The Serpent and the Light
Page 35
“Mrs. Lanyon, I need you to help me find a reason to keep your family alive. If you have no information for me, then I’m forced to look at you like a loose end. That means killing you, and later your husband, while your daughters watch. Since I’m a family man myself, I wouldn’t want to see two beautiful girls growing up with deep emotional scars being raised by their grandparents. All I need to know is what really happened in those woods, in detail.”
She started to speak but only stammered, as Marcus soothed, “Mrs. Lanyon, it seems you want to be a hero. This is your only way to save your family. Be that hero to them. Tonight, put them first.”
A calm came over her as her resolve fastened in her mind, and she met his gaze. Amanda put the palms of her hands on the cultist’s chest and nodded. The man’s look softened, and he gave an assuring smile.
With one sudden motion, she snatched the grip of the 9 mm hanging off Marcus’s shoulder and drew the weapon free.
Epilogue
Tulsa, OK - Friday, October 19th, 2018 – 9:24 a.m. CST
Terry Johnston’s mother, Millie, was sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed. He was on oxygen and had an IV drip that fed him antibiotics and painkillers. The bulk of his family had gone, and only his mom remained to watch over the only son she had left in this world. Her withered hand was steady and firm as it held his.
The nurse spoke up, informing her, “The second-degree burns were covered in antibiotic cream and will need hourly attention. The shrapnel was removed, but you’ll need to make sure he completes the antibiotic series at home. Does he have a wife or family he lives with who can watch over him?”
The elderly woman stared at her son and told her, “He isn’t married. He will be with me.”
As Terry lay unconscious, Millie sat watching the news on TV and the flood of updates from the battle with the Crimson Brotherhood. The constant cycle of updates, experts, and discussion groups helped her stay awake and kept her mind occupied. Suddenly, Channel 6 interrupted their regular news for a White House press conference.
The orange-haired President took to the podium and read, “My fellow Americans, we are joined together today in sadness, shock, and grief. Last night the brave men and women of the Tulsa Police Department, FBI, and local branches of law enforcement raided a compound in a rural part of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. A sadistic cult called the Crimson Brotherhood had been using it as a staging area for murder and kidnapping of the homeless in Tulsa. They had weapons of mass destruction and were stockpiling firearms for the purpose of treason. SWAT and the Oklahoma National Guard attempted to free innocent souls held hostage in underground bunkers. Unfortunately, in the act of pure evil, the cultists killed all their hostages and then themselves.
“The FBI and Homeland Security are working closely with local authorities, and they will provide updates as the investigation develops. I want to thank the Tulsa Police Department and all the first responders in their courageous efforts in attempting to save the lives of so many. Law enforcement and the military took many casualties but would have taken many more if it had not been for their quick action. The speed in which they acted was miraculous and prevented further loss of life.
“Dozens of families are mourning lost loved ones that served in that fateful raid. A brother, a sister, or a child were gunned down. We cannot imagine their pain or fathom their loss. Also, hundreds of families and friends are now grieving anew as the bodies of the homeless are being discovered. These souls might have been lost, but they will not be forgotten. To the families of the victims, we are praying for you, and we are here for you.”
When the press conference was over, the scene changed to John Utterson standing at a podium just outside of the Tulsa Court House. He had a crutch under his arm and was surrounded by other law enforcement. Beneath his face, the TV ticker read, “Largest Act of Homeland Terrorism” and “Lead Investigator Detective John Utterson.”
John was in the middle of a speech and reported, “…taskforce was approved by our department. We followed up on leads stemming from the Monday night murder of a local restaurateur by the name of Lewis Turner. These events and the subsequent clues led us to connect the disappearances of the homeless in Tulsa. Right now the mass kill site in the Tahlequah wooded area is being called, “The Preserve.” The bodies discovered so far are numbering in the hundreds, and we are finding more at a rate of two an hour. Due to the vagrant nature of the homeless community, it is unlikely that we will get all of the corpses identified.”
A dark-haired reporter stood up and shouted, “Janna Clark of Fox 23 News. Have all the members of the Crimson Brotherhood been accounted for, and what is the condition of Henry Jekyll?”
Utterson adjusted the microphone and announced, “We have a death toll count of 42 suspected cultists, who either were fatally wounded in the raid or took their own lives. As we identify the deceased cultists from The Preserve, then we will be doing an investigation into each of their connections. Henry Jekyll remains in a coma, but doctors are hopeful. As the only surviving cultist in custody, he has inside information on the Crimson Brotherhood which would be critical to the success of rooting out members still in hiding among us. Until then, our task force will be working towards finding the hidden members of this terrorist cell.”
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to see that much of John right now. She was tired of watching her children hurt because of him. She switched through the channels and stopped at a dashing looking young man in his thirties. The banner under his name read, “Local Attorney, Tom Chapman, in Custody in Connection with the Brotherhood.”
The reporter stood beside a tall, well-dressed man, and stated, “I’m with Richard Enfield of the prestigious Enfield Law Offices in downtown Tulsa. Mr. Enfield is a senior partner who was on hand as law enforcement took into custody Tom Chapman, an intern at the firm. Mr. Enfield, can you tell us what happened?”
The lawyer shook his head and lamented, “I’m stunned, really. The FBI contacted me this morning and asked if I knew of the whereabouts of Tom. I told them he was coming into work at 8 a.m. as normal. When he arrived, agents were waiting on him.”
On the screen, a video of the intern being pulled into a squad car played out, as Enfield continued, “I just had no idea. No clue at all. He seemed like a nice guy. I guess it goes to show you that people like this could be anywhere.”
Millie switched to another station as a TV anchor for Channel 8 that was giving a description of breaking news, “… police have been dispatched to the residence of Dr. Amanda Lanyon in connection to an alleged Brotherhood shooting. Dr. Lanyon is a member of the TPD task force, under Detective John Utterson. According to our information, the police were notified by fellow task force member, Josh Dyer. The wealthy millionaire found the body of…”
Millie turned the television off and put the remote down. She looked over and saw her son was awake for the first time since he came to the hospital and was staring at the screen. Tears poured out of her, as she reached over and kissed her child’s hand.
Terry looked at her with glossy eyes and muttered, “What did I miss?”
Continued In …
Magicae: Book Two,
The Storm of Garmr
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