DARK HEARTED (The COIL Series)

by Telbat, D. I.

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Someone was leaking information to Brandon Fairchild a year ago, and Xacsin McLeery's computer at the castle had classified COIL information, information that we narrowed down to you."

  "That's ridiculous! What is this nonsense? Why isn't Corban here to accuse me to my face?"

  "Because he said he didn't trust himself to only have you arrested. This is my first order of business, dirty business."

  "This is a mistake, Brauch. You know me. You've worked for me since before either of us were Christians!"

  "Only Chloe, Corban and you knew we were changing planes in Paris three weeks ago. There have been a lot of little signs that gave you away, Corban said."

  "Corban said? Come on, Brauch! Listen to yourself! You're going to listen to him when we've been friends for—"

  "It's ugly, I know. Do you know what decided your fate? That last night we were gathered in the hotel before Rahab went down. You didn't want to stick around for prayer. As careful as you've been, Abaddon, something that simple exposed you for who you are. Simple but powerful prayer."

  Brauch watched Rupert's face turn from calm to a twisted snarl.

  "You'll never prove anything." Rupert backed to his car. "For decades I've been here, and I have too much work left to do to be destroyed by some scumbag like you! I know the dirt of your past, how many you have killed and maimed. You're the one I've always been able to call a friend. Come with me now, Brauch! I promise you, I'll show you the resources at my disposal that will leave Corban's network looking like an anthill! Brauch, we can change the world, and crush the weakness that thrives under their God once and for all! We don't have to live in bondage any longer. Listen to me! I am your friend. I wouldn't lie to you."

  "You've lied to us all. However you've done this, whomever you've allowed to take root in your soul, I won't stop praying for you, Rupert. Yes, I was a terrible human being. You know that better than anyone does. But you also know that Christ changed me. And if He can change me, He can change you."

  "Change!" Rupert mocked with laughter. "I'll never change!"

  Rupert lunged at Brauch, the older man's keys between his fingers like spikes. He thrust the keys towards Brauch's eyes. Brauch took a step backwards, then grabbed Rupert's wrist and twisted him around. Now behind Rupert, Brauch held the traitor close to whisper into his ear.

  "You were like a father to me. I should have seen the darkness in you before now. But, I don't hate you, Abaddon. I pity you."

  Two police cars drove slowly into the parking lot.

  "A jail cell won't hold me, Brauch. I have powers that transcend this world! How do you think I brought everyone together against COIL the last couple years?"

  "Then transcend this," Brauch said, and thrust a tranquilizer dart from an NL-X1 rifle into Abaddon's backside.

  Rupert gasped and struggled, then was still. The police officers rushed forward and took the man from Brauch's arms. Brauch shook a sergeant's hand, then turned away toward his new office as he palmed his phone.

  **~~~**

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  "…And because we know Nathan 'Eagle Eyes' Isaacson and Quin 'Toad' LuDao had accepted the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ our Lord, we know we will see both of these men again. Brother?"

  The speaker, a missionary on leave from the Philippines, moved aside for Corban to stand between the two caskets of Nathan and Toad. The caskets were both symbolic and empty. Only Corban knew the details behind each. Normally, he would never speak without disguise in front of such a group of civilians; he preferred anonymity. But Chloe had insisted, and the family of Toad wanted it that way. Corban was the commander-in-chief of COIL, which made him, in a sense, responsible for their deaths. And while Toad's fiancee, Fon, was there with Toad's family, Nathan had no mate or direct blood relatives, but he had plenty of brothers and sisters, nonetheless. What was left of the Flash and Bang Team was gathered around the caskets. Milk, with his wife, Eve, was in a wheelchair, still recuperating from malnutrition and tuberculosis. Bruno and Scooter stood with their families, as well.

  June and Memphis, alone except for each other, stood on Corban's right. Chloe and her husband, Zvi, stood on his left. Janice and Jenna were behind Corban, as well as a few others who had known Nathan and Toad through their church or COIL.

  "We loved Nathan and Quin," Corban began. "Some of us bled with them and cried with them in distant lands. Their whole lives, they seemed to be at war, at conflict with the world. But when we look closer, we see that they loved their enemies. Refusing to compromise, they saved the lives of both friend and foe. They were strong, stubborn men for their God. When we stood beside them, they stood a little taller than we stood, not because they were proud, but because they were humble, and gave in service to their Lord and others. Quin and Nathan knew what it meant to serve Christ, and they followed in His footsteps when they laid down their lives. Proof of this is before us. There is no greater love than when a man lays down his life for his friends.

  "We will miss you, Quin. We will miss you, Nathan. But we praise God for the goodness you both left in your wake—your joy, your confidence, your faith. Until we meet again, my brothers…"

  Corban took two steps back and gripped his wife's hand.

  The gathering slowly dispersed after the side-by-side caskets were lowered into the ground. Near this same burial plot, a dozen other COIL operatives who had died while assisting others in times past had been laid to rest. And there were even more, like Alfred, or "Snake," who went unclaimed in death, but Corban remembered their sacrifice, and he wept for them when he was alone.

  Soon, the families left the graves until only the closest friends remained over the gaping holes. Milk, Bruno, Scooter, Memphis, June, Chloe, and Corban. Johnny had wanted to be there, but a shipment of Bibles for Libya had demanded his attention. Memphis would be joining him soon to continue their work together, doing recon and staging for COIL operatives worldwide.

  June was going through the steps of joining COIL officially as an employee under Chloe—a position worthy of her talents. Milk was on indefinite leave, with his wife, Eve, going through chemo, and him requiring more than a little time to recoup. Bruno and Scooter, the final two of the team, had already joined another COIL team formed from other ex-military Christians from America and elsewhere.

  The Dowler family had had to move again, taking up residence in another Queens' neighborhood. But some things were unavoidable.

  Turning, Corban peered across the huge Queens, New York, Calvary Cemetery, burial site to nearly three million people. On a knoll a quarter-mile away, he saw two tall men standing among the many headstones. The two had been there through the whole funeral, but were careful to not approach very close. Though they were too far away to identify, Corban knew who they were. He knew one was bald, and would be chewing gum, and the other had slanted eyebrows, and was leaning on a cane.

  Alone, Corban strolled slowly toward the two figures on the knoll, leaving the others behind at the gravesites. His phone rang and he saw it was a dreaded call he was expecting. He answered it.

  "Hello, Corban, this is Brauch. I hope the funeral went well."

  "For funerals, it was fine. We'll miss those two."

  "Well, Rupert is in custody. Operation Abaddon is finished. When will you be back in Europe?"

  "That depends on the next bout of strife against Christians. You'll be hearing from me, Brauch."

  Corban approached the two men on the knoll.

  "Good to see you up and around, Nathan," Corban said, stopping a couple paces from the two.

  Nathan flexed his knee, now in a knee brace.

  "I'm feeling better."

  "You two got my message, I take it." He nodded at Luigi Putelli. "I can think of no one better to teach you what you need to know, Nathan."

  "I'll miss the old days, Boss."

  "We all will."

  "Did that Xacsin fellow ever lead us to Abaddon, by any chance?"

/>   "It seems he did," Corban admitted, nodding. "Someone from COIL recently picked him up and turned him over to the Germans, along with the rest of Xacsin's people. We can't let our work—your work, the Lord's work—be interrupted by the Abaddons of this world, Nathan. I'll see you in Cairo in a month, and put you where you need to be."

  "Okay, Boss, I'll be ready."

  Corban gave one last look and nod at Luigi, then walked back down the hill, rejoining his people at the gravesite. When he glanced back a moment later, Luigi and Nathan were gone.

  ###

  **~~~**

  Appendix

  Voice of the Martyrs

  According to the Voice of the Martyrs websites, "in more than 40 nations around the world today, Christians are being persecuted for their faith. In some of these nations, it is illegal to own a Bible, to share your faith in Christ, to change your faith, or teach your children about Jesus. Those who boldly follow Christ—in spite of government edict or radical opposition—can face harassment, arrest, torture, and even death. Yet Christians continue to meet for worship and to witness for Christ, and the church in restricted nations is growing."

  One way that VOM is involved in getting God's Word to the persecuted is by covertly smuggling Bibles and Christian materials into closed countries, sometimes using Scripture balloons to drop coveted materials from the sky to places like North Korea. "One side of the balloon includes the text of Romans chapters 6-8, and the other side has a series of illustrations that shares the Good News."

  "Voice of the Martyrs is dedicated to assisting the persecuted church, and continues in this mission around the world today through the following main purposes:

  -To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for their involvement in propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by providing Bibles, literature, radio broadcasts, medical assistance, and other forms of aid.

  -To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs in these areas of the world.

  -To equip local Christians to love and win to Christ their enemies who are opposed to the gospel in countries where believers are actively persecuted for their Christian witness.

  -To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries that have formerly suffered Communist oppression.

  -To emphasize the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of atrocities committed against Christians and by remembering their courage and faith."

  **~~~**

  Be-A-Voice Network

  Become an advocate voice for the persecuted church in your church and community by becoming a member of VOM's Be-A-Voice Network. This network offers volunteer opportunities to people like you and me to help our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. If you are willing to PRAY, WRITE, or SHARE with others, then the Be-A-Voice Network is for you! See their website for ways you can help persecuted Christians.

  **~~~**

  Samaritan’s Purse

  As the fictional COIL team provided protection and help to the refugees in the Sudan in Dark Hearted, Samaritan's Purse provides real help for real needs. Check the SP website for many opportunities to help and/or give to these very worthy causes.

  Information on the Samaritan's Purse website tells of the "desperate conditions of the Jamam refugee camp in South Sudan. Samaritan's Purse is helping in the camp, home to 35,000 refugees who have fled fighting in the Southern Blue Nile region of Sudan."

  "Severe malnutrition is evident in many of the children arriving at the refugee camp in Yida, indicating that the campaign of violence in the Nuba Mountains is making it increasingly difficult for the people to find food.

  Samaritan's Purse is helping by providing therapeutic feeding for malnourished infants and young children in the camp."

  Other projects of Samaritan's Purse in Sudan:

  -"Refugee Relief – responding to the crisis by helping to meet critical needs at the two refugee camps, Yida and Doro, home to over 120,000 people who have fled the fighting in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. SP provides food, medical care, wells, sanitation, shelters, and other support.

  -Church Rebuilding Program – SP works side-by-side with local congregations to help rebuild churches that were destroyed during two decades of civil war.

  -Water Sanitation – SP coordinates efforts to drill wells in villages throughout South Sudan, supplying thousands of families with a source of clean, safe water.

  -Appropriate Technology Initiatives – Funded by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), this program provides agricultural enhancement training for people living in central Sudan. Training has included improved honey harvesting, ground nut shelling and paste making, solar drying, and fuel-efficient stove use. Technologies introduced to the communities include beehives, solar dryers, peanut butter makers, and oil presses. Thirty-six groups have been trained, with another five currently undergoing training.

  -Life Skills Training Initiatives – This OFDA-funded program provides training in automotive mechanics, welding, masonry, and construction to assist returnees who have experienced internal displacement and are recovering from the country's civil war. In coordination with community leaders, Samaritan's Purse selects trainees with the ambition of learning new skills to provide needed services for the community. Beneficiaries are trained in a skill that will assist the community in the reintegration and rebuilding process. Greater investment in residences and businesses fosters a greater desire for peace. SP has trained 34 welders and established 17 welding shops. Thirty-three mechanics have been trained, including 11 women. Fifteen people are receiving masonry training."

  **~~~**

  A note from D.I. Telbat:

  I'm thankful to God for the ministries of Voice of the Martyrs, Samaritan's Purse, and many other like-minded organizations, and countless individuals, who reach out to the afflicted and persecuted. If we aren't able to participate firsthand, we can pray and give wherever we can.

  Pray for the many believers who face persecution. They need God's protection, provision, and encouragement. And pray that God will use these afflicted believers to reach even their tormentors with the Gospel of Christ. – David Telbat

  **~~~**

  Donating a Portion

  My desire is to help support ministries that come alongside persecuted Christians in distant lands. For this reason, I am donating a portion from the sale of the COIL books to both Samaritan's Purse, and Voice of the Martyrs. May the honor and glory be His.

  FREE DOWNLOADS

  Click here to get a FREE DARK HEARTED CASTLE MAP to follow the exciting mission! (or go to http://ditelbat.com/dark-hearted-castle-map/) Also, if you've not yet read Dark Liaison, A Christian Suspense Novel, Book One if the COIL Series, you can download the DARK LIAISON CHAPTER 1 here. Enjoy!

  **~~~**

  We hope you enjoyed DARK HEARTED, Book Two in the COIL Series! Please tell David!

  Subscribe to TELBAT'S TABLET at http://ditelbat.com for NEWS of D.I. Telbat's next books, FREE weekly stories, and free GIFTS! Please visit D.I. Telbat at his Amazon Author Central page, and on the COIL Series page on Smashwords.

  *~*

  Other Books by D.I. Telbat

  DARK LIAISON, Book One in the COIL Series

  DARK RULE, Book Three in the COIL Series

  DARK VESSEL, Book Four in the COIL Series

  JAGUAR DUSK, a Christian Special Forces Novel

  GOD'S COLONEL, an End Times Novel

  SEA SCRIBE, a High Seas Mission Suspense

  COIL Extractions, a FREE Short Story Collection

  BELIEVERS' BOOT CAMP, Serialized Novel, a Chapter a Week on Telbat's Tablet

  (at conclusion of serial in 2014, it will be made into an ebook.)

  **~~~**

  About the Author

  D.I. Telbat desires to honor the Lord with his life and his writing. His published short stories can be read in several print and
online publications, and anthologies, and he has won several writing awards. At this time, D.I. Telbat lives in CA, but keeps his home base in the Northwest where his assistant, Dee, lives, and helps with his publishing and editing needs. See a complete biography on his site at http://ditelbat.com/about/.

  CONTACT

  Website/blog: http://ditelbat.com/contact/

  Follow us on Twitter! @DITelbat

  *~*

  BONUS! Chapter One from DARK RULE,

  Book Three in the COIL Series!

  NEXT PAGE!

  DARK RULE

  Book Three in the COIL Series

  by D.I. Telbat

  Bonus Chapter One

  Nathan Isaacson sat in the cockpit of the bright red floatplane he had been told to procure in Cairns. From the outside, it looked like any other floatplane, but inside, Nathan admired fresh welds and a complete airbag deployment system recently installed into the control panel. An airbag in a plane? What was Corban Dowler up to now?

  The dock to which the plane was tied in the small Australian harbor rocked unnaturally in the water. Looking up, Nathan saw Corban in a white baseball cap, a black briefcase in his hand. Nathan hadn't seen the ex-CIA agent for months, but it comforted him to see that the aging man hadn't changed. Their world of international espionage was in a constant state of change, but God's people seemed to be in a constant state of changeless zeal.