The Days of Elijah, Book One: Apocalypse: A Novel of the Great Tribulation in America

by Goodwin,Mark

  “Last week, I would have thought that sounded like something a crazy person would say, but now, I don’t know.” Kevin snickered. “Do you think he’s nuts or do you believe him?”

  Everett gave a subtle nod. “I believe him. I can’t explain it, but there’s something about him. This is all new to me. Up until last fall, I was a dyed-in-the-wool atheist. I rejected reason and logic and held fast to my beliefs. Nevertheless, the constant barrage of facts and indisputable proof that there was a higher power converted me into a soft-pedaling agnostic. Still, I didn’t become a believer until the day of the disappearances.”

  “And now you buy the whole story? The rapture, Jesus, everything?” Kevin asked.

  “Yeah. Ken and Lisa, our friends that disappeared, they said this was going to happen. The man I used to work with and who gave me this cabin, John Jones, he saw it all coming down from inside the intelligence community; the alien cover story for the disappearances, the one-world government, cashless global currency, everything. At this point, the evidence is undeniable.”

  Kevin pursed his lips. “The people in our group all saw it coming too. You’re right. There’s no other explanation.”

  “So, are you and Sarah believers now?”

  “We believe the disappearances were caused by the rapture. So, yes, we believe God exists and that he’s causing all of this.”

  “But?” Everett waited for the rest of the explanation.

  Kevin exhaled deeply. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with it all. I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”

  Everett chuckled and put his arm around Kevin’s shoulder. “No problem at all. As I look back and see how patient Jones, Ken, Lisa and even God himself have been with me, how can I do anything else but accept you right where you’re at. But I’ll warn you. If he’s called you, God will not stop until he’s made his case.”

  Kevin looked a little unsure about Everett’s answer, but eventually offered his hand. “Fair enough.”

  The two men walked back out to the truck for another load. Kevin stopped and leaned over the side rail of the truck bed. “I saw the trees on the side of the road when we were coming up the mountain. Were you on the decorating committee?”

  “I helped. They’re more functional than aesthetic,” Everett replied. “And they didn’t look nearly so bad when we first strung them up there.”

  Kevin snorted. “Yeah, well, whatever works. I suppose the birds are responsible for making such a mess out of them. But you’re right, it is an effective deterrent. It sent chills up my spine and I’ve seen a lot of action, both with the resistance and in the desert. At any rate, it’s good to know you can do what you have to do when trouble comes a knockin’.”

  Everett nodded. “I thought it would have bothered me more, but I’d already had such a lousy day, with Ken and Lisa disappearing. Courtney and I had just tied the knot and I wanted to come home and be quiet. When I saw those guys in my house at that time, I snapped. I felt absolutely nothing about what I did, zero remorse. I hope that doesn’t make me a bad person.”

  “Not at all. You did what you had to do. But don’t be surprised if it’s not as easy next time. And don’t be surprised if regret rears its ugly head when you’ve had a chance to slow down and catch your breath. Emotions are a fickle thing. But always keep in mind that you were just doing your job, to keep your wife safe and protect your home.”

  “Thanks.” Everett knew Kevin was speaking from a position of experience.

  Kevin was quiet for a moment. “So, between the four of us, we have close to five years’ worth of food, provided we can get it all here without any trouble.”

  “That’s a good start.”

  “A good start?” Kevin furrowed his brow.

  Everett nodded. “According to Elijah’s calculation, we’ve got seven years to survive.”

  Kevin shrugged. “We can produce enough food to make up the difference.”

  “I hope you’re right. Are you aware of the specific judgements that are coming down the pike?”

  “Sword, famine and plague, generally. We always half listened when the others would get into all of that stuff.” Kevin paused. “What, specifically would keep us from being able to produce food?”

  Everett gave a brief synopsis of what Elijah had told him about the effects on crops from the ash cloud caused by the volcanic activity which would accompany the first big quake, the hail and meteor showers.

  Kevin looked concerned. “Maybe we should try to put together another couple years’ worth of food before the amnesty period ends.”

  “We can worry about that later. First let’s focus on getting what you have, up to the cabin. That’s going to take a few trips,” Everett said. “Fuel is kind of hard to come by. How far is your drive?”

  “Just under 400 miles each way,” Kevin replied.

  “That’s a lot of gas.” Everett put his foot on the bumper of the truck.

  “We’ve got a lot of gas, for now. It’s well hidden, but the stash will be discovered sooner or later; either by looters or by the Global Republic. I used about a tank to get here. I brought gas cans for the return trip. We’ve got more trucks back at the house, but no more gas cans.”

  Everett turned toward the cabin. “Jones had 2 five-gallon cans here, and I bought 2 more. Elijah might have a couple we could borrow. Would that be enough?”

  “Yeah, and we’ll fill your car with whatever is left over in the cans before we leave. A vehicle is the best storage tank around.”

  “Great, let’s get the rest of your stuff in the house, and we’ll work out the details after dinner. We’ve got a big pot of venison stew simmering. You guys had a long trip. I’m sure you’re hungry.” Everett helped Kevin get the remainder of his things from the truck. Everett was happy to see the ammo boxes beneath the rifle cases in the back seat.

  Kevin took out two of the cases. “Do you have a gun safe?”

  “It’s stuffed full, but I could move some of the ammo out to make some room for a few long guns.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got a couple high-end pieces, some nice stuff a couple of the guys left behind; an HK 416, and an Armalite AR-10. Armalite makes a decent gun, but this one is tricked out. PVS-14 flip-to-side night vision scope and an EOTech reflex site.”

  Everett said, “I’ve got a HK G36C. It’s got all high-end optics as well.”

  “Wow, that’s a nice gun. For some reason, Benny, the guy you called Thinthread, always made you guys sound like DIA or CIA analysts.”

  Everett snickered. “That’s a fairly accurate assumption. The man who left me the weapon, Jones, he spent several years in the field.”

  “National Clandestine Services?”

  “Something like that.” The whole secret-agent spy thing was over for Everett, but it would take a while to erase all of the programing that the Company had indoctrinated him with. And even then it would likely take more than a few hours to open up.

  Kevin arranged the rifle cases and ammo boxes along the wall. “We’ve got a ton of hardware. Everybody on our team had multiple weapons and being with the sheriff’s department, we had plenty of ammo as well.”

  Everett nodded. “Bring whatever you want up, but there’s a limit to how much we can use. I wouldn’t mind having something else to choose from. The HK is nice at close range but the barrel on that thing is about nine inches. Courtney has a Mini 14 Rancher. She has a few 20-round magazines, but no 30-round mags.”

  “We’ve got plenty of AR-15s and plenty of 30-round mags. We’ve even got a couple AK-47s, with mags and ammo, of course.

  “I don’t know where you guys are, but Sarah and I have made up our minds. We want to survive, but not as slaves. And while a lot of the people who wanted to stand up to the Global Republic just disappeared, there are still a few other people like us around. If we happen to run into more like-minded individuals, it’s nice to know that we’ve got the extra hardware to resist.”

  “Sure, it’s good to have options.�
� Everett was less comfortable with being on the front lines than feeding information to a militia, but he knew who Kevin and Sarah were before he invited them up to the cabin. Everett and Courtney also agreed that surrendering to the Global Republic was absolutely out of the question.

  Kevin looked through his duffel bag on the bed. “Here’s your satellite receiver box. Do you know how to hack it?”

  “Between Courtney and myself, I’m sure we can figure it out. The satellite is constantly sending the signal in Mpeg2, but within the same signal, it’s basically sending malware to corrupt the TSOP which is designed to disable a receiver that’s been tampered with. Decrypting the signal is easy, the hard part is stopping that malware.” Everett looked the box over.

  “Sounds complicated. Wouldn’t it be easier to just catch whatever is being passed over regular local television?”

  “All the stations around here are down.”

  “What about DC? I’m sure propaganda is a priority for the GR. They must have a local public station.”

  Everett set the receiver on the bed. “80 Miles is about the best you can hope for, in terms of receiving a television signal. We’re about 90 miles from DC.”

  Kevin scratched his head. “You should give it a try. I’m sure the GR would be pumping out enough power to send the signal to at least Baltimore. And I doubt the signal tower is in downtown DC. It’s probably a few miles outside of town, which could be in your direction, plus you’re on the side of a mountain facing DC. On a good day, with just a little luck, who knows, it just might work.”

  Everett nodded. “Even if the signal was weak, we just need it to get information. Yeah, I’ll give it a try. It would be easier. And I doubt I’ll get any information from satellite that isn’t available from the local station.”

  “Dinner is served.” Courtney called from the kitchen.

  Everett and Kevin made their way to the kitchen and sat down at the small table.

  It had always been Ken or Lisa who prayed before meals. Now it was Everett. “Do you two mind if we pray before we eat?”

  “Please, go ahead. Everyone else in our group prayed before meals.” Sarah paused. “Obviously.”

  “Why do you say obviously?” Courtney asked.

  “Because they’re gone.” Sarah bowed her head. “And we’re not.”

  Everett didn’t know what to say to her. He just bowed his head and said a short prayer to bless the meal. Afterwards, he looked around. “Where’s the cat?”

  Courtney giggled. “He ran up the ladder into the loft to hide.”

  “He’ll come down when he gets hungry.” Sarah smiled as she took some rice and passed the bowl.

  “What about the dog?” Everett asked.

  “Danger seems pretty happy to be outside,” Kevin said. “He’s a great watch dog.”

  “We bring him inside if it gets below freezing,” Sarah said.

  Everett mixed his stew into his rice with his fork. “I assume you didn’t hit any checkpoints on your ride up today.”

  Sarah sipped her water. “Not today. We did see those large electric road construction signs announcing the location of various census stations along the way. There was one at every small town all the way up Interstate 81.

  “At three different places, we saw facilities being constructed alongside the highway. Each of them, had construction teams clearing out massive areas of land and covering it with gravel. All of them had trailers which looked like temporary living quarters or possibly administrative buildings. And they were putting up fencing around the perimeters. We saw one near Johnson City where I-26 crosses I-81, another outside of Blacksburg, and one by Roanoke.”

  Kevin added, “The facility at Roanoke is colossal. They’ve got trailers and fence on each side of the road. Plus, it looked like they were in the initial stages of building permanent structures.”

  “How high was the fence? Did it look like it was designed to keep people in or keep them out?” Courtney took a bite of her stew.

  Kevin finished chewing then said, “Probably twelve or thirteen feet. I didn’t see any razor wire along the top yet, but I’m sure it’s coming. I’m certain that the facilities are some type of detention centers. The Global Republic will probably be doing inspections on commuters, vehicles, and cargo. If anything isn’t in compliance, you’ll likely win a free vacation at one of the new state-of-the-art facilities.”

  The four of them proceeded to chat well beyond the time they spent eating. Courtney made a pot of tea and served it afterwards, as they continued to get to know each other. Everett felt confident that they would all get along just fine.

  The next three days were spent driving back and forth to Sevier County, Tennessee. Everett and Courtney drove one truck, while Kevin and Sarah drove another pickup from the cabin in Tennessee. This was to help Kevin and Sarah load the supplies as well as provide additional security for the long trip.

  CHAPTER 6

  Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

  Psalm 20:7

  Boxes, bins and buckets were stacked all throughout the small living room of the cabin. More containers were stacked up outside on the porch and even more around the back of the house.

  Everett looked between two stacks of plastic bins, and out the window at the falling snow after breakfast Friday morning. “Snowing in March.”

  Kevin sipped his coffee as he stood behind Everett, also looking out at the accumulating flurries. “Brother, you’re in the mountains. You can get snow til May.”

  “Stop! Don’t say that.” Courtney voiced her opposition. “This is depressing enough without two more months of cold weather.”

  Sarah snickered. “I wish two months of snow is all we had to worry about.”

  Everett walked away from the window, around an island of five-gallon buckets, stacked floor to ceiling, and had a seat on the couch. “At least we got you guys moved before the snow came. I wouldn’t want to be driving around the mountains in this weather. These roads are as crooked as they come. They’re dangerous enough when they’re clear.”

  Kevin sat on the hearth since the recliner was inaccessible due to boxes sitting on top of it. “I guess getting this stuff to the cave is out of the question for a few days. Sorry your place looks like a storage facility. We’ve done everything we can to make more room, but our bedroom is stuffed. We’ve got just enough room to get to the radio and the bed.”

  Courtney squeezed by Everett to make her way toward the front door. “A house full of supplies is a good problem to have. And it’s your place too. Not just ours.”

  “Thanks.” Sarah sat on the hearth next to Kevin. “You guys have been very hospitable. We weren’t sure how that would go, seeing how we’d never met. But we’re pleasantly surprised.”

  “Same here,” Everett said. “You guys are great.”

  Courtney opened the door. “Cupcake, come on boy!”

  The dog came in and shook himself dry. He’d been on the porch, so he wasn’t soaking wet to begin with. He walked over and sat on the floor next to the fireplace hearth beside Sarah.

  “You’ll spoil him, letting him inside all the time.” Sarah petted him as she talked.

  Courtney smiled and crossed her arms. “We’re happy to have him. He does make a good watch dog. We used to have a person awake every night to stand watch. He hears stuff none of us ever would.”

  “And I’ve trained myself to listen for his growl. I get up at the least little sound to check it out. It’s usually a raccoon, but better safe than sorry.” Kevin leaned forward to give Danger a scratch. “Do you think Elijah will still come for dinner?”

  “He’ll be here.” Courtney gave a slight nod. “He’s made of pretty rugged stuff.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting him.” Sarah leaned back on the hearth and repositioned one log that wasn’t quite all the way in the fire. “Is there any reason he didn’t move down here with you guys for mutual assistance?”


  A pang of guilt shot through Everett. He’d never even thought to offer. Everett furrowed his brow. “Umm, no, not really. He’s been up there by himself for ages, and he’s got a finely oiled machine running with his goats, chickens, rabbits, smokehouse, greenhouse, garden; it’s some operation. I couldn’t see him walking away from all that.” All this was true, but Everett felt somewhat ashamed that he’d never, at least, extended the invitation. Then, another thought hit Everett. “And for whatever reason, he’s never had any trouble up there, at all.”

  Kevin shrugged. “Old man, by himself on a hill with tons of supplies, and hasn’t been bothered. Sounds lucky. But, if you want to ask him to move, we wouldn’t mind if he were sleeping on the couch or something. After we get the stuff to the cave, of course.”

  “Yeah, maybe I’ll ask him.” Somehow, Everett knew it wasn’t luck. And he knew Elijah wouldn’t accept. Perhaps that was why he’d never asked.

  Kevin said, “And even if he says no, we can give him a walkie talkie. We’ve got a few and they’ve got decent range if he’s on the same side of the mountain. Then if he ever did have trouble, he could give us a call.”

  “Great idea.” Sarah gave Kevin’s leg a pat.

  “Speaking of radios.” Courtney walked toward the kitchen. “Let’s see if we can filter any reliable information out of the GR propaganda being spewed over the airwaves today.”

  “Count me in.” Everett got up from the couch. “But maybe we can listen at the kitchen table. The storage-closet feeling of the living room is a little too stuffy for me. Kevin, Sarah, will you join us?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Kevin stood and offered his hand to help Sarah up as well.

  Courtney switched on the power and turned up the volume.

  The Global Republic Broadcasting Network reporter was covering the geopolitical news. “Former BRICS president and new Russian and Chinese Alliance Ambassador to the GR, Changlie Chau has vehemently denied allegations made by former IMF Director and new GR Prime Minister, Simon Alexander, that China and Russia have seized upon the recent period of instability to invade neighboring countries, such as Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Japan, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Chau insists that it is not an invasion but that the Alliance forces are there by invitation.