by McNeil, Nick
The prophet threw his hands in the air. “Certainly, there has been a miscommunication.”
“Have every single one of your men unload,” the second lieutenant commanded. “Leave all firearms inside the buses.”
“Okay, okay. Yes. Most certainly.” Gideon stepped back with his arms up. “Please do not act rash. We plan to cooperate in every single way. Please.” Gideon kept walking backwards. “Just let me speak with them. They won’t be scared hearing it from me.”
“You have literally one minute. If your people aren’t stepping off within that time—” the second lieutenant licked his lips “—my tank over there is going to light your asses up like a Christmas tree. Do I make myself clear?”
“We are on the same side, I assure you.” Gideon turned and strutted toward the white buses. He scurried aboard and quickly grabbed the intercom microphone.
“Is everything okay?” Elijah trembled.
“My people, my children, in the light of evil we are taught to turn our cheek.” Gideon ignored his fellow prophet and spoke over the intercom and to all four buses. “But what happens when you have turned both cheeks? What happens when turning the cheek yet again directly goes against the wishes and commands of the Lord?” Gideon panted, as he was out of breath. “There are times when we must forego certain teachings and do what we know is right, to keep the mission of the Lord at bay.” Gideon looked out at the army platoon and continued to deliver his message. “Today the devil has presented himself in a new light. The scriptures remind us that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” Gideon grabbed his rifle. “Today, you will give your life for the Lord. I will give my life to the Lord. Because it is not important or significant in comparison to his plan. We are not the plan, just a part of the plan.”
The second lieutenant as well as a dozen foot soldiers started to approach the buses.
“Do not surrender your weapons. Do not cooperate. When the first stone is cast, all may follow,” Gideon shouted frantically. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
The soldiers drew closer.
“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.”
The second lieutenant bashed open the bus door and stepped in. “What did I warn you about?” He reached to his hip, pulled out a handgun, and struck Gideon across the forehead.
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy.” Gideon fell back. “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord,” he cried, blood rushing from his head.
The Sons of Salvation opened fire within the bus. The second lieutenant and his dozen men were plowed to the ground by over seventy men firing away. Before the soldiers even had a chance to return fire, they lay lifeless on the ground, and the Sons trampled over them as they poured out of the bus. Gideon’s body was quickly escorted out of the back of the bus.
Elijah and two helpers carried Gideon into the forest. One of the escorts carried a long dark-green RPG trainer. Men flooded out of the buses like a swarm of cockroaches being smoked out. Gunfire from the tops of the multipurpose vehicles sounded off; Sons of Salvation dropped like flies.
The temperature rose, and a thick black mushroom cloud floated into the sky. Metal from one of the white buses sprayed in all directions, launching shards of metal into Gideon’s men. Pieces of bus pierced some men all the way through, ending their lives on the spot. The tank fired again. The sound wasn’t loud or splitting, yet still caused an earsplitting blow to the eardrums of all those nearby. Another bus exploded. An onslaught of gunfire continued to rain over the buses from the two vehicles.
“Sir, are you alright?” Elijah held Gideon’s head in his lap.
Gideon sat up; his head whirled. “The Lord gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
Men screamed in agony as they held their detached limbs in their arms. Ears and eyes melted off the faces of those who called themselves Sons of Salvation. Their skin melted into the pavement, and blood filled the streets like a fresh wave that crashed ashore. The gunfire ceased, and not a living man could be seen in the streets.
“My people,” Gideon cried. “Lord, do not be angry with me.” The old man buried his face in his hands. The shrieks of his children rattled around in his brain. Scores of fellow men lay facedown from the bullets lodged in their backs. “Let me please make one more request. Allow me one test with the fleece on my fellow man.” Gideon crawled to the nearest injured man he could find.
“Sir, please, let me help you,” Elijah cried out.
“Make my hands dry and let the cloth be covered in blood. Leave me dry when what I touch is wet, and then I will know that you will save us all by my hand.” Gideon placed his hand over the bleeding bullet wound of his fellow Son. He lifted his hand and observed his palm—there was no blood. He rose to his feet and surveyed the battlefield. The screams of dying men were all that could be heard, and even those were subsiding. Dozens of Sons were woven throughout the woodlands, surrounding the soldiers on two sides. Gideon grabbed a rifle off the ground. “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He opened fire. In the blink of an eye the Sons of Salvation poured out of the woods and invaded the army vehicles like termites.
The soldiers opened fire, but it was no use. The first men in line happily sacrificed their lives, dying with a smile. The Sons opened the vehicle doors and tore the soldiers out. They ripped their limbs off and clawed out their eyes like a pack of animals. They wore the blood like a trophy, sticking their hands inside the soldiers’ corpses, just to rub the blood all over their faces. The tank fired blindly into the forest, plowing down more trees than people.
“I have defeated more with less.” Gideon tossed his rifle to Elijah. “Bring it to me.” The old man walked like he’d aged twenty years in reverse. His voice was stern and his body did not tremble. He seemed more comfortable than in his own home.
Elijah, without a word, opened his back and pulled out a 40mm head for a rocket-propelled grenade. The escort with the green trainer opened it up and handed the weapon over. Elijah grabbed it by the wooden heat shield and loaded the grenade into it. He delivered the loaded weapon to Gideon. The old man snatched the RPG and walked into the middle of the street. The main gun on the tank was pointed in an entirely different direction.
Gideon took aim. “The Lord is my strength and my song. He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him!” He launched the rocket-propelled projectile at the tracks of the tank. The grenade connected, exploding the links off the road wheels, killing dozens of his own men. Gideon grabbed a rifle off a dead carcass and advanced towards the damaged army tank.
Despite the blast, the Sons of Salvation continued to crawl over and swarm the tank. The vehicle could hardly be seen under the number of individuals climbing all over it. They busted open the hatch and climbed through the cupola. The tank stopped moving. The dozens of men cooperated as though they were one mind. Eight soldiers were dragged out of the tank and stripped of their gear, their limbs and skin nearly ripped off along with the fabric. The soldiers were left with nothing but their briefs and were lined up shoulder to shoulder, on their knees. A black haze clouded over the battleground, and every man alive was covered in someone else’s blood. The Sons of Salvation formed a circle with their weapons drawn and aimed at the eight soldiers.
Gideon stood a couple of steps in front of the soldiers, Elijah and Aaron at his sides. “Give the command, sir, and we will finish this,” Elijah hissed.
“We were just following orders,” a soldier cried out. “We didn’t mean it.”
Another man spoke up, his voice did not tremble, and no fear
could be seen in his eyes. He looked at Gideon. “You did not comply with agreed-upon terms. You fired first.” He turned and looked at the soldier who’d cried out. “We will not be confused with who is in the wrong right now.”
“Just as you, I was following orders as well.” Gideon rolled up his sleeves. “Just as you, we believe we are in the right.”
“They killed hundreds of our brothers.” Aaron shook his rifle while maintaining aim at the soldiers. “Please, Gideon. End this.”
“It was never God’s will for us to kill these soldiers today. Our mission was to bring Abraham home. Not to kill those who defended us in our old lives.” Gideon pulled out a handkerchief and cleared the blood from his face. “The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.”
Aaron lowered his weapon and inched next to Gideon. “You aren’t honestly considering letting them go?”
Gideon paced in a circle around the soldiers. “Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you. Focus your thoughts on those things that are considered noble.” The old man gestured for his Sons to lower their arms. “As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone. Don’t take revenge, dear friends. Instead, let God’s anger take care of it.” He placed his hand on the back of one soldier’s head. “After all, Scripture says God alone has the right to take revenge. And that only He will pay back onto those who have done ill against Him or His people.”
“The United States Army is taking back this country.” One soldier spoke out. “You may walk away today, but you’ll get what’s coming to you.”
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” The prophet ignored the remarks of the man and stood in front of the soldiers. “There are no coincidences, only the will of the Lord. Today, many have fallen. However, you are alive. God has brought you to me for a reason. So I leave you with a choice. Die a sinner, or repent and come with me.” Gideon stood up. His followers remained kneeling. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
“Fuck you.” A soldier spat on the ground.
Gideon looked to Aaron and nodded. Without hesitation Aaron took aim and placed a round between the soldier’s eyes.
“His decision has been made,” Gideon shouted. “Now it is time for your judgment.” He raised his hands over the heads of the other soldiers. “Stand before your brothers and join me, or stay kneeling and remain true to your values and your beliefs. Stay kneeling and deny that God gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The soldiers held their ground. A couple of them allowed tears to run down their faces, but no one lashed out, no one stood up. Gideon raised his hand, and seven men walked up behind each soldier and placed the barrel of their guns against the soldiers’ heads. One soldier spoke out. “Si vis pacem para bellum,” he bellowed.
Gideon smiled and dropped his arm. The seven Sons pulled their triggers and spread the brains of the army soldiers across the pavement. Their bodies all thudded against the ground at the same time.
Gideon turned and called to Elijah, “Give me a head count and let me know if either of those buses still work. The Lord works out everything to its proper end, even the wicked for a day of disaster.”
The old man hobbled to one of the multi-use vehicles and leaned against the hood, despite neither of them being functional from when he’d blasted the tank. His ears rang, and he couldn’t differentiate any of the sounds he heard—everything sounded like one painful noise. He felt liquid dripping from his nose. He tapped his hand against his upper lip and observed his blood-covered fingers. His head felt light and his knees wanted to buckle. His sense of time and balance were lost.
“Gideon.” Aaron rubbed the prophet’s back. “Are you alright?” He held a canteen up to his lips, and the old man took a sip.
“One of the buses still works,” Elijah proclaimed while running over to Aaron and Elijah. “We have lost an irreplaceable number of brothers, sir. But we still have fifty-eight men, not including us three.”
“We lost four-fifths of our brothers.” Aaron shifted from one foot to another. “Maybe the Lord will forgive us if we turn back. He must understand.”
Gideon smiled and placed his hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Jones’ Residence, Pierce County, Washington
6:35 a.m.
“Take one end of the wire around your finger and make a small loop around it, like this.” Mr. Jones held up a three-foot-long string of aluminum wire. “You want to bend the wire back on itself at the end here, and twist it around a few times to hold the wire in place. This is what creates the slipknot loop.” Clementine studied Abraham like he was her favorite professor, and Levi studied Clementine like she was his favorite classmate. “Then we take the opposite end of the wire and we slip it right through the slipknot. Now we have this great circle.” Mr. Jones showed off the wiring.
“A really great loop, Mr. Jones,” Clementine cheered sarcastically.
“Please.” Abe put his hand over his chest. “Call me Abraham.”
Clementine chuckled. “Sure thing, Mr. Jones.” Levi looked at Clementine. The sun seemed to go out of its way just to hit her skin perfectly.
“We then want to tighten this little sucker like a noose. If it’s too big, that pesky rabbit will simply jump right through,” Abraham continued. “Do you still have those sticks we found, Levi?”
“Yep, right here.” Levi bent over and placed two sticks into the ground and a third across the top of them, creating a small doorway out of branches.
“You want to keep it about seven to eight inches off the ground.” Mr. Jones tied his snare to the horizontal branch. “Now, a stupid little rabbit will be hopping along, and when he jumps through here, his weight will tighten the loop shut.”
“Won’t it just…” Clementine bobbed her head side to side. “Hop around the trap?”
“It happens,” Abe replied. “If there is ever a hole in a gate or some sort of natural hole in something, that always works the best.” He picked up nearby twigs and branches with leaves, “But we can make a little pathway that kinda leads them through the trap, just like this.”
“Splendid.” Clementine clapped her hands but did so in a soft enough manner not to make any sounds. “Now when can we boil up some rabbits?”
“That’s the shitty part.” Abraham made a look like he smelled something foul. “It can take a solid twenty-four hours. And you also have to hope another animal doesn’t come and eat what we caught.”
“That’s why we are going hunting for some deer this morning,” Levi chimed in. “It’s good to set traps like these while doing active hunting or another task. It’s a great way to keep the source of food rolling.”
“If you’re ever up for some scales, I can catch a fish with a twig, vine, and a worm.” Clementine smirked as she checked her nails for dirt.
“You’re perfect.” Levi blushed and wanted to shove the words back into his mouth. Clementine gave him a small wink.
“Okay, okay.” Abe walked between Clementine and Levi and marched forward. “Let’s get going. If I don’t kill this buck right now, then someone else will.”
Clementine held in her laugh. She smiled at Levi and shrugged, then proceeded to follow Abraham.
“Show me that feeding trail,” Levi blurted, blushing yet again at his failure to be smooth. “I guess luckily for us, we don’t have to worry about killing a doe versus a buck anymore.”
Abraham stopped walking and turned around, his pointer finger over his lips. He walked as quickly as he could while keeping his silence. He put his back to a tree and slid down to the ground. Levi and Clementine walked to him while crouching. He beckoned them with his finger. “There are nine total men heading to our home right now,” Abe whispered. “We need
to act quick and smart. No one in that house is awake, which means no one is armed.”
Levi’s body felt like it was shaking, although when he looked down at his hands, they were steady. His breathing felt out of control, yet he still inhaled through his nostrils and not his mouth. He poked his head just above a bush they were ducked behind. The nine men separated from one another and surrounded the entire property. Two of them stood on the roof while the others covered the ground. He crouched back down. “I can make the shot.” Levi drew his hunting rifle. “I can only kill one of them. But hopefully it’s enough to wake up Amelia and the others and to distract these guys for a moment or two.”
“I can too,” Abraham assured him. “It’s a good plan, and we don’t have time to brainstorm. We will take out the two on the roof. One, two, three, and then shoot,” Abe confirmed. The two men went into a kneeling position, placing their rear knee on the ground. They used their other leg to support the elbow of the forward arm. “One, two…” Abraham did a slow blink. “Three.” The men exhaled and pulled their triggers in unison.
Red mist sprayed out the back of the two men’s craniums. The men’s lifeless bodies rolled down the grassy roof and onto the dirt. Their bodies landed within the U-shaped part of the house. The other seven men scattered to one side of the house, away from the front door and out of the direct line of fire of Levi and Abraham.
“I don’t have a clear shot.” Abe’s eye stayed pressed to the scope.
One of the burglars opened fire on a back window, gaining the men entry into the home. “Neither do I.” Levi opened fire anyways, puncturing the last man trying to climb into their house.
“Nice shot.” Abe sprang to his feet. “There are six of them left, and they know we are out here. I presume some of them will be looking for us to make entry. And the rest will be capturing the others.” He refilled his magazine. “Unfortunately, we only have hunting rifles, which leaves us in a bad gunfight predicament.”