The Resurrectionist

by Jackson, Gil

  ‘Being interviewed by your Fitch.’

  * * *

  Johnson looked closely at this Irishman that he and Sullivan had elevated with his lieutenant all those years before. They hadn’t been wrong to do that. It was criminal that Frank Weinberg had been murdered. All four of them could have moved on together in a pact of job done friendship. Until Georgos had stepped out of line for a second time, murdering Frank’s son and his wife, along with a Director of the FBI. The same side had turned into a feuding bloody mess. He and Sullivan were all for turning him in — to Charlie, but.... They owed the family that much, at least, but.... And Charlie was a part of that family, he had no other, not any more, not in this country, at least. Six brothers and one sister, all dead now. Well it was a long time ago, when had he been born, 1890? That would make him, what, 107? Slightly older than me, and five years older than Daniel. Tammany ward boss, his father, if my memory serves me. Right handful. Charlie took after him with grace. Mind he wasn’t too keen on his son joining the police department. Conflict of interest and all that. (He laughed.) Seeing him, directing traffic on

  East Houston Street, was a sight to behold. Not so much directing as dancing. Feet and arms going like Fred Astaire ... get carried away to the extent that the traffic would stop. That wouldn’t happen these days. They’d get out of their vehicles and applaud and he’d carry on until the music in his head had finished. Putting his fists into his sides would shout out, Move It! Move It! What’d you waiting for, Jimmy Cagney? Then he’d rock with laughter, the traffic once again flowing. But for.... * * *

  Daniel Sullivan getting a little too keen on his work....

  * * *

  That bastard. Frederik Spannocs and his paedophile activities. Daniel Sullivan didn’t know what was worse, him or the powers bent on its continuation. That he and Nathaniel had been asked to form a special operations unit to feed and mis-feed information that agencies had wanted put in place was bad enough, but, when Sergeant Charlie O’Hare and Lieutenant Frank Weinberg go and get themselves mixed up in more than they should ... it was not as if they hadn’t been warned off. Every other cop had been. Chief Dore had been a bit of a problem. Shame he had to go. Governor Brent, well, he had it coming anyway. As did Giuseppi’s hood, what was his name, Sledgehammer? There was some blood there alright. Second head of the day. Handy the way she took the blame for tearing people’s heads off. Charlie was all right, though. Don’t know what they’ve got planned for him. Still, if I have to do it, so be it. For the moment, well....

  * * *

  Charlie pushed into Hamilton’s interview. Or rather, the report wanted by the President of proceedings. ‘... There’s nothing worse in this world than a man with his feet in both camps, Georgos. I took you for a friend, a sounding board for intelligent conversation and lively wit. But you were none of those. You are in league with paedophiles and killers....’

  Georgos was not particularly proud of letting down Charlie’s obvious friendship to himself. But, this was the greater calling. The discovery of Leonardo da Vinci’s inspirational architect of the universe being made flesh on earth, here, right in front of their eyes, would, he had hoped exonerate all crimes, misdeeds, and bad feelings that Charlie O’Hare had for him. A man that although not educated academically was worthy of being up there among the great and the good.

  ‘Before you condemn me, Charlie, you should know what we are about.’ Turning to Annie Carter who had just entered. ‘And you. With him all the time. A double agent. Took me in completely. You of all people. I confided my entire life’s work to you. God, haven’t we been through enough, what did you think you would achieve by all of this — a place at He’s right hand? Breaking of bread with Him and his disciples, with some kind of an apostolate promotion as the second woman pope within your Holy order. Does the Pope know any of this, or were you going to sneak up on him and boot him up the arse the next time he kissed the ground?’

  Sister Annie Carter had worn in to her role as an active consultant to the FBI. It was her and her assistant, Father Milligan, that had been put forward by the Vatican as special envoys when it became clear that the agency was concerned over the appearance of a woman that was clearly not-of-this-world, needing a sanctuary for her. That, coupled with one of their own people, Agent Charlie O’Hare, constantly making references to a woman that was haunting him — keeping him alive after numerous heart attacks.

  Directed to the FBI’s Special Surveillance Operations, she had laid bare all to their Director Nathaniel Johnson, and his assistant, Daniel Sullivan. God, if she had known that Sullivan was heading towards derangement— Well, she could easily have disappeared back into the cloisters. But she didn’t. As it turned out, working with mad-men did have its advantages. Charlie did manage to keep Hamilton safe. Although, he wouldn’t have needed to if she hadn’t been convinced by Charlie O’Hare that, perhaps he would be needed because of the supposed blood tie in all of this in the first place. But she didn’t have the mind-set of an intelligence officer at first. She had now. The coincidence of these two men having been involved with all of this from the beginning, had turned out to be not so coincidental. She and the Vatican had underestimated these people, they were professionals and she and the Vatican had been manipulated from the start. But, she had learned a lot since. The fact that Georgos talking to her like that now, gave her the satisfaction that, at least she had achieved some level of Intelligence Operational Manipulation. (Chapter 4, Manual for G-Agents, written by Dir. Franklin Lomax, 1972, published © by: Office for the US Government, Internal Affairs.)

  Georgos, talking like a fool, which she knew ... he

  wasn’t. Just an extremist scientist deluded by adequacy.

  * * *

  Which all left Dr. Allan Georgos wondering — as it had Nathan Johnson and Dan Sullivan — she with us? Whatever else had Charlie O’Hare discovered while he was ransacking the offices of administrative (annexe ii-38) section pen.gov.?

  ‘Oh yes, Charlie, I am still all those things, we could be again. You did well to do as well as you did, and you’ve to get yourself out of this. And it’s clear that there are four of us in this story — all past our sell by dates in life span — and we can all die, apart, that is by our own hands. You’ve found that out haven’t you, Charlie. You did try to kill yourself, didn’t you?’ Georgos said. ‘And can we take it you have the real Frederik Spannocs in the bag. Oh yes, I can guess what’s happened here. He’s another that’s been suckered in for a cause that will see the likes of his perversions being genetically removed from mankind. We knew that if we promoted evil it would bring a result. Come with us on this, Charlie O’Hare, a man of your intellect must see that this will be the most important step mankind is likely to make since he first came down from the trees. We will not only discover the blue print for creation; but surgically remove evil from the body. Something that God, has been unable to achieve thusfar. Come with me on this, Charlie.’

  Charlie looked at him eyes blazing. So that’s what they had in mind, removing evil from the face of the earth. Fools! ‘You’re still not down from the trees, you’re still fooking well up there.’

  * * *

  A voice from across the hangar boomed out. ‘I might be the evil in all of this, Georgos, but it’s my organisation that gave you the key. It was my people that ingratiated itself with your paymasters. Hear that Charlie? They received secret documents. No stole them. The Russian Orthodox Church. Had put it about that they had information from the Vatican, after a rumour, that a possible leak had taken place and that confidential. Confidential mind ... ancient writings left out from bibles because they were too extraordinary and likely to dilute religion to the point where no one would join their club. Like God and Satan being for real! Sorry, Miss Carter, am I not supposed to use those two words in the same sentence? That it would be possible to draw the Resurrectionist from God’s side using evil that was considered so corrosive that He would take out Satan. Do you like that, Charlie? Here’s another tr
ick for you.’ He pointed to himself under the black bin liner. It dropped to the ground empty. ‘Me. It’s not Satan that’s responsible for what’s happening on earth now: its likely destruction. It’s them. The Order of the Most Divine Third Circle, they need a Jew. Pure. Not out of a sense of anti-Semitism — too pc for that: the kind that wouldn’t face a black man on their own and call him a nigger if they felt it; but to pull this right hand man of God out into the fresh air. That’s what they’re after, Charlie, they want Hamilton Fitch, your ward, Arnold Z. Weinberg for the ultimate sacrifice. They lost his forbears. Carrying the blood of immortality. They think that God’s chosen people....’

  * * *

  Annie screamed and put a hand out to Charlie. The dozen Marines had been confronted — having partially relaxed their stand-off — by an armed force wearing insignias of the Order of the Most Divine Third Circle on their shoulder and cap badges: cross cramponée.

  ‘I don’t understand ... Charlie?’

  Charlie ignored the change of guard. ‘All true, Annie. I suspected it years ago. Couldn’t prove it. Tried to keep Hamilton away: thought I could control things. I’m sorry.’ He looked at Georgos. ‘Thought you could have been a little more original with your uniform though — Sanskrit swastikas. Whatever’s that all about? Hardly de rigueur at West Point, I’d thought.’

  * * *

  Hamilton found himself with a gun pointing at him and being ushered into the Plexiglas box. Annie was at his side. ‘No, she screamed. You can’t do this.’ She was pulled aside.

  Spannocs said. ‘They seem to think that pure Jewish, being one of His chosen people will bring about the ... experiment ... more effectively. That’s all right, isn’t it, Charlie? I get to keep my empire, my magic, and my life. The Prince is abroad....’

  ‘Great that, Frederik. Happy for you. Don’t mind me using your Christian name, do you?’ Charlie said. Georgos started AG-MX-960 on its second journey for that day. ‘Just one little thing...’ he shouted pointing towards Hamilton.

  Georgos shouted him down impatiently. ‘Is the son and grandson of the Weinberg’s. And there’s not a thing you can do about it, Charlie.’

  Charlie smiled. ‘Oh, there’s that monkey up the bloody tree again.... Well, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but, for your information, Georgos ... Allan. Hamilton Fitch is not pure Weinberg, he’s part O’Hare; my part. You see, me and his mother, well, we sort of ... had an affair ... so we did.’

  Georgos said. ‘You’re lying!’

  Hamilton looked up. ‘You had an affair? With my ... mother?’

  Charlie smiled and shrugged apologetically at him. ‘Was a long time ago. Well you know how old you are — Er. Yes.’

  ‘Hell, Charlie. You a Catholic and all. Have you no morals?’ Spannocs said.

  Charlie fired a finger from each hand at him. ‘Like the irony, Frederik.’

  ‘Ruth? My mother. She was married to my father. You were old enough to be her ... her father.’ Hamilton said.

  ‘Sorry, Hamilton, son, these things do happen.’

  ‘Bastard! He’s right, who gives you the authority to moralise?’ Hamilton said pointing towards Spannocs.

  Charlie shrugged. ‘Never judged anyone in me life.’

  Nathaniel Johnson burst out laughing. This is pure Charlie O’Hare. Trust him to pull a stroke like that. You have to hand it to him. Charlie turned to him.

  ‘You laugh. And what of you here, Nathaniel? And you, Sullivan? We all three go back a long way. You gave me and Frank our elevation to enable us to fight paedophilia. The new Obscene Section, wasn’t it? What part of that were you two? When we needed assistance, you both of you’d gone from the face of the earth.

  Johnson said. ‘There was an overall picture to be taken into account....’

  ‘Stuff that. Who are you working for, by the way?’ Johnson shook his head. ‘Least you had the courtesy of not insulting my intelligence by saying, John Edgar Hoover. We both know where he stands on child abuse. So who is he?’

  Sullivan spoke. ‘Dr. Georgos and the American people, they’re who we work for.’

  Charlie ignored it. ‘Well, Nathaniel.... It’s as I thought, you haven’t any idea.’ He turned to Annie. You indulged them: the world’s churches and faiths and religions. You fed them a line, and played one against the other. OK, I accept, it wasn’t their hierarchies you pandered to. It was their fundamentalists: their fanatics. Deeply embedded within their orders. Men of letters and writings; of philosophies, but most importantly, people that held positions not open to question. What I would call, Cromwell. And I’m not speaking Oliver or Richard. You know don’t you, Nathaniel?’

  The man made no reply.

  ‘Henry’s law in one hand and a thumbscrew in the other to enforce it. On reflection, to call you, Cromwell, would be doing Thomas a disservice. They at least, had the right to recant saving them the fires of hell in exchange for a good clean hanging drawing and quartering.’

  He turned to Hamilton. ‘Rabbi Michael Levin was one.’ Then to Georgos. ‘Know him? I didn’t, but Frank did didn’t he?’

  Georgos shook his head. ‘No, why should I?’

  ‘Oh, such a man of high ideals for everyone else, he forgot to mention that Frank Weinberg caught him in a club acting it out with a prostitute — another man! Remember him now? One of your Most Divine Third Circle shower. He told Frank all about you and what your aims were, how he had not wanted to get involved anymore because of the child abuse and that he would give names, all, in exchange for Frank to drop charges. And when he felt sorry for him — the good Rabbi confided in you, to have him murdered for knowing too much. Planted him with a compromising photograph showing him having sex with a minor; that had been cleverly manipulated to put the boot in. Is there nothing you people wouldn’t sink to?’

  ‘We weren’t involved with Frank Weinberg’s murder: I knew nothing of it at the time.’ Johnson said.

  ‘No, but you sure knew the man that did. And did nothing to put the record straight.’

  ‘Franklin Lomax knew. I told him as soon as I had found out. He was under orders not to expand—’

  Charlie went into thought mode. ‘Well ... that would explain his reaction over the incident when we discussed it ... but. And in keeping with scientific research Georgos wanted exact records taken of everything that happened, as it had for the last 1000 years. That is how far the Order of the Most Divine Third Circle goes back doesn’t it? Or a made up organisation? Probably a 1000 years before that — under what name? Oh, let’s see, now. It doesn’t exist, does it. The figment of Cromwell’s vivid imagination over there. Let’s give it its real name shall we. Satanism! Bottom line! Perhaps — that takes care of Marco Giuseppi....

  ‘... Judea-Christian fundamentalists couldn’t stand the thought that Jesus of Nazareth might have been the Son of God. Although, He may well not have been. Or He may have been. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter if He was or wasn’t. The chance was there. The writing was on the wall — there was a need for a focus. And if there’s a focus, there’s a fuzzy edge in which to tear it away.’ He turned to Spannocs. ‘So don’t go giving bullshit to me; how religion was too extraordinarily supernatural for people to take in. A belief in something more than this shit is what people want. And people will take that part they want and dispense with those they don’t. And none the worse for it. And, as for surgically removing evil,’ he looked to Georgos. ‘If that’s where all this is heading. You and your deranged scientists thinking that this experiment would be capable of doing that: You cannot remove evil, without displacing benevolence. If you don’t know that ... you know nothing. You can continue on this course of destruction if you like: you’ll be as damned as the 3 billion souls you’ve condemned already.’

  ‘It’s out of our hands now,’ Nathaniel said. ‘The President has sanctioned this to prevent the destruction of the rest of the world. If you hadn’t noticed, we’ve a killer Angel in our midst who’s tap dancing in and out of time shift
s so quick she’s causing earth’s platelets to slip against each other. The scientists have already said that. Those combined multiples are exaggerating the destruction of the earth to a scale that would ordinarily occur and repair every thousand years ...’

  ‘I was at! that meeting.... And who’s fault is that? Who’s she chasing?’ Charlie said pointing to him.

  Nathaniel felt let off his involvement. ‘Well, she’s clearly not after Spannocs. She’s already demonstrated that.’

  ‘You think so? After a mortal soul then? A Jew? Nathaniel ... You’re as fooking mad as monkey-up-a-tree is over there. She came didn’t she, when I went to get Giuseppi or Spannocs if you’d prefer? What did she do? She didn’t go after him, or a Jew. Will the real Frederik Spannocs please stand up. She’s after Satan! Or put another way, his demigod; ... the Resurrectionist’s opposite number. Buried deep inside that paedophile over there.... Don’t look at me like that. That’s what you’ve been nurturing all these years. An infected pandemic of pathological sex perversion on minors—’

  Nathaniel was back on his involvement. ‘We didn’t know, did we Daniel?’

  ‘Bollocks—!’

  Charlie didn’t wait for any more excuses. He walked over to the private army holding guns to them. ‘That’s why Spannocs had a double,’ he shouted to them. ‘Do you really want to be involved with this man and his paedophilia; carrying the emblem of one the world’s greatest genocidal mass murderers? — you’re supposed to be American’s.’ They shuffled uncomfortably thinking they had been recruited for the benefit of keeping a scientific experiment on track. Charlie thought he was about to win the day when Georgos intervened. An aide at his side.

  Charlie turned and smiled. Not altogether surprised. Bad pennies hard to find have a habit of turning up eventually. For this was Giuseppi’s orchestrator; tall, elegant, and now possessed of nothing good of this world thanks to the man himself. Wearing the uniform of one of Georgos’s commanders: well-fitted uniform in grey, mauve piping around shoulder creased trousers and a beret tight to his head and pulled to one side. But it was not his appearance that attracted immediate respect from Georgos’s para-army, it was the weapon he held, a Zeliska 600 Nitro Express revolver, and his known ability to remain mortal alongside Giuseppi. They weren’t about to go anywhere fast.