In the closed circuit monitoring room, the security guard said to his companion, “I knew that agent was spending a lot of time in Records. Now I know why. Check out the heat in the garage,” he said as he zoomed in on the couple.
“That lucky stiff,” the other guard said. “She’s gorgeous. Who would have believed that little ‘Miss Prude’ would go for some guy twice her age?”
“I don’t know, but if that’s what it takes, I’d gladly trade with him.”
“Listen, she might be crazy, but that doesn’t mean she’s also stupid,” the other guard said jokingly as Shepperd and the young woman disappeared into her car.
When they were driving out of the parking lot, Shepperd said, “Since we’ve been seen kissing, you can at least tell me your name, can’t you?”
She laughed. “It’s Kathy Birk. I thought you knew, since you spent so much time in the file room.”
“No,” he replied honestly. “I wondered, but I learned a long time ago that people who ask questions get asked a lot of questions.”
“Besides,” she said mockingly, “you looked into some files where you didn’t have a ‘need to know.’”
“How could you—”
“How could I have known that?” she finished his sentence. “Mr. Shepperd, I’m not a librarian. I’m a trained field agent placed in Records just to catch defectors like you. It’s a good thing that I’m also a defector, wouldn’t you say?”
“That’s for sure,” he agreed as they turned the corner onto a side street. Just as they passed, a bakery truck pulled out behind them blocking the street.
When she saw the puzzled look on Shepperd’s face, she said nonchalantly, “That’s just in case anyone may be following.”
Shepperd was impressed. Apparently this was not some fly-by-night outfit. They had escape routes and alternate road blocks arranged. They had to have known he would come with the girl.
“My car’s been swept clean,” she said. “We can talk freely.”
Shepperd nodded.
“Are you willing to help ferret this cancer out of the government?” she asked bluntly. “Even at the risk of your own life?”
“You’re pretty direct,” he said.“How do I know that you’re not a part of the cancer?”
“If I were, you’d be on your way to a camp or have an extra hole in your head, Mr. Shepperd,” she replied.
“I hear you,” he said. “The one thing this group is not is subtle.”
“Yes, and you only know part of it. The intent is to remove all the Christians and Jews to detention camps, turn the government over to a man known as ‘the Leader,’ Amir Razzak, and—”
“Razzak?” Shepperd interrupted. “As in Amir Razzak, the new emissary to Israel?”
“The same. A group of fanatics, calling themselves the Society, believe he is their long-awaited leader who will rule the world and bring in a one-world government.”
“How do you know that?” Shepperd asked, trying to absorb what he was hearing. “Control the economy, maybe . . . but take over the government?”
“They allowed three million people to die in the Japanese earthquake without a second thought, and they’re planning to kill twenty million Americans. What makes you think they won’t take over the government? The country is in shambles. America is ripe for a dictator who will promise them prosperity. What are a few million Christians and Jews, compared to a new car every three years?”
“How do you know this?” he asked again. “What proof . . .”
“You will have all the proof you need in good time.”
Kathy knew that Shepperd was a vital link in stopping the Society. But could she convince him of that?
For the next two hours, Kathy filled Donald Shepperd in on all she knew about the Society and its leaders. Often Shepperd would stop her to fill in some gaps, like the processing centers he had located through his research. Finally, she dropped him off several blocks from his hotel.
“You must convince Dr. Eison to help,” she said emphatically. “Jeff Wells is the key to their control, just as John Elder is the key to organizing the CRC.”
Shepperd was too shocked to answer. She had guessed his intention to contact Dr. Eison. Could I have been that obvious?
“You checked out his file,” she answered without being asked.
As he was getting out of the car, Kathy said, “We arranged for you to watch Dr. Eison when he arrives. Good luck.”With that, she drove off.
The earlier meeting with Dr. Eison had led to the scientist’s message through Data-Net. That contact through Data-Net had been an act of desperation that worked. On such acts the fates of nations are often decided. But now he hadn’t heard from Jeff or Karen for several days. His encrypted messages went unanswered.
25
RESCUED
Plans to free John Elder had been discussed several times, but, since he was being held in the top security wing at Andrews, it seemed impossible. When one of the guards tipped off the group that Elder was being moved, they had acted swiftly. As soon as it was certain that Elder was being transported to the capital, the plan had been activated.
The call had come in on Warner’s cellular phone while he was meeting with some of the local Atlanta CRC organizers. Warner also learned that an FBI agent from Washington was working with the CRC and would soon be joining them in Atlanta. He wanted desperately to know the agent’s name but decided that it was too risky to ask any more questions.
After the call, Warner could hardly contain his excitement. He relayed the message to the group leaders, then made his way out of the abandoned office building that served as their temporary headquarters. He needed to call Rutland—quickly. This would be his ticket to get Franklin off his back.
Once outside, he decided to make the call immediately. Stepping into a small alley beside the building, he flipped the “on” switch of his pocket-sized phone and waited to connect to a government channel. Normally he would have been more cautious in such a tough neighborhood, but he was too excited to wait until he reached the security of his car.
The two men watching Warner come out of the building had lost sight of him. One said, “Where did that guy go?”
“I don’t know,” the other replied angrily. “But let’s find him. I really need a fix.”
Just then they heard the beep of a phone coming from the alley. They stepped around the corner just as Warner was dialing Rutland’s Washington number. The last thing Archie Warner ever heard was the soft “pop” of the silenced hand gun. In less than a minute, the two thugs had stripped him of all his valuables, including the cell phone. The gunman picked up the phone as Rutland’s receptionist was asking. “Who’s calling, please?”
“Sorry.Wrong number,” he said, laughing, as he flipped the phone to close it. John Elder never knew it, but he owed his life to those thieves.
A few hours later Elder found himself being hauled out of bed before sunrise and hustled into a waiting car. It was all done so quickly and secretively he thought he was probably going to be killed. He knew better than to ask questions without first being asked to speak. The several interrogations he had gone through had been brutal experiences.
Elder had heard and read about torture, especially within the ranks of Christianity throughout the centuries, but until he experienced it himself, he had no real appreciation for how psychologically demoralizing it could be. The pain was bad enough, but it was the feeling of helplessness, quickly followed by hopelessness, that took the greatest emotional toll. John Elder had a great appreciation for why prisoners of war capitulated to their captors. Without a total dedication to a greater power, all else seemed trivial and easily renounced.
The confusing part of his ordeal was that his interrogators didn’t really ask anything of him. It was as if he was being softened up for something. He wasn’t asked to sign a confession or to renounce his faith, which he had originally expected. He was asked his name, his occupation, and the name of his wife. The latter had the d
esired effect of placing her foremost in his thoughts. If he dared challenge a question or resist in any way, he was tortured.
This morning he was simply whisked away without a word. He knew this would not be a normal interrogation and was truly frightened. The windows of the limousine were totally darkened so he could not see out; nor could anyone see inside. From the sounds outside, he guessed they were approaching a city. Since he knew he was being held at Andrews, he assumed it had to be Washington.
The car stopped, and Elder heard a slightly familiar sound. It took a moment until his senses made the connection. It was a garage door opening. The car moved again and he heard the door close. Before the car stopped, the interrogator shoved a black cloth bag roughly over Elder’s head and muttered, “Not one sound . . .”
Elder felt himself pushed along a concrete floor, and heard what he assumed to be an elevator door opening. He was shoved inside. An office building, he thought. But where, and why? The elevator stopped, and Elder was shoved out into the hallway. He stumbled and another man took his arm, pushing him down the hall. Still he had no hint as to where he was. The bile of fear rose in his mouth. He choked it back and silently prayed for God to give him strength. He was pulled to a halt and his handcuffs were removed. He stood silently awaiting the next move from his captors. Someone pulled the bag off his head. At first he had difficulty focusing. He had been kept in a poorly lighted cell and then hooded for several minutes; his pupils were trying to adjust.
“Welcome, John Elder,” the man said smoothly. “I have been waiting a long time to see you.”
Elder squinted, trying to adjust his eyes to the lighted room. Suddenly, as the image came to him, he felt a pang of fear rise from his spine. “You!” he said hoarsely. He would have shouted it but his vocal cords were unaccustomed to talking, much less shouting. The image he saw filled him with near terror. It was straight out of his childhood nightmares. The dark man sitting behind the president’s desk was the one in his nightmares. The Leader.
“It is me,” the man responded.“I trust our friends have kept you well.”
Elder said nothing. He knew that his nightmare had become a reality. The man sitting in the chair of the nation’s highest office was the enemy of all he held true. He recalled the words of the prophet, Daniel, who said, “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will magnify himself above every god, and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done.”
“I know you!” Elder blurted out. “You’re the evil one!”
Razzak’s eyes burned with anger. The guard stepped forward, but the dark man stopped him. “Leave us!” he commanded.
“But, sir,” the guard protested.
“Leave us at once!” he commanded again, and the guard left the room.
“Evil is a relative term, John Elder,” Razzak said smoothly, once more in control. “Most of the people in this country would say you are evil. I could have you killed and the people would cheer me as a hero.”
“Perhaps you can fool the people,” Elder said cautiously, “but no man can fool God!”
“What do I care about your God?” Razzak hissed as he rose from the chair.“Has He been able to help you or your pathetic followers? No. I am in charge now. Your God is a myth. Even your own schoolchildren know that!”
“Schoolchildren are easily deceived too,” Elder said, more boldly now. He did not underestimate the man in front of him, but facing his nightmare was not nearly as frightening as he had imagined. “What do you want from me?” Elder asked. “I know you haven’t planned this whole episode just to impress me.”
Razzak’s eyes narrowed as he felt the anger well up inside. Then he smiled, “Very good, John. Try to make your opponent lose his composure, then you will be able to manipulate him.”
Elder said nothing, but he realized that the man in front of him was susceptible to the same feelings of anger as anyone else. It wasn’t much, but it was a crack in the armor.
“I want to offer you a deal,” Razzak said.
“What kind of deal?” Elder asked cautiously. He knew the one they called the Leader wanted something from him, but he couldn’t imagine what.
“I have the power to destroy you and all the other Christians in America. We have you isolated and cut off from those around you. But I have no desire to destroy you, unless I am offered no other choice. Your beautiful wife, Julia, does not fare well in prison, I’m afraid.”
Elder blanched at the mention of his wife. He had prayed for her daily during his imprisonment, but inside he also prayed that she would not be arrested. He shuddered at the thought of her frail body undergoing the same treatment he had received. Suddenly his mind flashed the connection. That’s why I have been tortured, he thought. They want me to know what Julia will suffer—or is suffering. Razzak instantly sensed he had struck a nerve in Elder. “I am willing to have your wife released.”
“In exchange for what?” Elder asked as Razzak paused for several seconds.
“In exchange for your sworn loyalty to my cause,” he said, his eyes seeming to pierce Elder’s soul.
Elder fought back the fear that was welling up inside him. He did the only thing he could think of at the moment: he kneeled and prayed. His mind was so numb, all he could remember at the time was the Lord’s Prayer. So he began, “Our Father, Who art in Heaven . . .”
“Stop it!” Razzak shouted at Elder as he struck him in the face. “You will not mention your false god in my presence.”
“If He is a false God, then why do you fear the very mention of His name?” Elder asked as he got to his feet. “Hallowed be Your name . . .”
“You will suffer, and your wife will suffer even more,” Razzak hissed in anger. “You had your chance; now you will pay, and your miserable followers will be wiped off the face of the earth . . . starting with your wife.”
“If you kill me,” Elder said, “I’ll rejoice that I am found worthy to suffer for His sake. If you kill my wife, I’ll rejoice for her sake. The more of us you persecute, the more will join our ranks, so you can’t win. You are defeated—then, now, and forever.”
Razzak struck Elder again. “You will die last! You are the one who condemns your followers to death! You are a fool!”
“I have no followers,” Elder replied as he wiped the blood off his mouth. “We all serve the one true God. You have tried before and have been defeated. In the end, it’s you who will bow before the Lord.”
“Never!” Razzak shouted. “Never! I serve the ruler of the earth. I will have the nations as my footstool.” He pressed the button on the side of the president’s desk, and two bulky guards came in.
“Take this terrorist to the place we have prepared for him and his kind. Teach him some manners.”
Elder felt his arms being wrenched behind his back, and the cuffs put back on his wrists. One of the men shoved his face down onto the massive desk where Jefferson and Lincoln had sat. The impact split his eyebrow and blood dripped onto the smooth surface. He was dazed when they snatched him up again.
Razzak said softly, “We will speak of this again. The next time I will arrange to have your wife here with us. Right now some of the guards are busy with her.”
As Elder staggered out between the two guards, he said in a clear, strong voice, “Greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world.”He could still hear Razzak’s curses ringing in his ears when the guard on his right smashed a fist into his temple. He lost consciousness as they dragged him to the elevators.
“Where’s he going?” one of the secret service guards asked the two who met them at the garage level.
“To the camp in Arizona,” the huge man said as he lifted Elder by the collar. “He will learn what it means to assassinate members of our government. It will be a one-way trip.”
Elder had regained some of his sense, but he decided to fake unconsciousness. As the big man hauled Elder toward the waiting c
ar, one of the guards said, “Wait a minute! I don’t know you two. What department are you with?”
“We’re from special forces,” the smaller man said. “We’re new recruits from the attorney general’s office.”
“And they gave you the job of transporting the leader of the terrorists? Something sounds funny,” the secret service guard said, pulling his weapon. “You stay right here while I make a call to headquarters.”
“Do what you want!” the big man said angrily. “But why don’t you just check our orders first? It will save us both a lot of reaming from up top. We didn’t ask for this assignment, and as you know, Lively doesn’t like to have his orders challenged.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure,” the other guard said. “Let me see your orders.” As he reached for the papers the two men held out, the big man grabbed his arm and literally swung him through the air. His companion was caught off guard and fired his weapon just as his partner came flying toward him. The bullet struck the other man in the chest, point blank. He never had a chance to pull the trigger again; his compatriot’s body struck him like a 200-pound sack of potatoes. He was slammed against the concrete wall, out cold.
“Who are you?” Elder stammered.
“So you are awake,” the smaller man said. “I thought you were. Get up, and hurry. We’re going to have guards all over us in about thirty seconds.”
The big man grabbed Elder by the waist and hauled him into the car like so much baggage. The other man jumped into the driver’s seat and dropped the shift lever into gear. The tires were still smoking when the first of twenty guards hit the garage level. Before they could fire a shot, the car turned the corner and disappeared out of sight.
The secret service agent who had been unconscious was just coming to and yelled, “Get them! They took Elder!”
Three groups of guards jumped into the three vehicles still in the parking area. The dazed guard heard the starters spinning, but not one started. He heard one after the other of the guards swearing as they raised the hoods to see loose wiring hanging in the engine compartments.
The Illuminati Page 30
