by Ric Nero
“We’ve been breached!” says a joking man with a loud familiar deep Haitian accent.
I open my eyes and Bazz stood before me with a slight smile in urban camouflage.
“Bazz!” I yelled out with relief. I step to the side and let him walk in.
I see Shane next to the table making it clear he was startled as well as he jumps and grabs his chest and says, “Thank God it’s you, man. Hey, we need to talk. Some guy named John…” Shane stops in mid-sentence. I turn the lights on and look at Shane. His mouth is open and jaw dropped looking at the doorway.
I turn and see the tall Chaplain walking by and behind him is none other than the infamous John Todd, with a smirk on his face too. He cleaned up his appearance this time. Gray suit, white shirt and tie, he looked like a lawyer.
“John Todd, I presume?” asks a very confused Shane.
Bazz sits on the corner of the table, one foot touching the floor the other dangling in the air while his guest sits in a chair next to him.
“I see you’ve spoken of me, Thomas. I hope you’ve spoken highly,” John Todd says, nodding his head up and down. We did everything here discretely for quite some time and all he does is smile and see us as jokes. I had enough of his games, I can’t take it anymore.
“You think this is a game?” I exclaimed as I dashed over and try to wrap my hands around his neck.
Bazz grabs me before I reach him, while he sits there so poised and so carefree. “Thomas! Thomas! Listen, settle down!” Bazz shouts holding me at bay in John Todd’s defense. Knowing he had some explaining to do I calm down and Bazz lets me go.
Shane walks over and stands face to face with Bazz and says something inaudible to hear even in this small room. Bazz looks at Shane and shrugs his shoulders. Shane gives him a cold stare.
“Gentlemen, please. I know there’s tension and in the air, but I must ask that everyone sits down so we can… clear the air, if you will,” Bazz says.
Shane looks at me checking my reaction and I look back. I sit at the opposite side of the table from the priest. Shane sits next to me. Bazz sits on the right side of the table. Everyone is quiet, looking at one another. Everything about this guy has brought confusion and threatens what we do and believe in here.
“Okay. I’ll start this off,” Shane said angrily. “Why are you even here?” he asked. Then he sat forward leaning in the direction of the man.
“And don’t give me that crap about being some guy named Todd, we looked him up and it’s not you. Who are you really?” I added to Shane’s question.
“Right,” the mysterious man answered. He sighs and proceeds. “My name is Andre Auron. You may call me Auron. I am — or at least was — a priest from Vatican City, Rome. But no longer.” His eyes shake and tone fades in and out, as though he’s ashamed.
“What do you mean no longer?” I asked.
“I ex-communicated myself for… certain reasons which led me to seek you out almost a year ago. I met your colleague, Mr. Bazz, shortly after my arrival to the U.S.” Auron continued on. “I’m pretty sure the most important question presently would be, what it is that I want with you all exactly?”
He’s doing it again, asking himself questions in front of us as though he understood our next thoughts and then answering them. But he was right, and it killed me that he was.
“How can I put this? Years ago, your nation’s presidential election’s votes were lost two terms in a row; first and only time ever heard of in history. You call it a conspiracy and you’re right, but for whose benefit? Would you say that he was obviously a figure head someone else put in place while he pulled the puppet from elsewhere?” Auron asked. He stands to his feet and walks to the laptop Shane was using before and opens it, pressing a few keys here and there.
“So you’re saying the Commander in Chief of America is someone else’s pawn? Who’s? Congress?” I asked.
Auron quickly answered. “No, your House of Congress does not completely conspire together, some are part of the problem and others aren’t even aware of their existence, let alone their actions. What I’m trying to tell you is that even though there are seven continents and so many various countries scattered around the world, all the way at the top there is only one true form of government. And they have been orchestrating a musical comprised of our wars, fights for freedom and rights. And has done so in ways that allow us to feel we have made a difference or some effect on the outcome. Everything a nation does as a whole is influenced or controlled by an elite group of Satanists,” he says, as I hear him tapping keys on the laptop.
I heard it, but accepting it was another story. At this point, though, I’ve seen enough that believing it was not hard at all. I’ve seen countless bodies mutilated and lay lifeless and these were not acts of God. But, to put that burden on a plate in front of us and tell us, eat up. I didn’t know how to react. I almost felt lifeless at the thought of what he said being true. Should I be amazed or scared? The sound of keys clicking continues.
“I see you looked up John Todd. I only used that alias hoping you would look into it, understanding that’s what people like you do. Look for the truth.”
“Well it seems John Todd’s the guy you should be talking to,” Shane said.
“What about him?” I tried to inquire.
Auron shuts the screen of the laptop and returns to his seat. “He was setup. Those whom he was previously affiliated with, as you saw recently, conspired against him when he publicly exposed them, pinning charges of sexual assault against him to make him seem discreditable, but the charges never held when the supposed victim fled court appearances. Later, he was believed to be released from jail and escorted to a helicopter where he was never seen or heard from again. Some say he was committed to an asylum and remains there. No one can say for certain. All that’s known is that he was wanted silenced and that he was,” Auron said.
“So, we’re supposed to believe that a highly secret frat club from the 1770s is still set on global control?” I asked.
“I just ask you to believe the truth, Thomas. And as far as the…” Auron pauses, using his fingers to gesture quotations. “Frat club from the 1770s thing goes, I admit some things from the internet may not be 100 percent accurate, no,” he answered.
I felt it was more believable to be more recent, I couldn’t see an organization bent on global dominance hiding this long. I watch Auron as he reclines in his chair and get comfortable.
“They actually go back further than that.”
I frown with curiosity. “How much further?”
“Try 700 years B.C.,” he answered.
I look at Shane in disbelief, who shoots a stare at Bazz who acts as though he didn’t see it. Seeing there was no threat now that we start getting clarity on what Auron is explaining, but obviously Bazz and him kept us in the dark for so long. And that’s one thing you don’t do to someone you call comrade.
I nudge him in the arm. “Are you even paying attention?” I whisper to Shane.
He looks at me then directs his attention to Auron. “What record do you even have that support this?”
“Genesis 11:4-9 Tower of Babel. It was the first attempt of The Conspirators.”
I laugh to myself. “So, this is a biblical thing?” I asked.
“Yes, the constant war between good and evil. The Holy Ji’had you might say. Some follow God while others… well, choose otherwise.”
I wait and look around waiting for a surprise as if Ashton Kutcher were to jump out and say ‘Kevin Thomas, you just got Punk’d’, but no, I’m actually hearing this. Auron stares deep into my eyes. It’s as though it’s just me and him here and no one else.
He leans forward with hands folded on the table. “Let me explain the bottom line. Every nation has a selected few, not everyone in power is a conspirator. Don’t see your alderman and think devil worshipper, or your three star general and think satanist. But know the ones who are, promotes everything that John Todd spoke of forty years ago. Eastern Stars! Mas
ons! Blue Bloods! All follow the orders of higher society!” Auron exclaims loudly. He starts to sweat a little, showing veins in his forehead. It’s clear how heart touched he is. The more he talks, the more my curiosity requires me to listen. But I had to ask a question.
“I’ve heard of Illuminati and saw a DVD about them, but they made it about a bunch of rappers and singers?”
He laughs. “No, not at all. You see, the name Illuminati – as well as their intentions – are already somewhat known. Everyone knows about them. Well, in small portion of course, but who exactly are they specifically? Teachers, the mailman maybe?” He shrugs at the end of the unanswered questions. “The musical artists are just the only logical scapegoats. Yes, a number of them may very well be affiliated with conspirators.”
“What do you mean?” Shane asked.
“It’s a tactic. Firstly, it’s just as John Todd said, derogatory music is a way of placing a curse over the multitudes. It speaks of greed, sex, and death. Some become comfortable with it because they say it’s the world we live in, but why is it the world we live in?” he asks us. “Simply because there is power in the tongue. It is written, ‘It is not what goes in our body that defiles us, but what comes out.’ What comes out besides what we speak? Have you never sang words of a song that you really didn’t particularly care for, but it was just something catchy about the chorus? When you do, then you use your tongue and your power to place what power their lyrics have over yourself. Secondly, they’re already in the public eye, the masses say their lyrics relate to situations they’re in or went through. So, do you hate who you’ve grown to love and adore, or do you deny it and dismiss the actuality of it because you’ve gotten to the point where you feel as though you know them personally? Some may be or may not be affiliated, who knows but it’s a ploy. Just draws attention from the higher ranking conspirators,” Auron says.
I scratch my chin where my beard would be. I know I’ve fallen back for the majority of this conversation trying my best to process all this. “So, let’s say we do believe you, what can the four of us do?” I asked him.
“Believe,” he answered.
“It’s kind of hard to believe in what you say and see no actual proof, guy,” Shane said in disbelief.
I heard a heavy sigh from Auron. “Is it really, when you’ve uncovered so much here?” he asked Shane. “Excuse me if I repetitively use your experiences here at the T.O.C to support my examples. But, don’t you thrive off of noticing out of ordinary events and details? Do you not look for lies and feel a sense to justify them by making them known?” Auron asked Shane.
He was right and I could see that Shane knew it too, by the way he’d gotten quiet. And if there’s one thing hard for Shane to be, speechless was it.
I look at Auron leaning his body over to the side struggling to dig inside his pocket briefly just to pull out a one dollar bill.
“Let’s see if this doesn’t at least catch your fancy. Ahem!” The sound of him clearing his voice echoes across the room. In the opposite pocket, I see him digging some more, pulling out an eyeglass case, opening it and putting on glasses and reads aloud, “Annuit Coeptis Nuvvus Ordo Seclorum E Pluribus Unum,” he says before sticking both glasses and dollar back in his pocket. “Now, everyone here has been many places and heard many dialects, but does this sound the least bit familiar?” Auon asked.
I see his eyes once again shifting between the two of us at the opposing end of the table looking for a reply. I look over at Bazz, unable to believe how quiet he’s been this whole time. “I never heard anything remotely like that in my life, but I understand where you’re going with it.” I told him. “But, so far I haven’t seen you ask a single question that you didn’t have the answer to. So come out and say it.” I see Auron smile then allows it to fade.
“It’s Latin.”
I’m growing less confused and more interested in what he has to say. “Isn’t that a dying language?” I asked.
He drops his head and uses his white shirt to clean his glasses and smirks again. “It’s said to be a dying language, yes. But the truth is it’s a secret language used for code amongst secret societies.”
“Achoo!” Bazz sneezes loudly. I see Shane shoot him an almost threatening stare.
“So what does the phrase mean?” Shane asked.
“It’s said to mean God favors our enterprise of a new order of ages. Out of many came one. I believe it to be all one sentence me personally,” Auron said.
After all this I can’t dismiss what he says at all. But deep down inside, I don’t want to believe him. “Wow. All this is above my pay grade,” I turned and said to Shane, hoping my squad leader could say something to make the situation seem less devastating like he usually would. But he couldn’t. He just remained silent, and deep down inside, I knew it really was even more devastating than it sounded.
“So, that being said,” Auron stands to his feet. “I bid you farewell and I’ll be in touch,” he says, walking into the bar area and towards the entrance door.
“Wait!” Shane called out, rushing to catch up with him.
Auron turns and looks at us.
“You just drop this on us and leave? It’s clear you want us to have a plan of attack against this, but what?” Shane asks almost fanatically.
“The more I find out the more I will inform you. And I won’t be too far at all,” he says.
So, there you have it; we found out the truth about Auron and John Todd only to leave us with so many more unanswered questions. The door flies open on his way out. As he walks out, Dan comes in.
He looks at us with raised eyebrows. “Is everything okay?” Dan asks out of a sense of concern.
“We’re alright, Dan,” Bazz answered closing the door to the back room and locking it. I watch as Shane walks over to him.
“And what exactly do you see alright about any of this?” Shane asked filled with anger. “Something you sat on all this time. What were you doing, prepping us? All this we’ve done, going in one direction, and the whole time you were hiding the big picture, weren’t you?” Shane asked.
I could tell he wasn’t going to stop. Something like this would be worse than the fight they had the night I first met Bazz.
“Shane, I met him last year, yes, but I just started believing what he’s been saying!” He tries to explain to Shane.
Shane steps even closer to Bazz, making it so they are now face to face. “I don’t believe you, you blue falcon,” he says in almost a growl. The term blue falcon in the Army was just a polite way to curse a person out and make known you didn’t trust them. I had to stop them. This whole thing was meaningless.
“So what is your problem? Whether he sat on information or not, the point is we know. And the sooner you realize that the better,” I told Shane.
He doesn’t even look my way before he says, “At ease, soldier!”
“At ease, soldier?”
I couldn’t believe it. I called this man my brother. We did it all from changing engines and getting dirty together to returning shots to the enemy in fire fights, and now I’m just a private? I was infuriated. “No, you at ease!” I exclaimed.
Their attention quickly turns towards me.
I began to walk upon the two. “I stood and ran and did everything, you ever asked me to do! But you seem to forget the many times I saved your life. How I pulled you out of that burning vehicle, or when you heroically chose to clear out that building while the enemy was moving in on you and I was the only one at your side!” I paused my fit of rage to calm my tone down. My throat began to get sore, and I was almost about to become emotional. I look straight into his green eyes and smoothly say, “He may have waited to tell us anything, but I’m looking at the only blue falcon in this room. I don’t want a squad leader that can’t seem to understand how to respect a member of his line.”
I rush through the bar pushing the green metal door so hard to get outside it swings wide open and bangs against the brick wall. My wrist throbs from th
e impact of me running and pushing the door open so fast, but it didn’t matter. I was just focused on going after Auron, looking left and right, up and down the busy street. I see him walking through the lot of a gas station on the next block. I sprinted down the street as fast as possible. “Hey!” I shouted out hoping he’d hear me. “Hey wait! Auron!” I continue to call out after him while cars pass by, some with drivers in Army uniform, but none of the faces are familiar. Getting closer I shout again, “Wait stop.”
He stops and turns around making it clear he heard me this time.
I begin to slow down as I get closer and bring my stride to an abrupt halt. He looks at me, as though he knew I was going to chase after him. “Look, we want to believe you and obviously you need us to believe you. Why else would you make such an effort for us to believe you?” I ask him, shrugging my shoulders. I thought I had him cornered, but he only smiles.
“You know what?” he says with raised eyebrows. “You’re right. I do need you to believe me and you need to be able to trust me,” he says. He tilts his head down as he takes a half step towards me and his opposite foot follows the other. “What would it take to make… believers out of you?” he asks me before biting his lips and folding his hands behind his back.
“Tch!” I smack my lips and grind my teeth out of anger and I find myself lost for words. Everything is just happening so fast, it seems like yesterday I was just exposing government conspiracies now this guy comes and drops this bomb on us talking about secret societies and world dominations. I used to feel sorry for the new guys fresh out of basic, but right now I wish I was just a new private. Unaware and not knowing would relieve me right now. I guess ignorance truly is bliss and I almost want to be whisked away.
“We need to see it. For ourselves, we need to see.” I tell him.
“Well, fair enough seeing as how you’ve worked side by side with him,” he says.
“Wait!” I stopped him catching on to what he said. “Him! You said him!”
