Salvation | Book 1 | Salvation

by McNeil, Nick

  Amelia was taken aback. “We just want gas. I have no clue why you have your panties in a bunch.”

  “You shot my brother!” he cried back.

  Amelia stopped aiming and leaned forward in her seat, with a frown on her face. “That is because he decided to go rogue and run for his gun after I clearly stated, ‘Not another step.’ I don’t feel like I was left with another choice.”

  The man spat on the ground. “You’re a crazy bitch!”

  Levi bashed the man’s jaw with the stock of their hunting rifle. Blood poured out of his mouth when he spat out his teeth. The mothers screamed in horror as they hugged their girls. Levi rammed the rifle into his face one more time; the cracking of the man’s bones almost echoed. “Does anyone else want to call my sister a bitch?”

  “You’re letting this get out of hand,” Abraham shouted.

  “Okay, okay. Since you can’t use your face. And since he is shot.” Amelia rose from her seat and kicked the camping chair over. “I guess this leaves one of you the task of siphoning some gas into…” Amelia smacked her hand against her forehead. “We forgot the gas containers. Do you guys have anything we could put your gas in?”

  “We-we-we have an ice chest,” one of the mothers answered. Once a single tear made its way out, a constant stream rolled along her face.

  “Wonderful.” Amelia swung her rifle around so it rested on her back. “So which one of you would like to volunteer?”

  The women looked at each other and Amelia, but did not answer. They continued to sob.

  “Why do I get the feeling you aren’t taking me seriously?” Amelia fired a round into the dirt in front of the women and near her father. “Don’t make me choose.”

  “One problem, baby girl,” Abraham chimed in. “We don’t have a hose to siphon with.”

  “Well, isn’t that a shame.” Amelia snapped her fingers. “Looks like we are definitely going to have to take the cars, then. This sucks.” Amelia chuckled. “We actually weren’t intending to steal your cars today. You know what?” She clapped her hands together. “I need some good karma. We will just take the SUV, and y’all can keep the little bitch car.”

  “The Prius gets unbeatable mileage.” The man with the gunshot rolled around in agony but managed to squeeze a few words in. “You’re not giving it a chance.”

  “You’re making me want to shoot you again.” Amelia swung her gun around by the sling and took aim at the man. “But I promised my brother we were going to save ammo.” She smiled and lowered her weapon.

  Abraham and Amelia unloaded the SUV and piled all their equipment next to their Prius. Levi rounded the group of people together and made sure no one interfered. With one man shot and the other with his face beaten in, no one tried being sneaky. Abe and Amelia searched the campsite for 5.56mm and 9mm ammunition but came up short. They left the campsite unrobbed and loaded into the car.

  “This will be enough gas to get us to our new home for sure.” Abraham sat shotgun. “Where’s your brother?”

  The back door opened and Levi flopped into the car. His rifle was at his side, held onto him by his makeshift sling. He grabbed a bag from the campground and slammed the door closed. “Ready,” he howled, chomping away.

  “What the hell are you eating?” Amelia whipped her head around.

  “Barbeque.” Levi bit into a drumstick.

  “Is there any left?” Abe licked his lips.

  “Nope.” Levi took another bite before he finished chewing. “Last piece.”

  “You son of a bitch.” Amelia inspected her fingernails. “I’m just going to start the car and start driving. Because it’s taking everything in my body not to hurt you right now.”

  Levi held a brown shopping bag in the air. “They had snacks. Hot Cheetos, Funyuns, beef jerky, Goldfish, those little tiny oranges.”

  “Cuties!?” Amelia asked before Levi finished.

  “Yep.” Levi took another bite of his barbecued drumstick.

  Amelia started the car and bobbed her head with her eyes shut. A tiny tear formed in the corner of her eye. “God bless you, Levi Jones.”

  Unknown Location, Washington

  2:30 p.m.

  Amar relaxed in a white, glossy chair. There were no armrests, nor did the chair adjust or recline in any way, yet Amar found himself quite comfortable. The room felt eerie, with no windows or other furniture in the room, just a chair. The door must have been soundproof, because not a single noise from the colony of people outside the door could be heard. The rattling from the vent above and the rumbling in his stomach were all that Amar heard. The metal door opened. Amar was expecting a classic screechy door; however, the only noises that came through were the sounds of the community outside the doors. It reminded Amar of a school playground, a nostalgia he hadn’t felt in decades and one he wasn’t expecting to find in the underground lair of the Sons of Salvation.

  Followed by two guards, Gideon entered the room. “For I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord.” Gideon placed his hand under Amar’s chin and lifted it so the two men could make eye contact. “Plans for you to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The two men stepped next to Gideon. One man held a large bowl filled with water and the other held a dry hand towel. “You will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Gideon dunked the cloth into the water and gently cleaned the dried-up blood off of Amar’s face. Dinesh’s father wanted to get up and run, but he still lacked the energy to do much of anything. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

  “The book of Jeremiah.” Amar tried to laugh, but his lungs couldn’t handle it, and he coughed instead.

  “A man of faith.” Gideon straightened his back. “I am pleasantly surprised.”

  “My parents sent me to Catholic school when we moved to the States.” Amar put his arm over his two bullet wounds, which were close together, and found his posture. “They wanted me to fit in. So they had me read the Bible every night before bed. Over and over.”

  “Tell me, child.” Gideon dipped the bloody rag into the bowl of water and wrung it out back into the same bowl.

  Amar winced. “Stop calling me child. My name is—”

  “That is the name your parents chose for you.” Gideon guffawed and proceeded to clean the rest of Amar’s visible blood off. “Soon you will receive the name God intended for you.”

  Amar grabbed Gideon’s wrist. “What is this place? Are you some freakish cult leader? Please, I need to get back to my family in West Pines.”

  The two guards dropped their items, the bloody water spreading across the floor, and pulled out two pistols.

  Amar let go. “Please. They were in contact with a Cheltenham in West Pines.”

  Gideon pushed both of their arms down, redirecting their aim away from Amar. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

  “Galatians,” Amar replied. “I told you, every night. Over and over.”

  “You are a smart man, clearly chosen by the Lord himself. The two people you arrived with did not make it. But here you are, alive. This is no accident, for your mission is not yet complete.” Gideon handed the bloody rag to his guard. “Soon, you will face the Lord, and the Lord will bestow upon you his wishes so that one day you may find peace.”

  “What, am I going to have to atone for my sins?” It might have been from the significant blood loss, but Amar found himself much more confident than usual.

  “That is not for me to decide.” Gideon folded his hands together. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

  The two guards grabbed Amar’s arms. “Please.” The situation at hand became all too real. His heart pounded in his chest. “Where are you taking me?”

 
“To face judgment, of course,” Gideon replied. “But do not be afraid. You have been specially chosen. Today is a day of celebration.” The old man’s voice filled with glee; his cheekbones grew closer to his eyes whenever he smiled. “We need people like you, my child. The Lord placed you into our hands not by accident. There are no such things as coincidences, only God’s intent.”

  “Is all of this God’s intent?” Amar asked.

  “The Revelation?” Gideon paused just before exiting the room and stepping out onto the grassy sanctuary. “Why, of course, the scriptures have foretold this day.” He folded his hands together. “I must encourage you not to cast doubts until you have come to learn our intent. We need you; God needs you. You couldn’t be more important to the Sons of Salvation, and in time, I think you will feel the same about us.”

  The two guards assisted Amar out of the room. He didn’t cooperate and his feet dragged across the black tiles. Outside the room, hundreds gathered around a fountain. An aisle was formed from a part made in the group; it led straight to the fountain. Each person, dressed in red robes, knelt barefoot on the grass, their hands folded and head bowed, waiting for a prayer. Gideon stood on a wooden platform behind the fountain, making himself viewable for all to see.

  Gideon spread his arms and looked up. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” The Sons of Salvation remained silent, with their heads bowed. “We have no name to present to you, our Lord. So we ask of you, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, give us the name of your child.” Gideon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest, each hand gripping one of his shoulders. He paused; the white noise from the lights buzzing was the only noise that could be heard. Gideon opened his eyes and gasped. His face turned red as he inhaled desperately for air. His eyes rolled back and his body convulsed, sending him into the fountain. He flailed like he was drowning, splashing water onto the ground outside the fountain. Gideon sank to the bottom of the water and stopped moving.

  The guards towed Amar’s body to the front of the fountain. He was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. Breathing no longer became an option as his lungs stopped working, and heart palpitations sent a throbbing noise rattling around in his cranium. If his eyes were closed, he would have guessed someone was choking him.

  Gideon breached the surface of the water. “Through baptism men are cleansed from their sins, made partakers in the meritorious redemption of Jesus Christ”—water dripped from his chin, and his robes stuck to his skin—“taken into the society of the faithful and into the Church of Christ, fitted to obtain a share in all the treasuries of grace, with the management and administration of which Christ has entrusted his church.” The old man’s voice grew louder.

  The guards lifted Amar from his feet and threw him into the water. Amar splashed around as Gideon held him under water. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Amar’s body grew weak, his legs stopped kicking, and he desperately grabbed Gideon’s collar in an attempt to hoist himself up. Gideon held him under water a moment longer and then raised his head above water. Amar heaved. “The Lord has chosen on this day not to accept another child into his home.” Gideon kissed Amar on the head. “But to bestow another prophecy onto us. The Lord himself hath said, ‘This is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.’”

  One of the guards stepped into the water and escorted Dinesh’s father out of the fountain. Another man waited with a large white towel and hugged him the moment he stepped out. To his surprise, his bullet wounds felt better, and the aching feeling in his stomach vanished. His vision was clear, and his fatigue was wearing away.

  “God has blessed us with the prophet Ezekiel.” Gideon stepped out of the water and placed his hands on Ezekiel’s shoulders. “You once brought destruction to Jerusalem and restored the land of Israel. We ask you again, Ezekiel, to destroy the lands of the corrupt and to bring restoration and prosperity to God’s creation.”

  The masses of men stood in sync with Gideon’s hands as he lifted them above his head, and his people chanted, “May the powers of darkness, which the divine Redeemer hath vanquished by his cross, retire before thee, that thou mayest see to what hope, and to what an exceeding glorious inheritance among the saints, thou art called.”

  A man approached Gideon and Ezekiel and held out a small jar. Gideon dipped his fingers in the container. “For the war against evil, and for the practice of good, thou needest strengthening through the grace of him who hath redeemed us from our sins. Therefore I anoint thee with the oil of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He used the oil to draw a cross on Ezekiel’s forehead.

  Two men each placed one of their hands on Ezekiel’s shoulders and pushed him down, forcing him to kneel in front of the crowd. Ezekiel didn’t resist; he instead looked over the faces of the men who looked upon him. Their eyes were filled with joy, their lips pressed from trying not to smile. He felt content.

  Gideon stepped in front of Ezekiel and put one hand on his forehead, and the other pointed towards the sky. “Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?”

  Amar hesitated, but answered, “I do.”

  “Dost thou believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son our Lord, who was born and hath suffered for us?” Gideon continued.

  “I do.” Ezekiel felt as though he were playing into a trick of some sort, yet he was still answering truthfully.

  “Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic church, the Communion of Saints, the Forgiveness of sins, the Resurrection of the flesh, and life everlasting?”

  Ezekiel didn’t believe in Gideon, but he believed in the words he preached. “I do.”

  “I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, a Son of Salvation.” Gideon pulled Ezekiel to his feet and presented him to his people.

  The horde of men dropped to their knees. “We dost thou desire by faith in Jesus Christ for Ezekiel to obtain eternal life in the Sons of Salvation. Into which we admit by holy baptism.”

  Gideon nudged Ezekiel forward. “Go, and meet your people.”

  The masses of people approached Dinesh’s father with open arms and grace. They massaged his body and ran their hands across him as he walked by. He was unsure of where he was headed, so he paused for a moment in the center of the indoor forest. The men slowly went back to what Ezekiel could have only assumed was their daily lives. He took a moment to take it all in. Real birds flew from tree to tree. Dogs chased each other across the meadow. It all felt weirdly familiar.

  “An easy place to call home, isn’t it?” Gideon stood next to Ezekiel. He had a new, dry robe on, and not a single guard accompanied him.

  “It really is,” Ezekiel replied, still looking out over the sanctuary. He turned. “But I have to get back to my family. My children, my wife.” His heart raced. “I miss them so much. I am worried about them.”

  “Those whom you speak of are family to someone else.” Gideon placed his hand on Ezekiel’s shoulder. “We are your family. We are the only people you have to worry about now. And in return, everyone here will also be thinking about you.”

  “Please.” Ezekiel shook his head; his eyes watered. “You were right about this place not being what I expected. But I really need to get to my family.”

  “And where are these people you are looking for?” Gideon interrogated. “We already had Sons patrolling in West Pines. After you first mentioned it, I sent the convoy in a detour. We had men check out this hermit, Cheltenham, out in the forest near the high school. There were dozens of dead individuals, a massacre. No one was left alive.”
He took a step in front of Ezekiel, leaving his back to him. “So I ask you again, where are these so-called people you seek? Because the family you deny is right in front of you.”

  “That can’t be.” Ezekiel felt nauseous and his head started spinning. When he closed his eyes, he felt like he was only spinning faster.

  “Your old life does not exist. You have no old family to love. Nothing to return to.” Gideon turned back around and hugged Ezekiel, burying Dinesh’s father’s face into his chest. “We are the only thing you have in this world. And we want you to be a part of our family. We need you, Ezekiel.”

  West Pines, Washington

  4:30 p.m.

  Cheltenham cranked the small wheel on his coffee bean grinder and let the grounds collect in the small attached container. He peeled the grinder off the top of the bowl and used his hand to spread the aromas, breathing in deeply through his nostrils. He took the bowl and tipped it just enough for the powder to slowly pour into the glass beaker of a French press. He reached over and lifted a teapot off his electric stove and poured the boiling water into the beaker. He placed the lid and filter on top of the glass beaker. “Now I just have to wait four long minutes,” Cheltenham mumbled to himself. He heard the sound of his chatroom notification ding. He strolled over to his computer screen and adjusted his glasses.

  Jake: Big C and Alvin, are you online? I got the GPS up and running. Significantly easier than expected. Nearly everything is still up and running if you have the means to connect.

  Alvin: Are you still comfortable going through with this, Cheltenham?

  Mr. C flopped into his desk chair.

  Cheltenham: Yeah. As long as you promise we are keeping things civil. I’m missing a tooth because of that lunatic, but he seems willing to do much worse.

  Alvin: Roger that. We just want to talk. See if we can get him to say anything.

  Cheltenham: They’re probably on their way to Canada. The internet is still up and running, which means they didn’t take down the whole planet.