Once, and For All

by Kendra G. Johnson

  These people had traded with the kitchen staff at the estate. The servants there had no loyalty to the people who owned the house and grounds. They could not say they were treated unfairly, but again the idea of evil came up. Mrs. G. began formulating a plan.

  * * * *

  Danny Mac and Kenann had bade good night to the group at the end of the presentation with promises to seek their spirit guide about her role in their destiny. Kenann knew what it would be if she had anything to do with it. She would see them all destroyed, never to be heard from again. Wait, was that Christian? Well, evil was evil and she was not going to try to redeem pure evil.

  They prepared for bed both shaken by what they had seen. It never got easier to absorb no matter how many times they were presented with it.

  Chemicals introduced into the water supply of targeted systems across the globe, only to be monitored and the people studied like lab rats. They found that different DNA haplogroups react differently to the various chemicals. It was all being catalogued and analyzed for future reference. Then there was the systematic brainwashing of other targeted groups. Undiscerning people were easily led. Who would ever believe that people would do this to other people? They were able to do it by social media, subtle email campaigns, and introducing news stories with the express purpose of swaying popular opinion. A select cross section of people was targeted and then studied.

  But the scariest part was their ability to control the weather. They were combining their mind-control agenda with the studies of the effects of natural disasters on the psyche, to develop a protocol to first create a disaster and then to be able to herd the populace according to their will. If they could gain control of natural phenomenon without anyone knowing they were in control, they were free to finalize their agenda of world domination. If anyone began to be suspicious, they were eliminated. The masses needed to be blissfully ignorant of their fate. Kenann realized that the entire world was vulnerable to this systematic program. They could poison people whenever they chose, use mind control to bend people to their will, and then manipulate them to do whatever they desired. It made the zombie apocalypse pale in comparison.

  Danny Mac and Kenann were both somber as they prepared for bed. They dared not speak their thoughts aloud. Both wondered if that storm the other night was their handiwork. And the entities—or whatever they were—was that their doing, too? If so, they were heading right into the abyss.

  * * * *

  The dream came swiftly. Kenann was in a dark place. The fire at a distance drew her in. She tripped and fell, pursued by some unseen force. She was running by the time she reached the clearing. There was a large fire encircled by rocks in an effort to contain it. She saw no one there. But she felt them. All around her. Her head began to buzz. Like a thousand bees inside her head. Was she going to faint? She couldn’t. She had to be strong. Then the chanting began. She couldn’t tell if it was in her head or was coming from the jungle around her. Then she saw them. Masses of dark-robed people moving slowly toward her. Hoods obscured their faces. They moved en masse out of the trees and into the circle around her. The circle grew ever smaller as more came behind them, until all she saw was a sea of dark-robed beings, swaying now and chanting a low, pulsing sound.

  She fled to the only place of safety she could see. A raised platform at one end of the clearing. She ran up the stairs to escape the dark horde. As she stood there terrified, she felt herself grow weak and white hot. It was as if her insides were being drawn out of her. Her essence was being pulled from her. She resisted and the effort almost made her retch with the pain. All she had to do was give in and all would be well. The pain would leave her. She would be victorious and achieve the destiny she was meant to have. She could have it all.

  She fell to her knees and physically held herself together with her arms and hands. It was excruciating. Give in. Give in. Give in.

  NOOOOOOO!

  “Look at me.” She did not know if she heard it or it was only in her head.

  She raised her head and froze.

  It was Danny Mac’s face. He was pleading with her. Give in. Give in. Give in.

  “You can’t mean that.”

  “I know you want to. It is what you have been moving toward all your life. How do you think you were able to win me? I was sent to bring you to the Master.”

  This crushed her. Danny Mac did not love her? He was only with her to achieve a purpose? She almost crumbled.

  In her mind she saw Granny and Mrs. Gage. They were standing at a distance, compelling her to believe. She knew the truth. Don’t give in. Don’t believe the lies. They are coming from the Father of Lies.

  She looked up again. Danny Mac’s eyes continued to plead for her to succumb. She steeled herself and whispered with conviction, “Get behind me, Satan.”

  The force of the scream rent the air, extinguishing the flame in its wake. All the evil had left her, but not before the claws of some unseen being raked across her chest.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  In two different locations in Hungary, Mrs. Gage and Granny James woke from the nightmare in a cold sweat. Neither doubted its authenticity. But each found comfort in “knowing” Kenann was remaining strong. The evil was using every insecurity, every crack in her armor, to bring her down. They both dropped to their knees beside their beds and began praying.

  Danny Mac woke to find Kenann burning hot with fever. He tried to waken her but she would not rouse. He pulled the covers off her to cool her. She moaned and tried to pull into a ball. She appeared in pain. He felt helpless and more frightened than he had been in his life. He went to the bathroom and brought back a cool cloth when her eyes began to flutter. He bent over her as her eyes flew open and she cried out in pain.

  “Get away from me!” she screamed.

  “Kenann, it’s me. Danny Mac. You are okay.”

  She looked around in a daze. She began to focus, looking deeply at him as if she was trying to see through him. Then she winced. She tried to sit up and he made room for her to swing her legs around and sit on the edge of the bed.

  Danny Mac touched her shoulder. “What’s the matter? Are you sick? Are you hurt?”

  “I had a bad dream.” She touched her chest over her heart and winced again. She pulled her gown away from her chest and gasped.

  Danny Mac dropped in front of her and froze. Three long, deep gashes on her chest below her collarbone. Their eyes met. Not sure what to make of this or what to do about it, both were stunned by this physical assault on her when no one else had been in the room.

  Danny Mac tried to remain calm. “What was your dream about?”

  Kenann paused and tried to decide how to play it. Because she knew they were being watched both on the monitor and possibly in the spiritual realm, she decided to not give it any more power than it deserved. “Oh more of the same ole, same ole. Circle of fire, dark-robed people, and using you in a pitiful attempt to control me.”

  Danny Mac smiled as he realized what she was doing. Good girl. “Didn’t work, huh?”

  She smiled back. “Nope.”

  Danny Mac stood and reached out his hand. He led her into the bathroom and tended to the raised welts on her chest. He found some soothing ointment in the medicine cabinet as well as enough bandage to cover the affected area. As they worked together, they were both deep in thought. They knew enough to know this was the first wave. The next battle would be worse.

  * * * *

  Mrs. Gage, having learned the times and location where the Romani met with the staff of the estate to barter, got there early and set up her stall. She coached Blade beforehand so he was ready, too.

  One of the gypsy women gave her a subtle nod to indicate the woman from the estate. Mrs. Gage went to work. By the time she was done, she had convinced the woman by telling her “fortune” and throwing in her knowledge of the young couple who were now in residence and the evil that surrounded that house. Blade topped it off with a chant in Hungarian that was a spell to ward off
evil.

  Mrs. Gage told the woman that Blade was a deaf-mute who would only speak against this kind of evil. He could protect the innocent and banish the evil. She had her. Could they come to the estate? How soon? Today? She would get them in and set them up in the servants’ quarters.

  Bingo.

  * * * *

  Mrs. Gage and Blade were in their room at the estate before breakfast had been cleared away. Before going, she called Andy to inform the others of her plan. He wanted to come. He didn’t like being an hour away. She reminded him he and several others could be there quickly by the helicopter now sitting on the grounds in front of the castle.

  “I know, Mrs. Gage, but I still don’t like it.”

  “I should be able to come and go from the estate so I can give you updates. They would obviously jam any surveillance device I would take in there. We will just have to do things the old-fashioned way. My preference actually.”

  “Mrs. Gage, you be careful. You hear me?”

  “My dear boy, I have been at this game for a very long time.” He knew if he had been there, she would have concluded this remark with a wink and a soft pat on his cheek as she strode away in a flourish of her signature scent.

  * * * *

  The woman from the market had garnered the support of all the others on staff and they awaited their instructions. Mrs. Gage had her army.

  Blade was small enough to fit into several perfect hiding places throughout the house. The staff knew the rhythm of the house, so they assured Mrs. Gage they could get him in place without detection. He was armed with pencil and paper to record the highlights of what he heard.

  They would take him to the upstairs conference room after everyone came down for lunch. The group met there at 3:00 every afternoon. And Mrs. Gage would be one of the servers at the noon meal. She hoped the uniform and cap as well as the dark kohl around her eyes would prevent Magda from recognizing her.

  She had prepared a note to slip to Danny Mac or Kenann if the opportunity presented itself. As the people filed in for lunch, Mrs. Gage assessed them, all the while keeping her gaze nonchalant. Danny Mac spied her first and, as she knew he would, did not react in the slightest. Kenann saw her shortly thereafter and was equally stoic. Inside, both were once again amazed at this woman. But they were not really surprised. Of course she would come. Of course she could find a way to be part of the staff right under the nose of the bad guys. She was just that good. They beamed inside with pride.

  The group had continued to act with deference toward Kenann, and maybe a little spooked. After reviewing the surveillance tape that morning, they had not known what to make of the large welts that appeared across Kenann’s chest. Their knowledge of spiritual warfare was nil. They were being manipulated by the lord of darkness and doing his bidding thinking they were the ones in complete control. They could feel something stirring but attributed it to Kenann having emerged as Inanna.

  Everyone was on edge, from the council to the household staff. Mrs. Gage sensed it but did not fully understand why. She had to find a way to talk to Danny Mac and Kenann. But no opportunity presented itself. Danny Mac wanted to do some recon to identify escape routes if and when they were needed. So he told the group that Her Highness needed some air to clear her head and declared their intention to go for a walk.

  “Excellent idea,” Jamal said cheerily. “We shall all go.”

  They did not seem to notice Danny Mac’s strained smile. It had turned into a warm day, so no one stopped to get a jacket. They walked the grounds and found themselves at the horse barn. Danny Mac went to the horses more out of instinct than intention. He had worked horses growing up in Oklahoma. The sleek black stallion eyed him calmly from its stall. Danny Mac stood in front of him and met his gaze. It appeared to all the world as if they were communicating. Even Kenann was a little taken aback.

  The horse nodded and everyone laughed despite themselves. Danny Mac turned to look as if he had forgotten they were there.

  Magda asked, “What did you ask him?”

  Without hesitation, he answered, “If I could ride him.”

  Magda was becoming leery. There was something strangely powerful with these two. She hated not being in control, and from the very beginning she could not control them. The only time she had achieved it was if Kenann was threatened. She considered this. She started to dismiss the idea outright but then paused. It was risky but it just might work. If nothing else, it would speed things up a bit. She was getting bored with this whole charade.

  * * * *

  One of the staff led Blade to the room in which the council met and helped him into the cabinet along one wall. He settled in and made ready to write down anything he thought he would forget—like names or places. That would be important information. Andy told him Mrs. Gage had called him their secret weapon. He wouldn’t let them down.

  He heard the door open and people coming into the room. One of the men told the others to take their seats. They had a lot to discuss. He said they had heard from the Peru office that some of the subjects were having bizarre side effects from the mind-control chemical. They were biting themselves and baring their teeth at anyone who tried to stop them. Several of them had already died. But he was pleased to report the typhoon in the South China Sea had gone well. They had been able to influence the people through a media campaign of posters and announcements via the television stations that, in the event of a natural disaster, a particular soccer stadium was the safest location. Thus, the typhoon was manipulated to go there, resulting in total loss of life due to the flooding. Blade couldn’t understand why they thought this was a good thing. He guessed that’s what made them the bad guys. Blindly, in the dark, he wrote down “Peru,” “biting,” “South China Sea,” and “Typhoon.” He thought that would help him remember the rest.

  He perked up again when he heard them start talking about Danny Mac and Kenann. Except they called them Daniel and Inanna. He remembered that name from Egypt. He had been the human sacrifice on that deal. He smiled as he remembered that Danny Mac had rigged up a way for fake blood to spurt from his chest. That was so cool. Danny Mac was cool.

  The woman was saying she thought it was time for a ceremony. One of the other men said it was not due for another two years. She argued that with the Chosen One finally here, it was a game changer. Blade wrote that down. Another man’s voice said, “You know it requires a blood sacrifice.”

  She scoffed and said, “So?”

  The room was silent as the men looked at her.

  Jamal finally spoke. “What is the real reason you want this ceremony, Magda?

  “They seem to be taking their sweet time giving us the plan. I want to make sure we are not being played. If she is the true Chosen One, she will be able to pull this off without one hesitation.”

  The men considered her reasoning and had to agree. They all had the same thought. If she was fake and they had just revealed their entire operation, her life would not be worth the air that escaped her dying body.

  Jamal took charge of the group again. “Let’s put it to a vote. Do we test and challenge her to see if she is authentic?”

  Ashton asked, “What if we anger her? What is she capable of?”

  Jamal answered, “Well, when I say challenge, I certainly don’t mean confront or expose our doubts. We will flatter and cajole her into doing the ceremony.”

  Blade wrote it how it sounded: “Kajoll.”

  “A show of hands?”

  It was unanimous. The ceremony was a go.

  * * * *

  Later, privately in their room, Blade brought Mrs. Gage up to speed using the notes he had made. He said, “Hey, I’ve done this whole sacrifice thing once, maybe I should do it again. Better me than someone who doesn’t know the ropes.”

  Mrs. Gage considered this at length. “Blade, your mother would skin me alive if I put you in that much danger.”

  He gave her a look wise beyond his years. “Mrs. G., you and I both know sometimes this b
usiness calls for risks. I will be better at this than anyone else. I heard them talk about needing an ‘innocent’ for the sacrifice. I’m young. That should qualify.”

  She couldn’t decide outright. “Let me think about it, okay?”

  He smiled at her indulgently. “Okay.”

  Mrs. Gage thought she had to get this kid back to middle school or he was going to end up like her.

  * * * *

  Danny Mac and Kenann dressed for dinner. He was in black tie and tux and she was in the white flowing gown she used on opening-night galas.

  During small talk after dinner standing together in the drawing room, Danny Mac casually addressed their next performance coming up on Tuesday night.

  Jamal was the epitome of a gracious host in his tone, saying, “Oh, but you won’t be going back. We are planning Inanna’s initiation ceremony for the full moon on Monday. Once that is completed, you will belong only with us. She is our Chosen One and you are her protector. So you both will be staying.”

  Danny Mac tried to take a practical approach. “I imagine our tour company will come looking for us.”

  Magda’s voice was icy steel. “They can be dispatched.”

  Kenann’s voice matched hers in quiet strength. “Dispatched?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” replied Magda. “I’m sure you have had to make difficult choices through the ages. What we are doing determines the future of the Order. If anyone interferes, they are eliminated.”

  Kenann did not blink, but inside her heart seized. She had to warn them.

  Danny Mac had been intentionally recalling the papyrus documents he had reviewed at Pierre’s villa in Alexandria. He said, “There is no ceremony scheduled for another two years.”

  The council looked at each other, uncertain of what to do. How could he have known that? Danny Mac was satisfied to see the fear that passed among them.