The Countdown Begins

by Patrick Higgins

  “Surprise!” Tamika shouted.

  “What are you doing here?” Brian was overjoyed and became teary-eyed.

  Tamika climbed out of the truck. “Mind if I call this place home, too?”

  “Are you serious?” Jacquelyn shot a curious look at Charles.

  Calloway nodded yes.

  Brian was unable to erase the smile on his face. “Did you bring Cocoa?”

  Tamika nodded yes. “He’s sleeping in the truck.” Her eyes surveyed her new surroundings. It looked exactly like she saw it in her dreams. To see it materialize before her very eyes was simply amazing. She knew it was God.

  “Can I call it home, too?” Tom Dunleavey asked. He was having similar thoughts as Tamika.

  “Of course, brother Tom.” It took all Brian’s strength to not start sobbing tears of joy. “This is answered prayer! Welcome to Chadds Ford! So nice having you both here. Cocoa too!”

  Jacquelyn eyeballed Charles Calloway, “Where did you and Tamika end up going the day of our wedding?”

  Charles shifted his gaze to Travis Hartings. Jacquelyn’s eyes followed his. Hartings nodded for Charles to proceed. “We were taken to an ETSM cabin in Tennessee.”

  “Is that where you’ve been all this time?”

  Calloway nodded yes. “After the U-Haul truck was loaded at your house, brother Tom drove it to Tennessee.”

  Tom Dunleavey said, “That’s where Tamika and I officially became ETSM members. I was then invited to join Pastor Simonton wherever he ends up purchasing property. But given my situation I wanted to be as far away from the state of Michigan as possible. I pleaded with Travis and Clayton to send me wherever the two of you were.” He looked at the two ETSM leaders, “Thanks for honoring my wishes, brothers.”

  Travis Hartings said, “In the end, you were right, Tom. This is a better fit for you. Tamika too. Braxton keeps insisting we should keep close friends together to limit communication from one safe house to another.

  “Besides, from what I’m told, Brian and Jacquelyn need all the help they can get. After the week the four of you had, now more than ever, you need each other.”

  “Amen to that!” Mulrooney practically shouted.

  “Just hope some of the members from my former church will be invited to come here too. Many are having dreams and have already been cleared to join the ETSM.”

  Clayton Holmes nodded, “One day at a time, brother Tom.”

  Travis Hartings said, “One of our staff doctors, Doctor Meera Singh, examined Tamika’s leg. She was given an antibiotic injection for her leg and a dextrose IV to provide nutrition to her frail body.”

  Tamika smiled, “Doc said my leg’s gonna be fine. She got to it just in time. Had I waited any longer, I could be in serious trouble.”

  “Thank you, Lord, for the medical provision,” Brian said.

  Travis Hartings looked out in the distance. “You were right, Brian. It sure is beautiful here.”

  Tom Dunleavey said, “Indeed it is...”

  Everyone looked tired after the long drive; yet the joyous expressions on their faces greatly comforted the newlyweds.

  After the many disparaging remarks made about them on social media, being surrounded by friendly faces was just what Brian and Jacquelyn needed.

  Especially Jacquelyn. For the first time since her wedding, she was able to smile. Her eyes smiled with her. A wave of relief washed over her. “Why don’t you park the vehicles at the back of the property where we’re staying?”

  Travis Hartings said, “Speaking of vehicles, Jacquelyn, consider them gifts from TH Corporation. But with one stipulation...”

  “What’s that?”

  “That you trade your personal vehicles for them. They’ll be sold through TH Corporation.”

  “No problem. Jacquelyn and I have already concluded that we need to get rid of them. Especially my car.”

  “That would be correct, Brian. You and Tamika both need to stay off the road at all costs.”

  “Can I at least drive one of the vehicles back to the house?”

  Hartings laughed. “Sure. Take the truck I drove. After the long drive, I feel like walking.”

  Once the four vehicles were parked at the rear of the property, Clayton Holmes said to Brian, “Wait till you see what’s in the truck, compliments of President Danforth.”

  “What’s inside it?”

  “Everything you’ll need to get started—food, water, medical supplies, mainframe computers, massive refrigeration units for food supplies, medicines, secure state-of-the-art communication centers, backup generators, and Level A hazmat suits. And this is only the first shipment. More stuff will be coming soon.”

  Jacquelyn scratched her head. “Level A hazmat suits?”

  “Basically, they provide total encapsulation against airborne chemicals, vapors, gases, and other harmful particles in the air. In short: they offer the highest level of protection in hazmat suits.

  “All come with self-contained breathing apparatuses, steel-tipped boots, chemical-resistant gloves and radios and earpiece speakers for two-way communication during an attack.”

  Jacquelyn shivered at the thought. “Hope we never have to use them.”

  “You and me both!” Travis said. “Until you have a dedicated underground storage place for everything, we can store them in the basement of your house.”

  “We’re one step ahead of you. We’ve already covered the cement floor with wooden crates we found in the rat-infested cafeteria.”

  “Good thinking, Brian.”

  Jacquelyn said, “Since our house is the only one clean at the moment, we can all sleep there. Would you like breakfast now?”

  “I’ll eat later. For now, I’d like to see what we just purchased.”

  “By all means, Clayton,” Brian said.

  “Can I put Cocoa inside the house first? He’s been cooped up all night.”

  “Of course, Tamika. Follow me.” Jacquelyn opened the front door and Tamika placed Cocoa on the carpeted floor.

  Rodent infestation or not, the grounds were breathtakingly beautiful! There were a few gasps and “wows”, but after the wedding disaster, everyone did their best to keep their enthusiasm in check, mostly out of respect for the newlyweds.

  Seeing Brian and Jacquelyn holding hands comforted Tamika Moseley greatly. She still blamed herself for everything that happened last week. Seeing them looking so in love despite it all took some of the guilt away.

  Apparently, they’d found the strength to rise above their wedding day fiasco by keeping busy day and night. But by looking in their eyes, she could still see the pain and trauma there.

  After touring the place, they sat on benches inside the church pavilion. Travis Hartings said, “Obviously building a new fence must come first.”

  Before Brian could agree, Hartings went on, “Once the robotic bricklaying machine arrives, we’ll build a twenty-foot high wall around the entire perimeter, with motion detectors and cameras every ten feet or so. Once it’s built, the old fence can come down.”

  Brian’s face lit up. “We’re getting a robotic bricklaying machine?”

  Clayton Holmes nodded yes. “President Danforth set aside dozens of them for our exclusive use. Would take forever to build a wall without it. But you’ll only have it for one month. After that, it’ll be shipped to another ETSM location.”

  “The President’s also authorized a tunnel boring machine to be delivered with the robotic bricklaying machine. He’s also sending bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, generators, cement trucks, backhoes—basically everything we’ll need for new construction to begin. He’s even sending a tanker full of fuel. Soon this place will look entirely different...”

  “I’m eager to get started.”

  Clayton Holmes said, “That’s the spirit, Brian! If all goes well, they’ll be here by mid-August. Then we can begin at once reconstructing this place. President Danforth’s been a real godsend. Don’t know what we’d do without him.”

  “As m
uch as we’d love to stay and help you guys,” Travis Hartings said, “we need to get back to the cabin. We received good news while en route.”

  “What news?”

  Hartings smiled. “The seven locations down south are now in our possession. And hundreds of other safe houses will be up and running in the U.S. in the coming weeks.

  “Worldwide, we expect to have thousands under our umbrella by the end of September. Lord willing. If there’s one good thing Romanero has done, he sure has lit a fire underneath us all!”

  Jacquelyn looked perplexed. She had this “How-in-the-world-will-we-operate-that-kind-of-equipment-on-our-own?” look on her face. As it was, they were barely able to clean a few cottages without screaming.

  Travis cracked up. “Don’t worry, Jacquelyn, we plan on coming back once the big equipment arrives. And we won’t be coming alone, either.”

  “Oh?”

  “Lord willing, hundreds will live here in the coming weeks. But for now, twelve have been chosen to join us immediately, six men and six women. They’ve been given until the end of the month to get their affairs in order and report here the first week of August.”

  Brian and Jacquelyn smiled at each other. More good news...

  “Among them will be Meera Singh, the doctor who treated Tamika. She’ll also serve as resident dentist for now. You’ll also have a nurse, two IT technicians, an electrical engineer, an architect, and four construction workers with vast experience operating tunnel boring and robotic bricklaying machines,” Travis said, winking at Jacquelyn.

  “The other two will be temporary residents.” Hartings looked at Brian. “Remember Donald Johnson and Manuel Jiminez?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “They’ll stay with you a few months until Donald returns to the Philippines, and Manuel travels to Mexico. Being here will be a good education for them. For all of you, in fact.”

  “We’re so grateful,” Brian Mulrooney said.

  “Once the big equipment arrives the architects, engineers, and construction workers will begin at once building a solid wall around the perimeter with the robotic bricklaying machine.”

  Hartings paused. “The noise could bring unwanted attention our way. But we’re left with no other choice. It needs to be done. And quickly. Soon as the wall’s built, the next project will be the church pavilion. The canvas walls must go.

  “Doctor Kim will accompany us next trip to help us revamp the inside with the latest secure technology. It’s time for the church pavilion to be brought into the twenty-first century.”

  Brian and Jacquelyn both nodded agreement.

  “Before we can start digging underground, blueprints will need to be analyzed by our surveyors. Once we know where we can or cannot dig, we’ll build three underground locations. One will be for storage. One will become an underground operating room. The largest will be used as a fallout shelter.

  “All three will be connected by corridors. After the first underground shelter’s been constructed, the robotic bricklaying machine will be brought underground to lay bricks, as the tunnel boring machine begins working on the second underground location.

  “While all that’s going on, the rest of us will restructure cottages to sleep as many Tribulation Saints as we can. President Danforth is sending copper, so each wall and ceiling can be hermetically sealed with additional thick inner walls, to hopefully prevent the enemy from honing-in on us with their high-tech surveillance devices.

  “Naturally, all cottages will be repainted to blend in more with the land. We’ll also tackle the rodent problem in the cafeteria and drain the green slimy water from the pool, so we can start collecting rainwater from there.

  “Finally, the daycare center and general store will be converted to makeshift clinics with small operating rooms until they’re eventually moved underground. All drugs and medicines will be stored under lock and key. Only Doctor Singh will have access to that key for now.”

  “Understood.”

  Tom Dunleavey said, “I’m exhausted just thinking about it.”

  Tamika Moseley scratched her head, “I heard that!”

  “It’s not going to be easy, y’all, but what choice do we have?”

  Brian stretched his hands above his head, “I think we’re up to the challenge, Travis.”

  “Very good. After we eat breakfast, we’ll unload the truck and store everything in the basement. Then we can unload the U-Haul. Best to make full use of the many helping hands while we’re still here, right?”

  Jacquelyn Mulrooney nodded yes.

  “After we leave, your first task should be to clean a handful of cottages so new residents and helpers will have clean places to stay once they arrive. Make sure they’re spread out, so we’ll have eyes and ears all throughout the property.”

  “Yes, sir,” Brian said. “Good thinking!”

  Jacquelyn marveled at how Travis Hartings took control of the situation as if he’d been through it many times already. It comforted the new bride immeasurably.

  For the first time since her wedding day fiasco, Jacquelyn Mulrooney felt more bolstered, more galvanized, more connected. And comforted, seeing this Christian community slowly but surely coming together.

  It no longer felt like two against the world. Relief washed over her. Brian too. Both were honored to be entrusted with such an awesome responsibility of managing the very first ETSM safe house. It was a responsibility they took very seriously and would execute to the best of their ability.

  Despite that they were still reeling, they were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that moving to Pennsylvania as husband and wife was where God wanted them to be. Having two good friends as their first two residents made it even better.

  Jacquelyn was struck with a thought. Of the four of them, two had warrants out for their arrest and one was on the run from the Catholic church. She chuckled to herself.

  Brian heard it. “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh, nothing.” Jacquelyn kissed her husband on the cheek.

  39

  THE FOLLOWING WEEK

  BRIAN MULROONEY AND TOM Dunleavey were on a cottage rooftop cleaning gutters and measuring the roof for the copper insulation when Brian’s phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  Brian heard sobbing. “I need to get out of here...”

  Brian wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, “What happened, Ma?”

  In between sniffles, Sarah said, “Your father went to see Craig Rubin today at Mitzi’s.”

  Brian’s heart sank. He steadied himself on the top rungs of the ladder, lowered himself to the ground, and started pacing back and forth. “And?”

  “When your father told him I was a Christian, Craig urged him not to let me follow in your footsteps. Needless to say, he never wants to see you again.”

  “Yeah, I know. He sent a text message on my wedding night, informing me there was a warrant for my arrest and many other not-so-pleasant things.”

  “Your father also spends an awful amount of time talking to Renate’s sister, Megan, and her friend, Rachel Stein. He finally got them to stop posting bad things about you online, but only after he convinced them it was having a negative impact on him as well.

  “Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall for their conversations?” Sarah said sarcastically. “I think this is his revenge on you for destroying the Mulrooney name. Least that’s what he thinks. He’s even thinking of contacting your in-laws.”

  “Can’t say I’m surprised. What ever happened to turning the other cheek?”

  “He can’t get over how you smuggled a known fugitive out of his city without ever thinking of the consequences it might bring on the family. It was a big blow to him.”

  “Come on, Ma, Tamika was charged with a crime she didn’t commit, and you know it.”

  “Yes, but that’s not how your father sees it. He thinks you’re insane. He’s not the only one.”

  “If I thought she was guilty of robbing grave sites, there�
��s no way I would have helped her. It’s because of false accusations against her that I’m now on the run.”

  “I know, son. But it’s not only that; it’s many things. I think what has your father most upset is he can’t go outside without neighbors asking questions about you.

  “We’ve even had reporters and investigators come knocking on our door. And we occasionally see unmarked police cars parked up the street waiting for you to show up, so they can arrest you.

  “Your father’s never been so humiliated in all his life. He has difficulty looking anyone in the eye, especially people at church. All because of you. The very mention of your name enrages him to no end. I think he’s mad at me for not hating you, too.

  “Of course, this gave Chelsea another excuse to never leave the house, let alone her bedroom. Only I don’t think she’s chatting much these days. Mostly out of humiliation. It’s like she’s totally cut herself off from the outside world to avoid defending you. I fear for her...”

  “Anyway, when your father came back from breakfast, he marched upstairs without saying a word to me or Chelsea. A moment later he came back down with the Bible you gave me. He glared at me with the most hateful eyes I’ve ever seen, like I was a traitor or something, then proceeded to shred it apart right in front of us.

  “He scattered it all over the living room carpet like confetti. He then did the same with the journal I kept with thoughts on what I was reading in it, saying he won’t let me turn out like you.”

  Brian shook his head. “Sorry for causing you so much trouble.”

  Sarah started crying again, “I can’t take it anymore...”

  “Is Dad home now?”

  “Yes. He’s downstairs. I’m in my bedroom closet. It’s become my prayer room. I pray day and night that God would change his heart. But he only gets worse...”

  Brian closed his eyes and shook his head. “I know it’s hard, Ma, Lord knows I do. The great separation has begun. This is spiritual warfare at the highest levels. Don’t expect things to get better. All we can do is keep praying.”

  “It’s like he’s demon possessed or something. He must be to destroy the Word of God without a shred of remorse. And for what? Reading it without church supervision? How else could I learn what it teaches if I don’t read it? In all my years as a Catholic, it’s not like anyone’s ever offered to read it to me. Had I not taken it in my own hands, I’d still be lost.”