of contrition should be an inspiration to us all. He’s hopeful that you’ll follow his example by admitting your guilt in public, while I pardon all your past crimes.
What you don’t know is that the moral of this base has dropped to an all-time low over this incident and we have some people in open rebellion, even publishing lies that have done nothing but fuel unfounded anger against this administration. This isn’t my fault. I’ve done nothing but protect this facility and its people. You, on the other hand, have created an environment of terror and distrust. It’s your actions that have put this laboratory at risk. Not me.
This isn’t the time for selfish bravado. We need to think about everyone else on this base and the world around us. We’re not the beginning or the end of creative thought. There are others who have strong opinions about SM1, but they don’t act on them. They respect the chain of command and work within the system to ensure the best outcome for everyone.”
Jacob gave him a quizzical look.
“But aren’t you acting on your own best interests?”
The General hesitated a second before casting an evil glare in his direction.
“That’s exactly the type of attitude that has lead us into this situation. Can’t you see it? The Greed. The need to covet what we can’t have? SM1 is a jewel of unparalleled beauty and design and look what it’s done to you. Can you really say you haven’t been perverted by your single minded view of the world?”
They remained silent as General Taylor straightened his tie and continued.
“I don’t have to tell you that your actions, well intentioned or not, have led to the death of your friend. Don’t you feel anything for her? If nothing else, shouldn’t her sacrifice be applauded? Why not honor her by turning this into something good for everyone. It’s what she would have wanted.”
The tension rose quickly as the group stiffened in their chairs, their faces flushed with blood. Alfred completed his thoughts.
“Nothing has to appear on your permanent record and if you agree to my terms, you can return to your normal duties as if nothing happened.”
Jacob questioned him again.
“Where’s Nickolas? If he signed these papers, where’s he to convince us to follow him?”
“After he signed, I sent him to Edwards so he could debrief the senior staff. He’s volunteered to take the ‘heat’ for all of you, so I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. This is your opportunity to get out from under this mess and you won’t get another chance. Once you leave this room, my offer expires.”
He took a deep breath and leaned back into his chair. As he folded his arms, he looked them in the eye.
“Up until this point your service has been exemplary and your skill-set unequaled. It would be a shame to lose such talent and I’m sure you’d miss your work. While you were involved in an attempt to steal government property, you were also under the influence of one man, who convinced you that God wanted you to steal SM1. Stealing. Isn’t that one of your commandments? Thou shall not steal? How can you justify your actions as being from God? Doesn’t this go against his teachings?”
He raised his eyebrows as if to accentuate the ridiculousness of it. He proceeded to reference the bible.
“According to your beliefs, stealing comes from a desire to get what we want or think we need. Yet Jesus says we should trust our heavenly Father to provide for all of our wants. At the same time he shows you that you have much bigger needs such a forgiveness and salvation. Isn’t that correct?”
Jacob responded.
“You’re correct, but the bible also understands that sometimes people undergo extreme need. Stealing food to survive is an example. In Proverbs 6:30, it says that stealing food is understandable if a person is starving. However, it also says that if caught, he will have to pay it back sevenfold. But even so, our situation is about fulfilling a promise, and not a matter of simple theft. For how can we steal what already belongs to God?
He’s given mankind dominion over everything, including space, and if He wants to bring his people to a better place or provide for their survival, He can take drastic measures when necessary. Remember it was God who led His people into the Holy Land of Israel. It was the land He promised to them long ago, and once the Lord started moving, look at what happened at Jericho and Ai, and how He destroyed the Amorites.
In Joshua 11:16, it says that he conquered the whole land, including the hill country, all the Negav, all the land of Goshen, the lowlands, the Arabah, the hill country of Israel and its lowlands from Mount Halak on up to Seir, as far as Baal Gad in the Lebanon Valley below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and executed them. God wanted Israel to annihilate without mercy.”
As Jacob spoke, the other six people could see the anger in the Generals face and even as they watched, his lips began to tremble as if announcing an earthquake. But Jacob didn’t hesitate.
“Hebrews 2:8 states that God has put ‘all things in subjection’ under man. The verse goes on to say that God has left ‘nothing that is not put under him.’ For those willing to believe what God said, then He has decreed the entire universe, with all its galaxies, its countless suns and planets – everything – as being under man’s subjection. It goes on to say that at the present time, we do not yet see everything put under man’s control. And Hebrews isn’t an isolated scripture, but there are many verses that reveal God’s plan for mankind, wh
ich includes the whole universe.
“In addition, Psalm 139:8 states that ‘If I (man) ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.’
Jacob flipped to various verses in his book as he proceeded to lecture the General.
“I can only tell you that our circumstances are much different than your reference to simple stealing.”
Before he could continue, the room erupted into a sea of rage.
“Shut up! Shut up!”
General Taylor banged his fist against the table as he rose to his feet while pointed a fat finger at Jacob.
“How dare you deem yourself worthy to lecture me in my own office! You’re not worthy of my mercy! You ‘Bible Thumpers’ are all the same with your inability to look beyond your damn book!”
Before Jacob could react, he snatched the bible from his hands and started to tear at the pages. In that instant, Jacob felt like a boy again, struggling with that gang in an effort to recover his prized possession, only to be beaten as his half-brothers looked on, never lifting a finger to help. Now he was in front of the ultimate bully, who had no regard for his beliefs and what might he expect if he tried to stop him? The man was a General and he was nothing and Alfred had the support of armed enforcers who could do so much more than beat him.
Regardless, he couldn’t bear to see his blood stained bible attacked, so with little thought to his own safety, he lunged forward in an effort to retrieve his book and in doing so, felt the sting of something hard against the back of his head. He felt dazed as he hit the floor and looking up from the carpet, he watched as two masked men started kicking at his limp body while a third shoved his friends away, knocking over chairs in the process.
Once again he was helpless and ashamed and wondered why God could let this happen. What was God’s purpose in allowing him to be beaten, threatened and humiliated? How many times had he borne this cross and how many times did he add to the physical scars on his body without seeing the grand plan? It was too many to count and now he found himself flat on his back, unable to defend himself and as he watched the pages of his book falling gracefully to the floor, they appeared like small white doves alighting on a branch; each page fluttered about like angels wings.
If he accomplished nothing else and died in his office today, he could die knowing that he never gave up, passed every test and was not found ‘wanting.’ His faith was something the General couldn’t understand and something he couldn’t get his hands on and being left with no other options, it was easier to attack the man instead of the idea. But the idea was unstoppable. It held no physical form and rode on the very wind itself, skimming the tops of oceans and riding the ice crystals of the Artic, caressing the scent of grassy fields while seeking out the quiet places where two or three were gathered in prayer, and then rising like a tide to Heaven above.
There was no way to hide from it and nowhere to go. It WAS and IS and was YET TO BE, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last and it held sway over every institution of man. The General had no more control over it than he could stop the Sun from rising. So beaten or not, he wasn’t defeated. He was glorified. He was found worthy to be counted as a believer and was suffering the consequences of his faith.
As he began to lose consciousness, the rain started to fall. At least he thought it was rain until the color revealed it to be his own blood, spraying upward and away from his face and then falling back like droplets on a warm summer day. He marveled at the sight. It reminded him of the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, when the water reached its apex and then dropping into the pond, created a steady stream of mist and fog. But in the next instant, the deluge was interrupted by a flash of fists as someone tackled both men, sending them sprawling across the floor.
Turning his head to view this marvelous sight, he saw one of the masked men attacking the other two in a fit of fists and rage. It was like nothing he’d ever seen and when Major Brooks tried to help, he watched him get pushed back into a chair and fell over backwards against the wall. The two women screamed while retreating into a corner, and as Mark became aware of what was happening, he rushed over to Major Brooks, helped him to his feet and then giving a nod, they rushed in together to help their unlikely benefactor.
It wasn’t much of a fight. They were going against highly trained combatants who were proficient in hand to hand combat and the best they could hope for was a momentary distraction to an otherwise epic confrontation. For all practical purposes, they were witnessing the first shots in a civil war and the odds were against them, three to one if they included the General.
Mark was the first to fall, his nose broken and distorted, and after taking the heel of a hand to the bottom of his snout, he collapsed into a ball of Jell-O, rolling around like a wounded animal, crying in pain. The Major fared much better, being a soldier himself, but was still no match for the two grounded warriors and he spent more time trying to stay out of the way of the first man, who swinging wildly was just as likely to strike the Major as to hit the two men below him.
Being unsure of what to do, he used his feet to kick at their heads in order to keep them on the floor. It worked for a few seconds, but then one man broke free and grabbed their benefactor around the neck, spinning him around like a sumo wrestler. The second man seemed confused, so capitalizing on his momentary indecisiveness, the Major clobbered him with everything he had, sending him onto his rear in the middle of the room. Then the Major grabbed for his gun in the hope of wresting if free, but the man had a firm grip and wasn’t about to release it.
Now the Major was caught in a stalemate, pulling at the man’s weapon with all his might while deflecting blows with his other arm and neither being able to gain the upper hand. He only hoped that Caleb could keep this guy busy long enough for their new friend to incapacitate the other guard. If he could do that, the Major might receive a helping hand, and with both subdued, they could turn their mutual attention to General Taylor.
But time seemed to warp into hours. At least it seemed that way to Jacob. Everything was moving in slow motion and as he watched these men locked in mortal combat, he understood that he was in no condition to help. His head felt like a watermelon and with one eye was already swollen to the point he couldn’t see, it was a wonder he could move it all after his brief exposure to their wrath.
He felt for his bible, but it wasn’t there. He couldn’t see the pages falling from the sky as before, so the General must have been engrossed with the scene before him, wondering who might come out on top. It must have been shocking to see one of his own men supporting this rag-tag crew of miscreants. If one man could go rogue, how many others might be contemplating the same thing? Who could he trust if his closest body guard was now attacking members of his own inner circle?
If they could win this fight, there was nothing to stop them from escaping his office, but there was no plan. No set of instructions on what to do if they were victorious. They were unprepared for this and never saw it coming. Who would have thought this masked man would come to their aid in a moment of crisis? It was a total surprise.
His thoughts were broken up when first two rolled over him like a steam roller. For a moment he couldn’t breathe, as the weight compressed his chest, but when they rolled off, he found new strength, the adrenalin surging through his veins. And not wanting to lay on the floor where he might be trampled again, he staggered to his knees and found his feet once more.
Behind him the General was grappling for his phone and when he saw what he was doing, he reached out and squeezed his wrist. Instinctively the man pulled his hand away, but when he didn’t release his grip, the General’s face became confused and for the first time he saw fear in his eyes. For a moment he felt as if the General might be afraid of him, but the man was looking at the scene behind him, watching this struggle for life and death and it was that which put fear in his heart.
Now that he had his hand, the General stood frozen in shock, but
in the next second seemed intent on fighting back until he spied the ladies approaching from the corner, armed with two marble figurines he had displayed on a table. Jacob released his grip and slowly shook his head ‘no’ as if to warn him about doing anything foolish.
For the General, it was now a ‘waiting-game.’ Whoever gained the upper hand would be in control and the balance of power would shift to the victor. But even if the General lost the battle, he could still win the war. He had plenty of loyal men patrolling the halls and if they were spotted, they’d be arrested immediately.
Fortunately he’d been able to stop him from calling for reinforcements, so now everything depended on the Major and the mysterious stranger who was locked in mortal combat with one of his fellow soldiers. If any one of them became incapacitated, the survivor could help the other, employing a two to one advantage with little hope of success for the remaining adversary.
When he turned to see what was going on, the Major was now pinned to the floor. As for the mysterious stranger, he was busy punching his opponent, taking swing after swing against a teetering contender who was now staggering from the repeated blows. As the men backed into the ladies, Hannah took a giant swing with her statue and landed a wallop to the back of his head, sending him forward into the stranger, who connected with his fist, dropping the challenger to his knees, where he fell backward against the desk, leaving their new friend in control of the floor.
As soon as the second soldier saw what happened, he released the Major and drew a knife as he prepared to face both men. Major Brooks had been able to strip the pistol from his holster, but it lay behind his knife wielding enemy and neither could reach the gun in time to prevent the other from physically grabbing the weapon. So banting back and forth, the challenger lunged with his knife, forcing the other two to back and then re-approaching in a withering display of strike and counter-strike.
Each was searching for a weakness and neither could let down their guard, for one good slash could render either one unable to fight and this was the conundrum. This was a desperate situation where no rules applied. It was kill or be killed and the stakes were high. This combatant wouldn’t hesitate to murder either one of them, so what they did next would be critical to the outcome of this contest.