“But you became a pastor, so when did you work at an air brake plant in the town you grew up in?”
“You really shouldn’t believe every story you hear. That’s what made it so easy to manipulate you over the past couple of days.”
“I’ve heard you preach every Sunday for all those years I attended this church with my father. Here this whole time I thought you were one of God’s mouth pieces on the earth, but it was all lip service so you could get others to do your bidding.”
“You sure do catch on fast, Brandon.”
“I’ve heard you preach some pretty compelling sermons from the pulpit. So, tell me, how were you able to do that if God had never spoken to you?”
“Simple really. I went to Bible college and earned a degree in Biblical studies that aided me in putting together all those sermons. I had to extensively study the Word of God and write many in-depth analyses on a variety of topics to earn that degree. All that knowledge made my years of preaching possible. It was like a child’s game to me, kind of like connect the dots or a word find. I can’t tell you how many times I had to hold back the laughter when countless people came to me Sunday after Sunday, saying that was the most anointed message they had ever heard. The majority of people are so stupid. It’s no wonder the Bible refers to Jesus’ followers as sheep. I’m simply amazed that the human race made it this far.”
“Yeah, I’m constantly surprised by the things people do, and live to talk about it. So, since we are having another one of our heart-to-heart conversations, what made you go bad, Phillip? Or are you going to tell me you were always a wolf in sheep’s clothing?” I continued to discretely look about to find a way to save Lizzie and escape that den of evil.
“Bad? That’s just a matter of perspective, really. However, I wasn’t always this enlightened, and I came to this logical conclusion while on a mission trip in college.”
“You call everything you’ve done and are about to do logical?” I was still taken aback by how deceived he was.
“Yes, and hopefully you will to at the end of our conversation. I wanted to become a pastor when I was a kid after hearing all of those stories in Sunday School about God’s power and such, but all those years in church I had never once heard God speak to me. I never saw any miracles or great displays of his power like you read about in the Bible, but there I was eager to please God so that he’d let me see a miracle. Pretty stupid and juvenile, right? So, let’s skip ahead to when I was a young man in his second year of Bible college, and I was convinced that God was going to speak to me since I was no longer a child, but a young man determined to save the world for him. I was sent out with a group of my friends to witness and share the Gospel in the city where my college was.
We walked around, passed out those New Testaments pocket Bibles, talked to and prayed for everyone that would let us, but still I saw no miracles. Nothing! Then we all agreed to split up to try and cover more ground, and as I walked the city street, a psychic walked out of her shop to meet me. This woman called me by name, and she knew everything about me, from my first and last name, my parent’s names, the college I was attending, the first girl I ever kissed, and so much more. I had been warned that psychics and people like them were pure evil, but this woman was nice and spoke kindly to me. She didn’t look anything like what the church had portrayed her to be.”
“That’s the cause of all of this? Some woman told you some facts about yourself that she got from someplace else, and now you’re whatever the heck you are.”
“It’s not just that she knew some things about me—her name was Selma, by the way. She told me I had always felt like I was on an empty path to nowhere, and she stood there all day waiting for me to come by so she could tell me it was time to move on. There were spirits in the world who had major plans for me, but they were not the same ones who I have been pursuing in vain. She took me in her store, and I watched as she changed from a middle-aged woman to a young woman, then to an older woman, and finally back to her middle-aged self. She said the spirits had granted her with the ability to know everything about me, and to transform like she had, and I too could have that power. I walked out of her store that day a little shaken, as everything I had been led to believe had been directly challenged. Finally, my life had started to take on meaning.”
“You’re not expecting me to believe that and then just go along with everything you’re planning.”
“Just wait. After my meeting with Selma, I discretely began to study psychics and the world of the occult. I found it not to be this dark and scary place I had always been taught that it was, and things started making sense. I was intrigued by that world, so I secretly began to study it in depth, because I would have been kicked out of school had I been caught. In the realm of the occult there are mighty and powerful spirit beings that want to help us, but there is not the God of the Bible as we had learned about as children. The real breakthrough is when I got assigned to go on that mission trip to Africa. When we got to the village we were to be stationed at, my classmates and I were warned not to go into a certain part of the jungle because there was a powerful witch doctor that had killed other missionaries that had tried to convert him before. After hearing that, I knew exactly what I was going to do that night.
Once everyone had gone to sleep, I quietly snuck out of my small hut and went into the jungle in search of the witch doctor. To my surprise he was waiting on me at the edge of the village, and he motioned for me to follow him back to his hut. His face was painted like a skull, and his clothing was comprised of various animal skins all patched together that hung loosely off his waist and shoulders. When we got to his hut, there was a small fire in a pit inside with two seats for us to sit on. The witch doctor started chanting as soon as we sat down, and a being made of golden light appeared. He said his name was Lucifer, the light bringer, and for his crimes of trying to help humanity, the other spirits lied about him to people by calling him the devil and that he wanted to kill all humanity.”
“So, you met the devil,” I said with a smirk.
“Not the devil... Lucifer. Weren’t you listening? Anyway, he too confirmed the non-existence of God, and how he was the only one who could give me true power, so I dedicated my life to him that night. He laid his hands on my shoulders, and bestowed upon me the giftings of signs, wonders, and miracles—the very power I had been after my whole life.”
“That’s why you never experienced God’s presence, because you were only seeking his hand. I haven’t been to church in a long time, and even I know that.”
“I never experienced his presence or his power because he doesn’t exist, and after that day I experienced power all right. I prophesied over the villagers, and all I prayed for that day got healed. I kept the name of the one I prayed in quiet for obvious reasons of course, because my classmates were still believing in the God of the Bible nonsense. But you should have seen their faces when I moved in the power Lucifer gifted me with on that trip. They were so jealous, and it felt great. I continued to pursue Lucifer, who told me to start this church and to do all that I have done up to this moment, and after tonight I will be immortal like him.”
“Immortality. That is what this whole thing has been about?”
“Yes. As I got older, I had the revelation that once I die, all of this is over. Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust so to speak. There are no fluffy white clouds to go and relax on. Once you’re gone that’s it, and I didn’t want that. So, one night I sought an audience with Lucifer. He said if I were to sacrifice Elizabeth over there, and plunge the town into his purifying presence, it would cleanse and liberate the race of man from all deception of religion. Once the task is completed this evening I will be on the same plane of existence as Lucifer and the other spirits of old. I can hardly contain my excitement.”
I squeezed the key in my hand so hard the edges began to cut into my skin. “You are out of your mind. If what you say happened is true, then you have been played by the devil your entire life!”
“He’s not the devil, he is Lucifer, the light bringer.”
“He’s the devil, and you will live forever in Hell, in what I hope is the hottest and fieriest part of it for what you have done!”
Phillip stood, enraged by my words, with his face twisted in hatred as he straightened his black robe. He called out to one of his warlocks to give him the revolver they had taken off of me, and once it was handed to him, he pushed the barrel hard against my forehead.
“I have heard just about enough out of you with your endless whining about how your parents died, Ron betrayed you, and how that woman over there doesn’t love you anymore. But what I won’t stand for is you saying those vicious lies about my Lucifer!”
“Go ahead and do it, but you will only make God’s wrath worse upon your head.”
“Ahhhh,” Phillip yelled at me as he pressed the gun harder against my forehead before he removed it. “I’m not going to kill you like this, it would be too easy for you to go this way. You have been taking the easy way out for years, and I’m stopping that tonight. Instead, you will watch as we sacrifice the woman whom you love so much, but completely despises you.”
“No!”
“Oh yes, and then, instead of torturing you to death with my newfound abilities, I am going to turn you over to your former brothers in blue. You are going down for the murder of the Amaras for ruining your wretched life, and for the brutal slaying of Elizabeth for not loving you back. Now, get up. On your feet!”
I slowly stood with my eyes locked in on Phillip’s hate-filled stare.
“Listen to me, Phillip, you don’t know what you’re doing. If you kill Elizabeth, we are all dead. You have to stop!”
“The time for begging is over, and you had your chance to be on the winning side. You are going to stand by while we sacrifice the love of your life, knowing there is nothing you or your so-called friend can do to stop us. Have you even bothered to ask yourself if Wrath was so powerful why hasn’t he shown up here and put an end to all of this?”
I hated to admit it, but I had been thinking about that the entire time since Wrath disappeared to go to his brothers, but I would never tell Phillip that. I said nothing as I stood there and glared at the man I once admired.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You don’t need to say anything because your silence tells me that your friend isn’t coming because he’s scared of us and the power we possess. Men, prepare Elizabeth, the time has come for our ascension.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Brandon Farmer
The Holy Anointed Church
ELIZABETH FOUGHT, KICKED, and screamed as Phillip’s lackies picked her up and carried her to the altar. They slammed her down as hard as they could on the stone slab in the middle of the room, and immediately all the wind and fight were instantly knocked out of her.
“Hey, that’s enough. You don’t have to handle her like that!” I yelled as they locked her arms and legs in place to keep her from trying to come off the stone slab.
“Calm down lover boy, she will be put out of her misery soon enough,” Scott said as he laughed to himself while he and the rest of the men formed a large circle around the altar with Phillip at the head.
Elizabeth moved sluggishly and released low moans of pain. Judging by how hard her head knocked against the stone, she had to have a slight concussion at the least. Time was quickly running out, and if I didn’t stop them soon, Elizabeth and the city were as good as dead.
“Your one and only over there seems thoroughly knocked out, which will make this whole process a lot easier and faster. I hate it when they cry, fight, and squirm all over the place, it makes it hard to be precise with the knife.” Phillip tied a black belt made of cloth around his robe and placed the gun he’d taken from me in it on his left hip directly adjacent to me. He then held up a long dagger from a table one of his warlocks had rolled to him.
I know I shouldn’t have been surprised by his statement after everything he had already told me, but I still found myself in disbelief at how evil he really was. “You’ve killed other people before?”
“Yes, many times in fact. You see, Brandon, in order to grow our power, sacrifices had to be made to bring things back into proper alignment in the spirit realm. For the greater good, you see.”
“Sounds like human sacrifice to Satan.”
“I’m done trying to convince you that we do not serve Satan, nor does Satan even exist as you have been taught. We serve Lucifer, and we are his enlightened ones, and you will never have that chance again to ascend to our level. It is a real shame, because you had so much potential, but that seems to be the recurring theme of your life. So much potential, but never able to live up to it. After we’re done with her, your death will correct so many wrongs that your existence has created. You should feel good about that part at least,” Phillip said with a smirk as he turned to address his elders. “Gentlemen the time has come, will you please begin to offer up high and holy prayers to Lucifer, and when we are done, this city and all of us will be changed forever more.”
At once all the men released a chant as they all began to speak in other tongues. As their eyes rolled into the back of their heads, I saw my chance to strike. As quietly and quickly as I could, I unlocked my hand cuffs, and grabbed the gun from Phillip’s belt. When he opened his eyes, he stopped speaking whatever crazy language the others were still uttering.
“What do you think you’re doing, Brandon?” Phillip asked with a sly smile.
“I’m stopping all of you and saving Elizabeth and the city,” I said as I tossed Phillip the hand cuffs. “Put those on, now!”
“I don’t think I’ll be doing that. They are not the type of jewelry that goes with my outfit. Besides, you really think you’ve stopped us?” Phillip said as his men stopped chanting and saw what was going on while Elizabeth appeared to be fully unconscious on the altar.
“Come now, Brandon, we both know you’re not going to pull that trigger.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because that would be murder, and you’re not a murderer.” Phillip mockingly put his hands up and motioned for me to shoot him.
“Maybe I’m willing to do what is necessary to save those I love.”
“Then by all means, do it. Pull the trigger. Please, I want you to.” Phillip motioned for his men to stay back. “We are on a schedule here, so if you will hurry up and pull that trigger, we can all get back to what we were doing.”
“You really are the worst person I have ever met,” I said as I squeezed the trigger. It felt like slow motion as the hammer of the revolver moved to strike the primer of the bullet in the cylinder, but then the gun just clicked. I squeezed the trigger five more times, but the gun didn’t fire, not even once.
“I have to say I’m a little surprised. I didn’t think you had it in you, but that gun won’t work without these.” Phillip pulled out a handful of bullets from his robe pocket. “I removed them when we were walking down here when you were scanning the room to see if you could find a way out for the two of you. You’re not as discrete as you believe yourself to be.”
“I don’t get it, why did you put the gun there like that? Why go through all of that?”
“I really just wanted to see what you would do, and to make sure that you were not the one that should be on the slab over there. Someone who is after true justice wouldn’t gun down a person, no matter how guilty they were. They would let the courts do what they were designed to do, but I will have to kill you now since your little stunt has set us back time wise. Men, if you will be so kind as to return to praying, I’ll take care of Mr. Farmer, and then I will be right back with you.”
Phillip picked back up the large dagger as his men went back to chanting. I lunged forward and smacked Phillip across the face with the hardened steel of the revolver. He dropped the dagger and stumbled back as I grabbed the blade and ran to Elizabeth’s side. She was still breathing, but she had started to wake a little as her eye
lids partially opened and closed. Phillip’s men stopped their chanting and looked to their leader for what he wanted them to do as I held up the dagger ready to attack any who came close.
Phillip spit out a mouth full of blood. “You’re going to pay for that. What are you going to do with that one dagger against eleven strong able-bodied men, Brandon?”
“I might not be able to stop all of you, but I’m guessing you need all of these guys for your little stunt to work. All I need to do is take out one of you. So, which one of you is it going to be?” I looked about the room to see who was going to come at me first.
“Enough,” Phillip yelled and stopped his men as they tried to close in on me. “Scott, give me Elizabeth’s gun, I want to kill Brandon myself.”
“With pleasure, sir,” Scott uttered as he walked to Phillip and handed him Elizabeth’s gun. I’d forgotten about that gun in all the excitement.
As Phillip raised the gun toward me, I turned to barely conscience Elizabeth. “Lizzie, I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I love you.”
“That’s so sweet, but you were never going to be able to save her, or stop us,” Scott said as he fired the gun at me.
I was prepared to see a bright blinding flash of light, followed by angelic beings, but instead I heard the distinct sound of metal as it bounced against the cement floor. I looked up, surprised that I was still alive as a man in a red suit with a buzzed head stood in front of me.
The Wrath Walker (The Wrath Series Book 1) Page 23
