by Mark Romang
The girl walked swiftly. They struggled to keep up and followed her around to the hangar’s backside. The girl stopped and produced a key from her frayed jeans. She unlocked a door and beckoned them to enter.
Tanner and C.J. stepped into the hangar.
“Please stay on the rugs. I don’t want to disturb the dust on the hangar floor. The UWC thinks this place is abandoned. I don’t want them to think otherwise.”
“We understand,” Tanner said. He glanced around the hangar. Only one plane sat inside the small hangar. Tool cabinets and a rack of jumpsuits took up space along one wall. He saw a small office up ahead. They headed for it.
The cramped office contained a cluttered desk and several file cabinets. An old-fashioned dial phone sat on the desk. But Tanner didn’t see a computer, and judging by all the file cabinets, the place never had one.
The girl rolled back a rug. The rug hid a trap door in the floor. She then grabbed a handle inset into the trap door and pulled up. The door came to rest against some stops. Wooden steps came into view and led down into darkness.
The girl grabbed a candle sitting on a shelf near the top step. She lit the candle and began descending the stairs, still brandishing the shotgun.
C.J. looked at Tanner. Tanner returned C.J.’s bewildered look and followed the mystery girl down the stairs. Below the office a living area existed. The area was no bigger than a studio apartment and consisted of a living room/bedroom and a kitchenette. One whole wall consisted of shelving. A few cans of food sat forlornly on the shelves.
The girl set her shotgun down on the bed. “Have a seat.”
There were two patio chairs sitting near the shelving. Tanner grabbed a chair and moved it into the center of the room. He took off his backpack and sat down in the dingy white chair made entirely of molded plastic. C.J. sat down beside him on an identical chair. The girl sat on her bed and faced them. “I guess we should formally introduce ourselves. But you two go first.”
Tanned felt his face flush. Paranoia gripped him suddenly. His mind scrabbled for words. He looked to C.J. for help. But his brother offered no assistance. “Um, this is Adam, my brother. And I’m Evan.”
The girl started laughing. “Adam and Evan? Where are you two from, Eden?” She waved a hand and shook her head, still giggling. “I know who you guys are. Your snowboards give you away. You’re Tanner and C.J. Mason.”
“You know about us?”
The girl nodded her head. Her red locks flopped. “You’re semi-famous for what you do to the chipping kiosks. Here, I’ll show you.” She reached under her bed and retrieved an old newspaper. She handed it to C.J.
C.J. glanced at the front page of the small, local newspaper. Their pictures were front and center. C.J. looked at Tanner and grinned. “They’re offering 25 grand for our capture, Tanner. It seems we’re like a modern day Frank and Jesse James.”
Tanner snorted. “But we don’t rob banks or kill anyone like the James boys did.” As soon as the words left his mouth, guilt seized him. An image of the dead UWC officers lying in the bloody snow in the sawmill yard flashed in his mind. He suddenly realized he and C.J. were murderers, and that they could never take back what they did.
“By the way, my name is Gretchen.”
“It’s good to meet you, Gretchen,” C.J. said. “So, what’s your story? Are you all alone here?”
Gretchen nodded. “Yep, it’s just me. My dad was taken up in the Rapture. He owned the hangar and the planes.”
“Any siblings? And what about your mother?” Tanner asked.
Gretchen twirled a lock of hair. “No siblings. And my mom died when I was nine. It was the craziest thing. Mom was the picture of health. She used to run all the time. But apparently she had a heart condition and didn’t know it. She collapsed one day after a run and died. My dad raised me, taught me how to work on planes and how to fly them.”
Tanner looked at the mostly empty pantry shelf. “It looks like you’re about to run out of food, Gretchen.”
“I actually have more supplies elsewhere. I have food caches hidden around in the forest. I thought it best not to have all my canned goods here in the hangar. If someone found this place and moved in on me they at least wouldn’t have access to everything I got. Plus, I have a benefactor.”
An eyebrow raised underneath C.J.’s bangs. “A benefactor? What do you mean?”
“He’s real secretive and never stays in one place for very long, but stays within two to three miles from here. He was a dear friend to my dad, and a big-time hunter. My dad frequently used the float plane to fly him up to the northern part of the province to hunt. And now he occasionally delivers fresh meat to me, but always at night and under the cover of darkness.”
“I’m glad you have someone helping you out,” C.J. said.
“Me too. It gets tough doing this on your own.”
Tanner shifted in his chair. “I can’t imagine how tough it would be to live like this all alone. At least C.J. and I have each other.”
Gretchen picked up a Bible lying on her bed and held it in her hands. “I’m never totally alone,” she said quietly. After a moment she asked, “So you guys started your journey back to the states from Alaska?”
C.J. nodded.
“During your long journey have you noticed anything strange regarding the environment?”
Tanner nodded. “Lots of small earthquakes and very little rainfall.”
“Did you follow the coastline at all?”
“We avoided the coast. The dense tree cover and undergrowth in the Coast Mountains are brutal to travel through. Why do you ask?”
“Because my benefactor went on a hunt near the ocean recently and said the ocean is dead and the color of blood.”
C.J. whistled. “Sounds like one of the trumpet judgements has taken place.”
“The second trumpet judgement to be precise,” Gretchen said. She leaned forward. “When the third trumpet sounds a star named Wormwood will fall on a third of the rivers and springs and make the water bitter and toxic. Have you guys noticed anything odd about the freshwater streams on your journey?”
“Yeah, we’ve seen dead trout and salmon floating in some streams. But in other streams we didn’t see any dead fish, and we always filter our water. So we didn’t taste anything odd. But I guess the third trumpet judgement could’ve taken place too,” C.J. said.
“Which means we’re ready for the fourth trumpet judgement.” Gretchen opened her Bible and flipped to the back to Revelation. “It says in Revelation 8:12, the fourth angel sounded his trumpet and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.”
Tanner squirmed in his seat and looked at C.J. “Did you notice how low the sun was in the sky when we walked up to the hangar? It was just a little past two and the sun was already descending and nearing the horizon.”
“Now that you mention it, Tanner, the sun does seem odd today. But does this mean the sun will be really dim from here on out, a third less bright? Think what that will do to the growing season. The worldwide famine will only worsen.”
Gretchen shook her head. “I think the sun will still be as bright as usual, but just not shine as long. There will be significantly more darkness than light each day. So maybe the fourth trumpet judgement has just taken place. And now we’re ready for the fifth trumpet judgement,” she said almost breathlessly.
Tanner felt the blood drain from his face. “The fifth trumpet judgement is bad, really bad, but nothing compared to the sixth trumpet judgement.”
Gretchen nodded solemnly. “When the fifth trumpet sounds a star will fall from Heaven with a key to the abyss. The star likely refers to an angel. The angel will open the abyss and thick smoke will fill the sky. And out of the smoke locusts will fly out and torment the people of earth who have taken the mark of the beast. These people will be afflicted with painful sores and wish they could die,
but they won’t be able to.”
“But the good news is we won’t be affected because we haven’t taken Skymolt’s chip,” C.J. said.
Gretchen set aside her Bible. She wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. “So where are you guys headed? What is your plan?”
“We’re headed for the Olympic peninsula. We have a bunker up in the mountains. We helped our dad build it, and we helped him stock it with food.”
Gretchen smiled at them. “Well, you’re almost there. But how are you going to cross the Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca to get to the Olympic peninsula?”
“We still haven’t figured that one out,” Tanner said glumly.
“Hey, maybe you can fly us there in your floatplane, Gretchen,” C.J. said.
“The floatplane hardly looks like it can take off, let alone fly for any distance,” Tanner said.
Gretchen’s eyes flared. “The floatplane is in perfect mechanical condition. It’s only listing because I tied an anchor to one of its floats. It’s all part of the charade to make people think this place is abandoned.” She turned her attention to C.J. “But no way am I landing my plane in the Puget Sound. It’s too risky. Someone will see my tail number.”
“I understand. It was a lot to ask.”
Gretchen sighed. “There may be another way I could fly you there.”
Tanner straightened up. “We’re listening.”
“The plane you saw inside the hangar, we used it for skydiving. Besides being a bush pilot, my dad offered skydiving lessons. I could fly you near your bunker and you could parachute down.”
“We’ve never skydived, Gretchen,” C.J. said.
“That’s okay. I would have your deployment bag attached to a static line. When you jump out the static line will go taut and open your chute for you within four seconds. The float down to earth is easy and not scary at all. You have two toggles, a left one and a right one. You pull down on the left toggle to make your canopy turn to the left. And you pull down on the right toggle to turn your canopy to the right. You pull down on both toggles at the same time to flare your chute and slow your decent when you’re about to land.”
“Sounds easy enough,” Tanner said. “But are you sure you want to help us? It’s a big risk you’ll be taking. There’s a chance you’ll get discovered?”
Gretchen looked down, picked at the hole in her jeans. “You may find this hard to believe, but I look up to you guys. You inspire me. Actually, I’m sure there are many people who secretly admire your exploits. You give people courage whenever you stand up to Henrik Skymolt and deface a chipping kiosk. And for a long time I’ve been wanting to do something for God, to help His people in some way. Maybe this is my opportunity.”
Tanner looked at his brother. “What do you say, C.J.? Do you want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?”
“We’re extreme athletes, Tanner. Skydiving sounds right up our alley. So heck yeah I want to jump out an airplane.”
“Okay. I’ll pack some chutes and give you an abbreviated training course this evening. And then we’ll head out at just before dawn. No flight plans. We do this on the sly,” Gretchen said.
“We’ll never be able to repay you for this, Gretchen,” C.J. said.
“No payment necessary. I’ll look you up when the Millennial Reign starts. You can tell me all about your jump.”
“If only we could fast-forward to then,” Tanner said wistfully.
C.J. patted him on the leg. “We’ll make it brother. We’ve made it this far. Nothing can stop us now. We’re destined to make it to the end.”
Tanner nodded. “And if we don’t make it, we’ll enter Heaven the moment we take our last breath. No matter what, we’re the victors.”
“That’s the spirit, Tanner. Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love, not Henrik Skymolt, not Satan, and not even death. The battle’s been fought. And Jesus crushed the enemy. We win. Never forget that.”
Chapter 29
Vesta—asteroid belt
Lucifer came to Vesta often. The large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter offered incredible panoramas of Earth and the surrounding solar system that couldn’t be matched elsewhere.
Whenever he came here and took in all the planets and their moons, comets, stars, and even asteroids, he liked to fantasize that he created it all simply by speaking it into existence, and that he lorded over the universe.
Every bit of it.
Of course it was nothing more than a fantasy. He was only a fallen angel. He couldn’t create anything as spectacular as what he gazed upon now. The only thing he could create was havoc and mayhem.
So since he couldn’t lay claim to creating the universe, he did the next best thing. He hoodwinked the scientific community into putting all their faith into the Big Bang Theory, and then persuaded the astrophysicists and cosmologists to spread their theory of space expansion as if it was indisputable fact.
Simply put, he took God out of the equation.
It wasn’t all that hard to do either.
Humans are easily duped.
Standing close to an immense crater, Lucifer swiveled his handsome head as he took in the grandeur before him. The Earth looked like a tiny blue and green marble from way up here. But something didn’t look right this time. Something was missing in the twinkling panorama before him.
And then he figured it out. Wormwood was missing. The star had fallen not long ago, fulfilling prophecy written in Revelation. The star’s absence alarmed him.
Time is running out on me, Lucifer thought.
He often did his best thinking on Vesta. Despite the intense cold, his mind seemed to scheme better here on the asteroid than anywhere else. Usually he came to Vesta alone. But this moment was pivotal to his future. So he brought company with him.
An army.
Sixty million demons holding swords, bows and bludgeoning tools stood behind him, awaiting his command. They eagerly listened for one word.
Attack!
Lucifer felt a tap on his shoulder. Angrial had sidled up to him. “Master, when will you give the order to attack? The troops are cold, and morale is plummeting. I cannot control them much longer.”
“It won’t be long, Angrial. I’ve entered Thorgus’s head. We’re conversing.”
“Master, forgive me for being so bold, but it would seem impossible for any of our troops to make it into the temple, let alone steal the seventh bowl right under the Almighty God’s nose. We’ll be outnumbered by a wide margin.”
Lucifer nodded. “I have altered the plan. Thorgus is now the key to our success. I’m going to persuade Thorgus to grab the bowl and escape the temple. He need only to fly over the wall with the bowl. I’ll take it from there.”
“Can Thorgus even fly? He’s done nothing but stand in the temple by the seventh bowl for as long as I can remember.”
“Thorgus has wings doesn’t he? He won’t have to fly far,” Lucifer said, unable to hide his irritation. Like at the stadium in Teredel, Angrial flirted with insubordination. And Lucifer wouldn’t stand for such behavior much longer.
“What is Thorgus saying? Has he agreed to purloin the bowl?” Angrial asked, continuing his bold queries.
“He hasn’t agreed yet. But he is listening. And I can sense his resolve is weakening.”
A sudden movement caught Lucifer’s keen vision. He scanned the vast army behind him, saw the troops give way for a demon moving quickly through their ranks. A moment later the demon approached Lucifer and Angrial.
Lucifer recognized the demon. It was Zarkien, his top general. “What are you doing here, Zarkien? I told you stay on Earth and focus your efforts on finding Nathan Banks.”
“Do not trouble yourself, Master. Tucker Stiggs is closing in on Banks as we speak. It’s only a matter of hours before Nathan Banks is in our custody.”
“That’s good to know. But you still haven’t told me why you are here.”
Zarkien nodded. His black mane shook. “Things are going so wel
l on Earth that I took initiative to travel back to Teredel. I got there just in time to witness Michael and his rescue party massacre the remnant you left behind. Michael and his troops are now under the stadium searching for Mithellius.”
“Master, we must act immediately. We have to lay siege to Heaven now while Michael is still in Teredel,” Angrial said urgently.
Lucifer sighed. “We will attack very soon, Angrial. I will increase my efforts with Thorgus. He is softening ever so slowly. In the meantime, I want you to spread the word to the troops that no one is to harm Thorgus when they see him flying over the wall.”
“I will do it at once, Master,” Angrial said. He turned and headed back to the endless rows of demons, leaving Zarkien and Lucifer alone.
“I know the true reason you are here, Zarkien. You wish to go into battle with me.”
“It would be an honor, Master, to fight by your side.”
“Once again, Zarkien, I cannot allow it. Too much is happening on Earth, and more is about to happen. I need you to guard my interests there. If you disobey me again I will relieve you of your duties. Do you understand?”
Zarkien bowed low. “Yes, Master. I was wrong to disobey. It will not happen again.”
“Good. Depart from me immediately.”
“As you wish, Master,” Zarkien said just before disappearing.
Lucifer pointed his head toward Heaven and resumed his one-sided dialogue with Thorgus. It won’t be long now, he thought.
Chapter 30
Teredel
No one had ever escaped the prison Andrew Maddix traveled through. The eternal prison was created to last forever, designed by the Master Architect to hold behind its inescapable cells the most dangerous and corrupt beings in existence.
To say the prison was massive was a gross understatement. As Maddix discovered, the eternal prison consisted of three levels. On each level the cells seemed to stretch on and on forever.
