Persecution: God's Other Children. Book 2

by Rob Mclean

  “But…” Angela tried to say that the envoy was very human like, but Zeke’s wasn’t listening.

  “Anyway,” he squeezed her hands tighter. Angela listened more closely. “That night I lost my faith. I was thinking everything I believed was wrong, and on top of that, aliens had come to destroy our world.” He looked into her eyes seeking understanding. “I guess I just lost it.”

  “And the tablets?”

  “Yeah, Blake thought it was the end of the world too and I suppose he didn’t want to die a virgin, so he got Rhoies instead of what you wanted.”

  “But who drugged me?” Angela asked.

  Zeke bowed his head. “I did.”

  “But why? You already had me willingly. Why would you want anyone else?”

  “No! No one else, just you.” A pained look marred his face. “It’s always been just you.”

  “What then?” Angela wanted to remind him that she had given herself to him in every way womanly possible.

  Zeke let go of her hands and looked away.

  “I don’t understand?” she searched his face for some sort of clue.

  “Forget it.” He went back to watching the people coming and going.

  “I don’t know what more you could want from me?”

  “Nothing, don’t worry ‘bout it.” His apologetic tone had evaporated under her questioning, but she didn’t want to let up.

  “If those tablets were for me…”

  Zeke’s gaze returned as she thought out aloud.

  “What could you want to do with me that we couldn’t do with me awake?”

  “Forget it. You don’t understand. It doesn’t matter.”

  “But I thought we were good, you know, in that department.” Angela’s questioning expression implored an answer. “I can’t imagine what else I could do to keep you happy.”

  Zeke snorted out a stifled laugh. “One of the things I like most about you is your innocence.”

  “What then?”

  “Let’s just say two out of three will have to do.” He gave her a condescending pat on her hand.

  It took a moment for Angela to work out what he was on about, and then she yanked her hands away and screwed up her face.

  “Oh God, how can you even think about doing that? What’s wrong with you? Are you gay or something?”

  “No, of course not,” Zeke snapped, puffing out his chest.

  “Then why would you want to do that? It’s a sin.”

  “Yes it is,” Zeke said trying to put some patience in his terse voice, “and that’s why I wouldn’t normally do anything like that.”

  “But, you just said…”

  “Yeah, but things weren’t normal, were they?” He paused to give her time to think, but words failed her.

  “We all thought it was a real alien invasion and we were all going to die.”

  “And your dying wish was to… to do that?”

  “No, but that’s the power Satan can have if we let him.”

  “Satan?”

  “Yeah, that night I felt like I’d been tricked into being good all my life by this fear of God.” He shrugged out the explanation. “So, I guess it was a sort of acting out. You know, rebelling against a fake God and controlling parents.”

  “So it’s only because you’ve now rediscovered God that stops you from doing… that?” Angela had hoped that her mother might be wrong, but it did seem that there was an evil beast inside every man.

  ‘Even John?’ her inner voice asked.

  ‘It was probably one of the things his porn-star girlfriend needed help with,’ Angela answered, reaffirming her own cynicism.

  “Isn’t that what keeps everyone in line?” Zeke asked with a matter-of-fact tone.

  “No, not me.” Angela let her disdain show. “And for the record, I’ll never agree to doing that.” She crossed her arms for emphasis.

  “No,” he leaned forward and took her hands again, “and I wouldn’t want you to. Don’t you get it? I wouldn’t want to either; it was a night of madness. Satan whispered in my ear and I was weak.”

  “But…” Angela wanted to say that the Devil would only tempt you with whatever it was you really desired, but she held her tongue.

  “Look, I messed up that night and now I’m trying to say sorry, okay babe?”

  Angela heard the sincerity of his words. It really did sound like he regretted the things that happened that night and wanted to make up for it. She felt her heart opening up.

  “Okay,” she nodded.

  “So we’re good now?” he asked hopefully.

  “Hmmm, we’ll see.” Angela didn’t want to commit fully just yet. She knew how mercurial his moods were.

  “Hey, now they’re selling the bookshop, you should come work with me.”

  “What, on some construction site?”

  “Nah, that’d be too much of a distraction for the guys,” he grinned. “I was thinking more like in the office.”

  “That could work,” she said. “The money would be good, at least until we move.”

  “Move? I ain’t going anywhere.”

  “But the church is leaving town.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not, and neither is my job.”

  “Oh, okay…”

  “Guess I’ll have to marry you, if only to keep you from moving away,” Zeke grinned at his own humour. “Can’t wait to see the look on my folks faces when we tell them.”

  “There you go again assuming,” Angela said.

  “I don’t want you to be thinking like that,” Zeke said emphatically.

  “Like what?”

  “Like I’m taking you for granted. You were right about us getting right with God, now that it’s the Last Days and all.”

  A gnawing feeling of wrongness made Angela frown. She should feel good that Zeke was admitting she had been right, but…

  “So, we have to get married.”

  “Have to?”

  “Okay,” Zeke shrugged. “Should, we should get married, and soon.”

  “Is that a proposal?” Angela looked about the bland coffee shop, desperately hoping to find something romantic about the situation.

  “Well, yeah, I guess,” Zeke cringed. “Okay, it’s not textbook, but at least it’s spontaneous?”

  “Where’s the ring?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Zeke shrugged apologetically. “Haven’t got one - yet. I thought we’d go shopping together and get you the one you wanted. You know what bad taste I have.”

  “Hmmm, okay.” It wasn’t exactly a ‘down on bended knee’ sort of proposal she had in mind, but she felt at least his heart seemed in the right place.

  “So is that a ‘yes’ then?”

  “We’ll see.”

  “What does that mean?” Zeke sounded suitable offended.

  “It’s a definite maybe,” Angela said airily, doing her best princess impersonation.

  It was the only way she could think of avoiding giving him a definite answer. She did want to get married, it had been her dream since she had first started going out with Zeke. But then John came into her life and now she wasn’t as sure as she used to be.

  So much had changed, for both of them in the couple of months since the alien AntiChrist had arrived. They had lived their lives so closely together before, but they had both changed. Now, in some ways, she felt it was a bit like a first date. ‘A new start,’ she hoped.

  “Have you asked my father?”

  “Oh, I see. You want to do this all traditional,” Zeke said with sudden wisdom. “We’ll go see them as soon as we’re finished here.”

  “And how are your family?” Angela asked. The thought of seeing his parents again, in particular being civil to his virulent mother, Carolyn, was a dread she knew she would have to face if she were ever to get married to Zeke. Maybe they could elope?

  Zeke snorted derisively.

  “My parents,” he scowled and shook his head, “are a pair of losers. Chels would have told you they’re not going to church anymore, but
did she tell you that they aren’t even Christians anymore?”

  “Yeah, something about only going to church for the business contacts. Networking,” Angela said, remembering how Chelsea had been when she first told her and Christie about it.

  “But,” Zeke added with a vicious grin, “It pisses my folks that we might be getting back together.”

  “Great,” Angela shook her head.

  “But Chels is stoked.”

  ‘Not stoked enough to get in touch though,’ Angela silently grumbled. Outwardly she smiled.

  “And,” he continued, “the ‘family’ business is doing just fine.” He jangled his keys to his 4x4 beast by way of proof. “There’s a lot of urban renewal going on with all the churches being seized.”

  “You still working with them?”

  “Yeah.” The distaste in his voice was mirrored on his face. “But I need the money and it’s a good cover.”

  “Cover?”

  “Yeah, for the real work I’m doing now.”

  “Which is?”

  Zeke cast another furtive glance around the café. “You know how that so called alien ‘envoy’ is coming here to L.A.?”

  “Yeah, and?”

  A grin slowly spread across his face as he leant in close to whisper, “We’re going to kill him.”

  Chapter 44

  Angela had let Zeke pick her up for the combined churches service. He was adamant they should keep going to church as long as possible and this service was supposed to be a show of solidarity and strength.

  He and Chelsea had moved out from their parents’ house into a three bedroom low-rent aluminium-clad place nearer to his work offices. They had swung by to show her their new accommodation. Although Zeke still had all his electronic comforts and gadgets, they stood out in contrast to the dingy, stained walls and carpets, as if waiting to be burgled.

  Both Zeke and Chelsea had clothes all over their bedroom floors. Dishes had piled up in and around the kitchen sink like two opposing towers of a determined debate over whose turn it was to wash them.

  If they didn’t miss their parents, they sure looked like they missed Mrs G, their old housekeeper.

  Seeing Angela’s poorly disguised lack of enthusiasm for their new place, Zeke said, “It’s only temporary. We pay cash for rent and they don’t ask for too many details.”

  “Oh, okay…” Angela said, not understanding.

  “We’ll be needing to keep moving,” Zeke answered with a sidelong glance to his sister, “Just in case.”

  “Hey, you could join us and move in too,” Chelsea had suggested, forgetting completely Angela’s need to help her parents. She smiled and politely declined, she could see herself easily becoming the new housekeeper.

  “C’mon,” Zeke said, “we’ll be late for church.”

  *

  They were meeting at a school that had, until the referendum, been part of a Lutheran church. Recent removal of all religious paraphernalia had left pale cross-shaped outlines on walls.

  Angela understood that the school principal and the school board, sympathetic Lutherans, had allowed multi-denominational services to be held in the school gymnasium, but it had been with the understanding that it was only a temporary arrangement. No-one knew how long it would be before the authorities would outlaw these sort of gatherings.

  Even with the combined congregations of all the nearby churches, the numbers were so reduced that they didn’t fill the gymnasium. Only three quarters of the rows of plastic seats were taken with skittish people nervously eyeing each other.

  Angela’s parents had decided to not go with them to church today. They claimed it was too hard for Geoff to climb up into Zeke’s 4x4 monster truck, but Angela wondered if it was her Dad’s way of avoiding spending time with a future son in law he didn’t really like.

  How did she think her marriage to Zeke would work if her father didn’t approve? A pragmatic part of her knew he wouldn’t be around much longer – it was unlike him to miss church for any reason, but his health had faded such that an outing like this had become a huge logistical undertaking. One that John somehow managed, she reminded herself.

  Again she asked herself, ‘Am I making a big mistake choosing Zeke?’ So many things felt wrong, but the sensible reasons scrolled down in her mind.

  She lifted her eyes to the heavens for inspiration, but saw only a deflated basketball trapped in the wire protecting the fluoro lights.

  Next to her, Zeke was talking to his sister Chelsea. Across the aisle, Christy sat with her parents as Aaron was up with the band. Although surrounded by friends, Angela still felt lonely. Maybe wishful thinking and she knew it was silly, but she had a feeling about John, a premonition of sorts. She had an image of his handsome features marred by worry. She shared his feeling of trepidation about something so strongly that she stood and stretched, all the while taking a surreptitious look among the faces for John. She straightened her dress before sitting back down with a sigh.

  “He’s not here then?” Zeke asked.

  “Who?” Angela felt her face redden. She decided not to try to pretend when she saw Zeke’s stony expression.

  “John?” Angela gave him an incredulous look. “Why would he be here?”

  “Yeah, why, I wonder?” Zeke’s sarcasm mirrored her faux sincerity. “Don’t think he’s the sort of guy to give up easily, do you?”

  “I wouldn’t know.” The honesty of her answer added to her feelings of melancholy.

  “Well, I wouldn’t.” He gave her a side hug. With his free hand he turned her chin towards him and before she could protest, kissed her.

  Impulsively, she tried to turn away, but he held her firmly. “Zeke, we’re in church.”

  “Later then,” he grinned, undeterred by her protests. He let his arm fall from her as they waited for the start of the service.

  Pastor Greg, seated up the front, had been speaking quietly with leaders from other churches. All their congregations had thinned so that it was almost becoming a case of ‘too many chiefs and not enough Indians.’

  Angela watched as some sort of consensus was reached amongst the leaders. Whether it was because of his seniority, or age, or even the size of his flock, the other leaders deferred to Pastor Greg and gestured for him to take the microphone and speak first.

  A hush fell over the crowd as he switched on the microphone and tested it by tapping it in his hand. A squeal of feed-back caused many to groan and wince. It was hastily adjusted and brought a quick apologetic motion from Pastor Greg.

  “Sorry,” he said tentatively, then satisfied that the mic had been tamed, went on to say it was because they hadn’t the time to have it set up properly.

  “Everything has been done in such a rush, it’s a miracle of sorts that we are able to hold a service today at all.”

  “Praise the Lord,” bellowed one of the church leaders seated behind Pastor Greg, a portly middle-aged man with a vibrant white moustache that stood out against his darker skin. An emphatic chorus of ‘hallelujahs’ followed.

  “And praise to all our helpers,” Pastor Greg added with a nod to the technicians working the sound mixer and the ushers standing by the doors. A quieter ripple of applause followed.

  “Firstly, I’d like to welcome you all here today to this, our first combined service. We come together from many different faiths, united, to share in God’s glory and to worship Him.”

  “Can I get a witness?” the same church leader boomed. His rounded tummy seemed to amplify his voice.

  An eruption of ‘amens’ responded on cue from a tight section towards the front of the otherwise merged congregation.

  “Thank you, Pastor Jonas,” Pastor Greg directed his words to the same vocal group of followers. If they minded being hushed by a ‘foreign’ pastor, they didn’t show it. Angela smiled inwardly at the territorial display of human nature amongst even the supposedly more enlightened of people.

  “Thank you everyone.” A welcoming smile appeared on his face, but it d
idn’t reach his eyes, which still had a sadness behind them. “Thank you all for coming today. I know how hard it’s been for many of you and I appreciate your faith, as I’m sure does our Lord…”

  “Amen,” Pastor Jonas’s baritone voice boomed out, followed by those of his congregation.

  Pastor Greg’s forced smile stiffened.

  “Wish they’d just shut the blazes up,” Zeke said in a voice too loud.

  “Zeke!” Angela glared at him. “Let them be.”

  Zeke shook his head but kept quiet as Pastor Greg resumed.

  “Now before we begin, I have to go through a few housekeeping items. The fire exits are the main doors you all came in through and the ones along the sides of the hall with the big green ‘Exit’ signs over them.” Pastor Greg ran his hand over the little hair he had. “Pretty obvious, I would have thought, but I have to mention it.” A few cynical ripples of laughter followed.

  “Also the prayer cards are on the tables in the foyer and are also on your seats, you may have seen them as you came in.” Then he added, “or you might be sitting on them and wondering why the chair feels so uncomfortable.”

  A few more sincere laughs and Angela wondered if Pastor Greg was deliberately trying to lighten the mood of the congregation. She knew as well as anyone else here that there was a long fight ahead against the worldly persecutions. She had to admit, it was a depressing prospect and enough to make almost anyone give up, but to his credit, the Pastor was at least trying.

  Then, as if he could hear her thoughts, Pastor Greg sought her out in the crowd and with a smile, added, “And finally, before we begin, and most joyously, I wish to announce the engagement of two members of our church.”

  He indicated with an open hand to Angela and Zeke. All faces turned to them.

  “You didn’t tell me…” Angela began to say, but Zeke just grinned at his little surprise.

  Faces around her shone with happiness and joy at their news. People clapped and some cheered. She felt the outpouring of love from those of her own church, the people she knew and loved in her own way, but also from total strangers. Their faces beamed out as much love and encouragement as those she knew, but also hope. Hope in a future filled with happiness.