The Gatherers For Christ
Year One
Episode #9
The Deception (Part 2)

“I’m sorry, Miss Dozois,” Ed Carr began as he watched the subject through the Plexiglas barrier protecting him from the enclosed quarantined room, “but we have to know…even if it means sacrificing you in order to accomplish what we need.”

Danielle Marie Dozois didn’t actually believe that he was sorry at all. She saw the truth in his eyes. With the words he had spoken to her, she realized with growing horror that he had just sentenced her to death. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. But the evidence before her also showed her that Ed Carr was a man who didn’t care about being fair either. She wanted to scream at him but knew it would do no good because he just didn’t care.

She stared at the smirk on his face. He enjoyed the position he had over her. In his eyes, she was nothing but a test subject to be used and discarded like tissue. Just like that.

With that arrogant, smug expression still on his face, he shrugged as if there really were nothing he could do to help her. “Besides, you are a criminal. No one will miss you when you’re gone.”

Danielle suddenly heard a soft hissing sound in the quiet of her room. She turned her head and looked up toward the air vent above her prison. Her eyes widened fearfully as she watched a greenish mist omit from the vent. Unknown to her or Carr, they weren’t the only ones who were aware of what was happening inside the hidden quarantined lab.

The Gatherers were also watching.

William Fronk, using his laptop, had tapped into the video feed coming from the lab and had the scene displayed on the monitor. His fingers danced rapidly over his keyboard, desperately trying to circumvent his way into the mainframe of the lab. If it was computer based, he was confident he could stop the toxin from entering into the woman’s prison. Unfortunately, he didn’t believe he was going to have enough time to save her.

Director Darren Fuller leaned over Fronk as he glared in frustration at the monitor screen. Keith LeBeau, Marc Shiva, Jeremy Bandjough, and Erin Greye were on the other side of the table, concern evident on their faces. Behind Fuller and Fronk, Albert Barrington, Michael Lenox, and Staci Cohen were gathered, watching the horror unfold on the monitor of Fronk’s laptop. They all knew what was happening and that there was nothing they could do in time to save the woman in Quarantine. They simply knew the toxin known as X-24 was going to kill her.

Barrington spoke the obvious. “If that truly is the toxin Carr was talking about, she’ll die within seconds.”

“Yeah, she will…” Lenox said, anger reflecting in his eyes. He casually withdrew his weapon as if it was something he did every day. “…but that doesn’t mean the descendant of the devil is going to get away with it.” He headed for the exit of their quarters with determination.

Several thoughts occurred to Barrington at once. It had not escaped his notice that his best friend - who as far as he knew had not accepted Christ - had just referred to Ed Carr as a descendant of the devil. He knew Lenox well. Lenox was hardly one to ignore using harsh language when he was agitated. Could it be that he had refrained from using strong language because he was exercising courtesy while in the company of Christians?

There was something else Barrington could not ignore. In times past in similar situations - when Lenox had exploded into action as he was doing now - it was due to the actions of Ed Carr and his team of Justice agents. Since Lenox had returned from his disappearing act, he had seemed to actually take sides with Justice, or at least tolerate them more than he had before. With Lenox reacting as he was at the present, it reminded Barrington of how things were before.

It reminded him of the Lenox he knew.

Barrington exchanged looks with Shiva and realized that the ex-wrestler was having similar thoughts. They both silently agreed with a slight nod to each other that they were glad to see this side of Lenox.

Yet the question remained…Where was Lenox’ heart? He had not yet come to salvation. Would he find redemption before it was too late? The only thing the Gatherers could do was to continuously pray for Lenox without ceasing.

Barrington, Shiva, and Staci followed Lenox outside. LeBeau and Bandjough were about to do the same, but Fuller stepped in their way. “You two remain here with William and Erin,” he told them.

Fuller left them to join the others.

LeBeau let out a sigh of frustration. “Man, just once, I’d like to sing with the band instead of gettin’ stuck as a backup singer!”

Bandjough frowned as he regarded him doubtfully. “You can sing?”

LeBeau just looked at him.

They had been searching for locations within the outpost to setup for filming her Pulitzer award winning story when she saw them coming. Ignoring Rick Meers helpful hints about catching the best scenes for her, Alyson Moore saw Fuller and Shiva, the ex-wrestler, walking with determined strides. A small grin begin to tug at the corners of her lips as she noticed the pretty red-haired doctor she had heard so much about, trailing behind the others. Barrington was also among the band, moving through the outpost and heading toward a destination she could only guess at…but her guess would be accurate. But it was the man leading the charge that her eyes focused on. Lenox lead them with his weapon held at his side.

She knew he was ready to use it. There was no doubt in her mind that things were just about to get very interesting.

“It’s show time, Rick,” she told her cameraman, anticipating the action about to unfold. “Start filming…and if you really want to continue working for me, you’d better not miss a thing.”

Meers wasn’t even bothered by her comment for two reasons. The first was that he was used to it. It would have bothered him if she hadn’t threatened to fire him. The second reason was because he was good at what he did and was always prepared. He pulled out his trusty portable Sony DV Handycam from his backpack and was already filming even before she had opened her mouth to issue orders. The two of them fell into step behind the ATD agents and followed them.

Alyson moved ahead of Meers and purposefully began to walk beside Staci. The redhead turned to look at the reporter with open curiosity. Alyson smiled at her as if she had a secret but wasn’t willing to share it.

They headed for the Headquarters of Justice. Instead of moving directly toward the entrance, Lenox abruptly turned and lead them along the left side of the structure, toward the rear of the HQ. Without a word, the others continued to follow him. Meers kept his distance behind them as he continued to film them.

Staci looked at Alyson again, and the blonde news reporter intentionally looked at Lenox, grinned mischievously and then winked at Staci. Staci frowned, wondering at the implications behind Alyson’s actions.

“Hey!” someone shouted.

Everyone but Lenox turned, searching for the source of the shout. Jerry Averill and several other Justice agents hurried toward them.

Lenox didn’t care about them. He focused on the side wall of the HQ. The entire outpost was designed to be set up and taken down in a limited amount of time. The walls of the HQ were thin. He tapped his knuckles on one section and moved on. Just before he got to the corner, the walls became more solid and when he tapped on them, there was no echo.

He looked around the corner. A long, blue tarp hung over from the fabricated rooftop, covering a section of the rear wall.

“Just stop right there!” Averill shouted impatiently.

Lenox continued to ignore him.

Averill and the agents with him attempted to move forward, intending to get in front of them and stop them from going any further. Unfortunately for them, Shiva was itching for a fight. He stood directly in their path and cracked his knuckles in expectation.

The agents abruptly stopped.

Averill cautiously backed up a step. “You can’t be back here.”

Lenox holstered his weapon and grabbed at one end of the tarp. Barrington grabbed the other end. Together, they pulled it from the rooftop, causing it to tear. They soon discovered that the tarp was hiding another entrance.

Barrington shook his head. “Amateurs.”

“You are interfering in matters that do not concern you!” Averill exclaimed, keeping his distance from Shiva.

Lenox and Barrington found themselves in front of the entrance to a large mobile Quarantine unit. The door was a man-sized hatch that was sealed shut. There were no door knobs or levers or any other obvious ways to open it…save for one. There was a small panel on the left side of the hatch with four rows of numbers. The numbers were from 0 to 9.

“Great,” Lenox grumbled, shaking his head. “Numbers. I hate numbers.”

Fuller turned around to glare at Averill. “I don’t suppose you’ll just do the right thing and give us the code.”

Averill folded his arms across his chest and shook his head in defiance. “Yeah, dream on, buddy. Like that‘s gonna happen.”

It was moments like that when Fuller truly desired to drop all of his inhibitions and become like Lenox just long enough to deck the Justice agent one. But somehow, the Director of the ATD kept his cool.

Alyson and Staci remained silent, watching everything. Behind the Justice agents, Meers continued to capture everything on film. No one seemed to notice him.

Fuller took out his cell phone from his jacket pocket and speed-dialed a number. After a brief pause, he spoke into it. “William…we’ve got a problem. We’ve come up against a sealed hatch with a panel of numbers. Do you think you could find a way to crack the code and get us in…? Great. Just make it fast.” He snapped his cell phone closed and regarded Averill. “Is there anything you want to tell us about the woman your people have locked up in there?”

Averill snorted. “You’re out of your tree. There’s no woman in there.”

“We know there is. We know your boss is playing games with her life right at this very second. If she dies, Averill, you and your boss will be held accountable. I will personally see to it. You could help yourself out right now by opening that door for us.”

“I’m not opening that door and neither are you.”

“You’re wrong about that. We’ll get it open.” But Fuller was afraid they were already too late to save the woman trapped inside.

David King recognized the man climbing down the ladder from the hayloft, but it was the last person he had ever expected to see just outside of Belgrade, Maine. The last time he had seen this man was under a warehouse in Albany, New York, when he had been about to stone Nichole Parkhurst to death. He had never even expected to cross paths with him again. For the first time in a long while, King was absolutely speechless.

The man’s back was facing toward King as he climbed down the ladder. He finally leaped down the last two steps and turned around, a big grin on his face. He spread his arms wide, as if performing in a drama before a live audience. “Well, here I am, Darwyn, old buddy!” he exclaimed. “Did you miss me?”

King just stared at James Bollinger, too stunned to speak.

Bollinger dropped his arms to his sides. “What’s the matter, Darwyn? Cat has your tongue perhaps?”

King shook his head, replying softly.

Bollinger leaned forward. “I’m sorry…Did you say something?”

“I said my name is David. Not Darwyn.”

Bollinger nodded his head as he took a step forward. “Oh. David, is it? What was wrong with Darwyn? Wasn’t Darwyn your God-given name?” He snapped his fingers as if he had just found the answer and pulled it out of thin air. “Oh, I’m sorry! That’s right. I meant to say that it was your Allah-given name.”

“My name is David King,” he snapped. “Darwyn Musad is no more.”

“Why? Was he raptured with Nichole?”

King just regarded him with a look.

Bollinger paused. “Right. Okay, then. If you say so.”

King took a deep breath as he forcibly tried to keep from getting angry. He was fully aware of the deceptions Bollinger was capable of. “Why have you come here?”

Bollinger turned to his left and paced a few steps as if he were giving the matter serious thought. “Let me ask you a question…David.” He paused. Finally, he turned about to face King. “Would it be too difficult for you to believe…that a guy like me could ever come to salvation?”

Now it was King’s turn to pause as he looked closely at Bollinger. He considered his words carefully. “It would be no more difficult to believe than a Muslim coming to Christ.” He wanted to believe that Bollinger had in fact turned to the Gospel and found Christ, but he had his doubts. Bollinger had already tried to sow discord, but did he do so willingly or without being aware he was doing so? “The disciples asked this very question to Jesus in regards to a rich man, and He said to them that ‘It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 1’ ” He regarded Bollinger. “Are you telling me that the impossible has happened then? That you have come to Christ?”

Bollinger smiled. “Yes,” he almost shouted. “I did! But not only that. I came here deliberately looking for you, David…because I want to serve God right here with you. I want to become a Gatherer.”

King considered carefully what he was hearing. He wanted to believe it was true, but was aware that sometimes wolves wore sheep’s clothing to get close to its prey. He wasn’t the only one who had doubts.

In one of the empty stalls close to them, Sheriff Robert Hoag kept himself hidden from their view as he listened in on their conversation. He doubted the sincerity of both men, or at least he wanted to. He was determined to discover the truth one way or the other as he continued to listen, hoping that the truth would soon be revealed.

Matthew 19:24 - 26

Forty-One
Exposure

Fronk’s fingers danced rapidly across the keyboard of his laptop as he, Erin and Bandjough watched the scene displayed on the monitor. Fronk had an uncanny ability of being able to type at a fast pace without even looking at the keyboard. While at any other time, Erin and Bandjough would have been impressed with it, but this time their attention was focused on the woman, whom they had heard Carr refer to as Danielle Marie Anderson - and then Dozois.

LeBeau, for his part, was tired of looking at the monitor. He was a man of action and he wanted to do something other than to sit around and wait for something to happen. Unfortunately, he had his orders and those orders included waiting. With only one option open for him to take out his frustrations, he had begun to pace impatiently around the table the others were at.

LeBeau suddenly came to an abrupt halt in front of the screen doors and he glared out through the screen. He let out a weary sigh. “Anythin’ new happenin’?” he demanded with a scowl.

Fronk ignored the question. He concentrated on what he was doing.

Erin glanced toward LeBeau. “She’s just standing there, Keith. Nothing has changed. The toxin is still entering in through the vent.”

LeBeau turned his head, and even though it wasn’t aimed personally at Erin, he glared at her nonetheless. “What do you mean, nothin’s happenin’? Is that the toxin being pumped in there or ain’t it?”

“It is,” Fronk replied.

“It’s a deadly toxin, right?”

“It is,” Fronk said again.

“Then, how can it not be doin’ nothin’ to her? How can she just be standin’ there? Shouldn’t she be dead? I thought that toxin was deadly.”

“Maybe you’re doing it, Crazy Man,” Bandjough replied encouragingly. “Maybe you’ve kept it from going into the quarantined room.”

Fronk shook his head. His fingers continued its fast pace over his keyboard. “I wish that were so, but so it is not. I managed to close it off, yes, but…not in time. There’s enough toxin in that room to kill everyone here at the outpost.”

Erin leaned over for a better look. “William, I just don’t get it. What could possibly be protecting her from the toxin?”

No one had an answer.

“Well, what about the door?” Bandjough asked as LeBeau decided to join them over the laptop once more. “Can you open it so our guys can get in the unit?”

“Working on it, Jay,” Fronk quipped. “Now don’t be such a bird! That’s kind of absurd. If you want to stay, don’t get in the way!”

“What?”

“Never mind…I’ll try this.” Fronk typed in a series of random numbers, and encoded it so that the numbers would continue to change. At the rate the numbers were going, all they could do is wait to see if one of those series of numbers was going to open the sealed Quarantine unit. “Open…sesame!”

They all watched the monitor screen expectantly.

“Why aren’t you dying, Miss Dozois?” Carr asked, watching the events transpiring on the other side of the barrier. His question wasn’t out of frustration but because he was genuinely curious. He watched Danielle as if she were nothing more than a test subject…which was exactly what she was at the moment.

Danielle continued to stare up at the vent above her room, but she surprised herself by her response to her captor. “Thanks so much for your concern. Why don’t you come on in here and find out for yourself?”

Carr paused as he considered her words. “You know something? I think you have just offered us a splendid idea.”

She turned to regard him, puzzled. “What?”

“I like your idea.”

“Are you serious?” She glanced at the door, wondering if there was anyway she could get out when it opened.

Carr wagged a forefinger at her. “Ah ah ah! I know what you’re thinking, and even if you get past that first door, you won’t get out the second one. That’s the little decompression unit, which keeps the contaminated air from your room from escaping out here into ours. And we are the only ones who can open both doors. Naturally, for you, we won’t do that, so get those thoughts of escape from out of your head.”

She glared at him.

“As for your idea, let me clarify to you so you will clearly understand that it won’t be me who comes in there to you. This is why I have people who work for me.” He snapped his fingers at the two FEMA agents present with him. “One of you needs to go in there and find out why our guest isn’t dying.”

The two men glanced at each other. One of them reluctantly reached for an environment suit from a locker at the back of the unit.

Carr shook his head. “Without the suit.”

The man hesitated. “But, sir…I’ll be exposed to the toxin.”

“Well, of course, you will be. That is the idea.” He shrugged. “Miss Dozois is exposed. You imbeciles are doing something wrong because if that truly were the X-24 being pumped into her chamber, she would have already been gone. So get in there - without the suit - and find out what it is that you did wrong!”

“I assure you, Mr. Carr…that is the toxin.”

Carr looked through the barrier at Danielle. “How do you feel, Miss Dozois?”

She blinked. “Do you really care how I feel?”

“How do you feel?” he repeated impatiently.

She let out a sigh. “I feel angry.”

Carr turned to the FEMA agent and shrugged. “There. Do you see now? Your toxin has done nothing more than to make our guest angry. Now I want you to get in there and find out why it isn’t working because if you don’t, all I have to do is make one phone call and -”

The man visibly paled. “Alright! I’ll…I’m going in.” He stepped up to the first door and keyed in the numeric code to open it. It hissed open and he hesitantly stepped into the small enclosed decontamination unit between the chamber and lab.

Carr and the other FEMA agent watched him as the first door sealed shut. The agent inside the small unit stepped up to the second door. He looked through the Plexiglas door at Danielle. She stood at the far end of the chamber, determined to do everything she could to make things extremely difficult for him if he came anywhere near her. But she was having second thoughts as she saw the fear and uncertainty in his eyes.

She didn’t have any idea what this toxin was that they were intentionally exposing her to. From the look on the man’s face as he prepared to enter, he appeared to be a man who was carrying out a death sentence. His own. That spoke volumes to her. It told her that she was going to share that sentence with him.

She couldn’t believe the sudden direction her life had taken. One day, she was happily married. The next, she was disowned by her husband, forced to leave her home, and suddenly found herself in a laboratory as a test subject for a toxin that was unknown to her. She felt like she was in a very bad Science Fiction film.

The man took one last deep breath, keyed in another series of numbers onto another numeric pad and opened the door. Then, he stepped inside, the door sealing shut behind him.

Danielle watched him, wanting to keep as much distance between them as possible. She didn’t have to be concerned about that. The very second the door sealed shut behind him, he began to tremble. He stood still, his body suddenly tense. His eyes widened in fear. He opened his mouth to scream, but no scream came out. The trembling became worst. He began to literally foam at the mouth, but the foam was the deep color of blood.

Danielle stared in horror.

Beyond the barrier, the other FEMA agent and Carr watched. The agent was horrified beyond words, but the Director of Justice watched dispassionately. It was as if he watched these types of horrors every day and was no longer phased by them. Or perhaps he just didn’t care. With no expression on his face, as the man he sentenced to death suddenly turned and made a feeble attempt to reopen the door.

The man just couldn’t do it.

He gasped but it sounded more like a gargle. He fell up against the door as his skin began to move.

At least to Danielle who was trapped in the same chamber, that’s what it seemed to be doing. Then, she suddenly realized what was happening. The man’s flesh was dissolving as if he had been dipped in acid. She backed up as far as she could until the wall was at her back. Her right hand covered her nose and mouth because of the nauseating smell that was filling the chamber. Tears filled her eyes.

The FEMA agent and Carr outside the chamber continued to watch. Neither one of them noticed the monitors behind them. On one of those monitors, Lenox and Barrington were right outside the door of their mobile quarantine unit, and the sealed door to gain entrance was just about to open.

“Lenox,” Averill exclaimed, focusing his attention on the two men in front of the sealed door, “you need to get away from that door!”

Lenox completely ignored him, but he withdrew his weapon once more.

Averill and the three agents with him also withdrew their weapons and leveled them toward Lenox and Barrington. Barrington withdrew his weapon and held it toward Averill while Shiva faced a standoff with two of the Justice agents. The ex-wrestler kept his firearm targeted on one of them, and then the other. Back and forth.

Fuller took Staci by the arm and placed himself in front of her. He did not, however, withdraw a weapon. He simply stood his ground and glared at the Justice agents.

Alyson also stood her ground, but no one was paying any attention to her. She looked behind the Justice agents, delighted to see that Meers was still filming everything. She felt extremely close to an award winning Pulitzer Prize. This story was going to be the biggest story she had ever done, and once it got out, she knew it would also have the biggest coverage since the vanishings. And she was the first reporter on the scene. No one in her field was even aware of what was transpiring in Allentown.

Lenox, however, was fully aware of the tension behind him but his attention was focused on the sealed hatch in front of him. He didn’t care about the Justice agents behind him with their weapons trained on his back. With his own weapon at the ready, he was prepared to enter into the mobile Quarantine Unit the second the door opened. He could hear the telltale clicks, hums, and whirls inside the hatch’s mechanisms that indicated Fronk was attempting to break the numeric code.

“Lenox!” Averill shouted again.

Lenox continued to pay no attention to him whatsoever.

“Put your weapons away,” Fuller told the Justice agents.

Averill leveled his firearm directly at Fuller’s head. “Tell your men to back away from the door! Now! ”

“Put,” Fuller repeated once more, “your weapons away.”

Averill sighed in frustration. “Lenox! Man, you and I need to have a talk.”

Lenox didn’t reply because at that very second, there was a loud click and a hiss. The hatch was released. He pulled it open and with his weapon leveled before him, he entered into the unit. Barrington followed him, but he was wondering why Averill wanted to have a conversation with Lenox. There was something more to Averill’s request than just to tell them to keep away from the hatch. Barrington was certain of it.

Lenox stepped inside the mobile unit with Barrington behind him and he saw Ed Carr and another man standing in front of an enclosed chamber with a large Plexiglas barrier separating them from it. The FEMA agent turned to regard Lenox with a look of hopelessness as the ATD agent pressed the barrel of his Beretta against the back of Carr’s head. He was about to say something when Barrington interrupted.

“Michael…” he said softly.

Lenox turned his head and that’s when he saw what was in the enclosed chamber. A woman was huddled on the floor against the wall at the back of the room, and right in front of the only way in or out was a skeleton that was wearing tattered clothing and lying on what appeared to be a huge amount of red dust.

Fuller, Shiva, and Staci entered and when they saw what the others saw, they were horrified. As Alyson entered, she hung back. She was unable to see clearly what the others were looking at because space was limited, but she caught glimpses. Something horrible had happened. Even so, the only thing that disturbed her about the scene was that Averill and another Justice agent were at the doorway. This prevented Meers from entering the mobile unit to film what was happening. Sighing with frustration, she realized she would have to find a way to improvise.

Lenox turned his head to glare at Carr. “What is that in there?” He indicated the corpse in the chamber with the trapped woman.

Carr didn’t appear to be concerned about the gun pressed against his head. He actually smirked. “That is the answer to the so-called rapture theory.”

Larry and Faye Yeomans had met each other during the years of furthering their education at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Larry Yeomans was majoring in Economics and Business, while Faye Bryce was majoring in Psychology. They each pursued after a Minor Course of Creative Writing.

During their first year of college, they attended only one class together - at least they attended the same class but not literally together. They sat opposite from each other; Yeomans was on the left of the auditorium while Faye was on the right. At the time, they didn’t know each other and during that first year, they rarely exchanged words. Faye did on one occasion begin to have a crush on him but did not actively pursue him for two reasons.

The first reason was because she wanted to concentrate on her classes. She did not attend college to pursue a relationship but a career. The second reason, however, was the real reason she did not try to pursue after Yeomans, and that was due to the obvious fact that he was already in a relationship with Shannon Coverton. Faye personally could not understand how a nice guy like Yeomans could be dating Shannon because any contact Faye had with her made her feel awful about herself.

Shannon complained about everything.

“These classes are just too long!”

“The projects they make us do are just too time consuming!”

“The reading assignments are just too much! I don’t have time to read three hundred pages of The Battle of Thermopylae!”

“Oh, these seats are just too high!”

“I just can’t write that many notes!”

Shannon also complained about everyone.

“Professor Bartlett expects too much from me and she‘s overbearing!”

“That boy over there looks like Harry Potter. I hate Harry Potter!”

“Look at those ridiculous colors on her! I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that. I just wouldn’t!”

“Nice people are only nice because they’re just too stupid to be anything else.”

Shannon even complained about Faye.

“You need to have another zip code in another state. Preferably on the other side of the planet!”

“You must be mentally deficient because you like to stare at my boyfriend a lot.”

“Your hair needs to be longer in front…so that it covers your face.”

Shannon was a young woman who simply did not have any consideration for anyone’s feelings but her own. Faye could not understand what Yeomans saw in her. In Faye’s mind, he had absolutely nothing in common with Shannon and it was a mystery even to his closest friends why he didn’t break it off with her.

Near the end of the first year, however, that break up did occur. It wasn’t Yeomans who ended it, but Shannon. She waited until the last day of classes to implement her evil schemes. They went to a party, had a great time, but just before the party ended, Shannon sang a karaoke song off key and changed the lyrics while singing. She sang about breaking up with a dweeb named Larry Yeomans because she no longer could be associated with the likes of him. By the time she was done, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Yeomans had just been publicly humiliated and dumped. Shannon seemed to derive a great deal of malicious pleasure at ridiculing him in front of everyone they knew.

During that summer, Yeomans remained on campus, but mostly he kept to himself. The second year came along and he and Faye had a few more classes together. Faye offered him friendship, but at first, Yeomans kept his distance. Not just from her, but from all of his friends. The pain of the breakup was still evident in his eyes, and the only reason he didn’t drop out altogether was because of his determination to succeed. He began to pour everything he had into his studies. He kept away from every campus activity. He refused to embrace the party lifestyle that his friends tried to get him into.

Nothing mattered to him but his studies.

But eventually, it happened.

By the time the second year of college came toward a close, he and Faye had become friends. When there were only two weeks left of classes, Faye decided to take that chance she had wanted to when she first met him. She sat at his table during lunch and simply started talking to him. At first, he seemed uncomfortable, but suddenly he paid attention to her. And then he talked back. When this happened, she smiled at him…and he had been smitten. Then, they shared a very long conversation.

During the third year of college, there was no Shannon Coverton. She had dropped out. But Yeomans and Faye had continued pursuing their studies and each other. They had begun to date and many on campus had begun to call them the PC simply because they had become the Perfect Couple.

After they had graduated, they had not only obtained their careers, but they had also married.

Several years later, they found themselves driving in a small convoy, loaded up with groceries, and heading for a shelter located outside of Belgrade, Maine. As they drove up the long driveway leading up to the burnt remains of a farmhouse, a barn and a silo, they could not help but notice several vehicles parked on a lawn in front of a wooden fence. Several tents had been erected. Several people could be seen moving about and most of them stopped what they were doing to watch their arrival.

Faye suddenly pointed. “Larry…look.”

Yeomans turned his head and to his surprise, he saw an RV. An RV he had seen before. “You’ve got to be kidding. What is she doing here?”

Faye didn’t have an answer for him.

Someone directed them to park amongst the other vehicles on the lawn. When Yeomans stopped the van and turned off the engine, the man who had directed them was waiting for him to exit the vehicle. Larry glanced at Faye as he opened the door.

The man approached him and held out his hand. “Welcome to our little abode,” he said. “I’m John Saint.”

Yeomans shook his hand. “Really? Saint you say?”

Saint grinned. “Don’t let the name fool you.”

“John!”

They both turned, noticing that they were being approached by someone.

“Hi, Peter,” Saint greeted. “I see that basic staples wasn’t the only thing you picked up.” He grinned at Yeomans and Faye to show them he was just giving Peter Chase a hard time. “I guess that means they’ll both get your share of the grub.”

Yeomans hesitated. “Oh, I’m sorry. We don’t mean to be any trouble.”

“Relax,” Chase told him, clapping him on the back. “As you can see, John isn’t a saint. He likes to tease newcomers and give them a scare, but he’s really a nice guy. John, this is Larry Yeomans and his wife, Faye. The Lord directed them to the shopping center in Belgrade where we met them and as they have no place to go, I invited them to join us.”

Saint nodded to the Yeomans’. “You’re both welcome to join us, of course.”

“Thank you.” Yeomans walked around the van and opened the door for his wife. “Is everyone here Christians?”

“Yes.” Saint paused, thinking of the man in the barn who was having a conversation with David King. “With one possible exception we need to continue to pray for.”

Yeomans misunderstood his reference for someone else. “You must mean Amber Eastwood.”

Saint and Chase exchanged looks.

“Who?” Chase asked.

Yeomans nodded his head toward the parked RV. “Amber Eastwood. That’s hers. I recognized it when we arrived, but I admit I‘m a little surprised by it.”

Saint regarded him. “What makes you sure that Amber’s not saved?”

Yeomans paused as he glanced at his wife. “Well…she stole something.”

“Jesus forgave the thief who was on the cross beside Him.”

“Well…yes, I know. I don’t mean to say that Amber can’t be a Christian. For all we know, she accepted Him and is a child of the King.” He shrugged. “It’s been a few months since we’ve seen her.”

“If you don’t mind my asking…what was it that Amber stole?”

Yeomans paused. “She took $60,000 from the company I worked at and I was the one who was held responsible for it.”

King was having a hard time processing what he had just heard. Bollinger had not only just professed that he was a new Christian, but that he also had a desire to follow the Lord by serving Him. Bollinger had deliberately sought out David King so that he could personally join in the cause and help the Gatherers.

King regarded Bollinger for a moment as he tried to discern the truth. Bollinger by his own nature was a trickster. A deceiver. What he was doing at this very moment could be just another one of his deceptions.

On the other hand, it could also be the truth. King himself had been a terrorist, but he had turned his back on his old life as a Muslim and embraced a new life with Jesus Christ as his Lord. There were many personalities in the Bible who had similar life changing experiences, and their names had also been changed. From Abram to Abraham. From Jacob, the Deceiver, to Israel, the Overcomer. From Saul of Tarsus to Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ.

Was Bollinger sincere?

King wanted to believe that he was. “If you truly want to join in the work that we are doing,” he began thoughtfully, “then why do you hide yourself in the hayloft? Why do you not come out and be among us?”

Bollinger paused. Finally, he shrugged. “I…was uncertain of the kind of reception I would get from you, knowing our history together.”

“But our history is behind us, is it not?”

“Yes. Of course, it is.”

Now it was King’s turn to pause. “Tell me, James…what were the events you’ve experienced that finally led you to your conversion?”

Bollinger again paused, but intentionally. “Everything that I have been witnessing in the recent aftermath of the vanishings and the attack has finally caused me to…to re-evaluate my standing. I’ve begun to realize that I may have always known the truth - and believed it…but until recently, I…I’ve never really accepted it. I became…” He turned to look at King thoughtfully. “I became restless, David. I began to see the Book of Revelation becoming fulfilled right before my eyes…and I became afraid.”

“So your conversion then has been motivated by fear?”

“That…and an emptiness I’ve been unable to fulfill since…” Bollinger trailed off and avoided eye contact with King. “Anyway…I recognized my need and I…I did something about it. Because of it, my restlessness has finally come to an end.”

King regarded him for a moment. It had not escaped his notice that Bollinger had been about to reveal something personal, but had stopped himself. King decided not to inquire about it at the moment. He was certain another opportunity would present itself for further discussions at another time. At the present, he felt that it was time to remove Bollinger from his seclusion and invite him to come among those at the shelter.

“Come with me, then,” King replied with a welcoming smile as he clapped his hand on Bollinger’s shoulder. “It’s time for you to join us and we can all celebrate your conversion by singing our praises to Him and sharing our testimonies.”

Bollinger smiled at him. “That’s great,” he said.

When King walked ahead of him and had his back to him, Bollinger’s smile faded and he actually rolled his eyes with reluctance. He didn’t feel as if he were ready to share his testimony with anyone. As he followed King out of the barn, Sheriff Hoag climbed out of the stall he had been hiding in.

Cautiously, the Sheriff moved toward the barn doors and he peered out through the small opening King and Bollinger had left when they had closed it. He watched their backs as they walked away from the barn to join up with the others who were out there as well. Hoag silently watched them as he considered his options.

But then a voice from behind him interrupted his thoughts.

“Sheriff…”

Hoag spun around, withdrawing his revolver and leveling it at the intruder in one quick move. To his surprise, Anthony Morris was standing there, having entered through the entrance at the other end of the barn.

“What are you doing here?” Morris demanded.

Hoag wasn’t all that certain that Morris was going to like his answer.

Forty-Two
The Hand of God

LeBeau, Bandjough, and Erin were gathered together behind Fronk as each of them tried to make sense of what they had just witnessed on the monitor. The toxin had killed a man. It had literally caused his flesh to melt away, leaving behind nothing but an exoskeleton, jewelry, and tattered clothing. Through it all, Danielle Marie Dozois remained miraculously unharmed.

The X-24 toxin just simply did not touch her.

For a moment, everyone was speechless.

It was Bandjough who finally broke the silence as he softly commented what should have been obvious to them all. “God must be protecting her.”

Erin and LeBeau each turned their heads to look at him. Fronk, however, was focused on his laptop. His fingers danced across the keyboard as he caused the camera to focus on Danielle’s face. Something about her seemed to be vaguely familiar and he couldn’t yet determine what that was. He opened up other windows and began an investigation of his own. Multi-tasking was like taking a walk in the park so he continued with his tasks as he listened to the others discuss their thoughts about what they witnessed.

“What?” LeBeau demanded.

“Well, think about it, Ace!” Bandjough exclaimed. “Look what that toxin did to that guy, but in the same room…Danielle isn’t even touched by it. The toxin has no affect on her. How can you really explain that other than by the hand of God?”

Erin pursed her lips in thought. “You think she’s a Christian.”

It wasn’t a question.

Bandjough nodded. “Yeah…Yeah, I do. Guys…she’s one of us.”

LeBeau turned his head and stared at Danielle’s face on the monitor of Fronk’s laptop. He paid no attention to what the Crazy Man was doing with the other windows he had opened and minimized.

Finally, the ace pilot let out a breath. “Well…I think you’re right. It’s the only thing that makes sense about this.” He paused. “But knowin’ that what you say is true can only mean one thing for us. We have to get her out of there.”

Erin glanced at her. “The Director is there, Keith. I’m sure he’ll figure it out and do what he can. He won’t let Carr get away with this.”

“I know that…but we should at least go and tell him. Look! Anythin’s better than just sittin’ here waitin’ for somethin’ to happen!”

Bandjough paused. “Why don’t we do something really daring?” He made eye contact with LeBeau. “There’s a restricted no-flying zone right over Allentown, isn‘t there? Well, why don’t we take a trip over there and see what happens?”

LeBeau blinked. “Did I just hear you right?”

“It’s a restricted no-flying zone for a reason, J,” Erin said. “All of Allentown is still contaminated with the toxin.”

“But the toxin didn’t kill Danielle.”

There was another pause. Only the sounds of Fronk’s fingers on the keyboard could be heard.

LeBeau let out another sigh. “So you’re sayin’ that this toxin didn’t kill her…because she’s been covered by the blood of Christ.” He turned his head to regard Bandjough. “And you think we won’t be killed either for the same reason? Is that the gist of what you‘re tryin’ to say here, man?”

Bandjough shrugged. “It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“Look, Rookie - and I hate to say this, but there is a real big reason why you’re called Rookie - what you’re tellin’ us all sounds well and good…in theory. But what if you’re way off the mark on this one? What if you’re just wrong?”

The younger man looked at the woman on the monitor and shook his head. “I really don’t believe I’m wrong about this.”

“Maybe you should look at it from another perspective,” Erin told him. “I don’t remember where it is in the Bible, but I believe there is a verse in the New Testament that warns us about tempting the Lord. Tempting the Lord is something we’re not to do. You may think that you can go into that contaminated area where the toxin is and be safe, but you could be tempting the Lord to use His power. Do you know what I mean?”

“Coitenly,” Fronk suddenly replied, imitating Curly from the Three Stooges. “I understands perfectly! Nyuck, nyuck.”

“I don’t,” Bandjough said, shaking his head in frustration. “We wouldn’t be tempting the Lord. How would we be doing that?”

Fronk cleared his throat, and then he spoke in a tone that Director Fuller usually used when he was sharing a devotional with them. “‘The devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 1.’ ”

Bandjough fell silent as he considered what Fronk had just quoted.

“Well, that’s good enough for me,” LeBeau said. “If the Lord Himself said that it’s not good to tempt God, than I’ll go along with that! I’m not flyin’ over any part of Allentown unless He tells me in plain and clear English to do so.”

“What ever happened to that man in there,” Fuller said as he indicated the chamber beyond the Plexiglas barrier, “it has nothing to do with the rapture. That, Carr, I agree with you on.”

Carr nodded his head once, ignoring the gun pressed against his head by Lenox. “Of course, you do. But what you don’t understand, Director Fuller, is that what happened in there proves that the rapture never occurred. You would see that if you wouldn’t close your mind to the possibility of it.”

“You’re out of your mind,” Barrington declared. “That doesn’t prove anything other than your obsession with ruining the lives of innocent people. We need to get that woman out of there!”

Carr glanced at Lenox and shook his head. “That isn’t possible.”

Lenox intentionally pressed his weapon more, causing Carr to bend his head back. “What you just said is not acceptable.”

This time, Carr could not ignore what Lenox was doing. He swallowed. “If we let her out, the toxin gets out and we all die. Would that be more acceptable to you than keeping a criminal locked up in a quarantined room?”

Alyson remained silent as she witnessed the entire exchange of hostilities. Averill and the agents at the door looked as if they wanted to rush inside and start shooting, but they somehow maintained their positions. She saw that Meers was still outside, trying to film over the heads of the agents from Justice…but Shiva was out there, too, and he was standing beside Meers.

Alyson frowned. Is he talking to my cameraman? What are they talking about? Shaking her head from the distraction, she returned her focus on what was happening in the mobile unit.

Lenox glared at Carr. “I’m starting to get real tired of these games you play with other peoples lives. I don’t care if she killed the President of the United States. She isn’t a guinea pig.”

Carr snorted. “We all know who killed the President. This woman is guilty of other crimes and --”

Barrington interrupted his train of thought as he pounded his fist on the Plexiglas. “Miss! Hey, ma’am! Can you hear me?”

Inside her prison room, Danielle remained with her back to the wall, slumped on the floor as she hugged her knees. She did not appear to hear Barrington.

Barrington turned to the FEMA agent. “Can she hear us?”

The man nodded.

“How long will it take to decontaminate the room from the toxin so we can get in there to help her?”

“You can’t do that,” Carr replied, trying to keep his anger from surfacing. “You are interfering in matters that do not concern you.”

Lenox grabbed a hold of Carr by the collar and dragged him over to the first sealed door leading into the chamber. “You’re going in there! Someone open this door.”

From the entrance, Averill tried to see around Fuller, Staci, and Barrington. “Hey! Lenox, what are you doing?”

Lenox ignored him as he shoved Carr’s back against the sealed door. “Al, get the code from Carr’s lackey.”

Barrington turned to regard the FEMA agent. “If you cooperate -”

The man interrupted by speaking out a series of numbers. Then, he said, “I do my job, but…this is turning into something I had no desire to get involved in.”

Carr let out a sigh. “Lenox…you have to stop doing what you’re doing. I am fighting for the truth, and -”

“Stop it!”

Silence descended upon the room. One by one, all heads turned toward the source of the unexpected shout.

It was Staci and she appeared to be angry. “Just stop it!” she exclaimed once more. “While you people waste time trying to show each other how tough you all are, that woman in there needs medical attention. I don’t care what you do, but you will find a way to get me in there, and you will do it right now!”

The FEMA agent hesitated. “There are environmental suits.”

“How many?”

“There are two in this unit.”

“Great. Get me one…and someone needs to come with me.”

Barrington nodded. “I’ll go.”

Staci nodded. Then, she turned to Lenox. She paused. “I know you want to kill him, but you really do need to put your weapon away.”

Lenox let out a sigh. Then, he caught Fuller watching him. Hesitantly, he put his weapon back into its holster and released his hold on Carr.

Staci smiled at Lenox. “Thank you. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have someone who needs our help.”

Barrington and Staci were led by the FEMA agent to the lockers that held the suits. With determination, Staci put hers on as quickly as she could. All she wanted to do was help the woman trapped inside the chamber.

Saint felt it was better to approach Amber Eastwood as delicately as possible. He didn’t know her so he was concerned about how she would react when confronted with the actions of her past. He led Yeomans and Faye toward the back of the silo where the entrance of the shelter was. They climbed into it and made their way into the makeshift kitchen area where Donna Perkins, Saint’s wife, Chris, and Amber Eastwood were preparing dinner.

Amber was cutting tomato slices, but she stopped when she saw Yeomans.

Yeomans nervously waved at her. “Hi, Amber.”

Amber simply nodded, then went back to slicing into another tomato.

Donna glanced from one to the other, concern evident in her eyes. “Hello yourself,” she said. She turned toward Saint. “John, I know we need to be willing to make room for more people, but…the room we have is decreasing quickly.”

Yeomans and Faye looked at each other. They looked guilty.

Donna moved towards them. “Oh, no no. I didn’t mean to imply there was no room for you. I was just stating an undeniable fact that we’re going to have to face sooner or later anyway.” She held out her hand. “My name is Donna Perkins.”

“Larry Yeomans,” Yeomans replied, shaking her hand. “This is my better half, Faye.” He glanced at Amber.

Saint clapped Yeomans on the shoulder. “Well, Larry…Faye. This here is my wife, Chris…and contrary to you, I’m her better half.” He winked playfully at Chris.

Chris held out a knife toward him. “Keep it up, mister. I know where you sleep.”

“You bring that knife with you tonight, and I’ll keep my eyes open all night long.”

She slashed at the air and continued to cut into a chunk of roast beef, spreading cubes of the meat aside in preparation for the stew.

Donna looked once more from Amber to Yeomans. “I take it that you two know each other…?”

Amber nodded, but remained silent.

Yeomans nodded, too. “Yeah. Her husband worked at the same company. The Tarantine Textile Company.”

Amber continued to make preparations for the stew and avoided eye contact.

Donna pursed her lips with concern. “Were you friends?”

Yeomans shook his head. “No. Not really. Her husband and I worked in separate offices. We only know each other from family picnics that the company had for the employees.” He hesitated. “Amber…can we go somewhere and talk?”

Amber shook her head.

“Please…It’ll only take a moment.”

But Amber continued with her task.

Yeomans let out a sigh.

“Just tell her,” Faye encouraged. “We’re among other believers now and no one here is going to be throwing around any harsh judgments.”

Yeomans nodded. “Alright.” He turned and regarded Amber with hesitation. Finally, he said, “It’s okay, Amber. We know about the $60,000 and why you took it. By all rights, it was yours to begin with anyway. I know it was from your husband’s life insurance through the company and that you were supposed to get it, but…Mr. Tarantine decided to try and keep it for himself. You only took what was yours.”

Amber looked at him, but still remained silent.

Yeomans paused. “Anyway…I just wanted to let you know that it’s okay.”

Amber put her hands on the table, leaned forward and glared at Yeomans. “You think it’s okay to steal $60,000?”

“Well, no, but-”

“I didn’t want $60,000! I wanted my husband back! That company took him from me, and they owe me more than $60,000 and an apology for my losses! Who does Tarantine think he is? I took that money not because it belonged to me, but because it didn’t belong to your boss! And you think it’s okay?” She pointed at him with her knife. “Well, it isn’t! And it won’t be until he gets what is coming to him.”

“Amber, if he doesn’t reach a point in his life where he’s still able to accept Christ, then he will get what he deserves and a lot more. But you can‘t want that for him. No matter what he‘s done, Christ died for him, too, and we need to pray for him to find salvation before it gets to be too late for him.”

Amber took a deep breath. She nodded slowly. “I know. And that’s what I’m struggling with. I want to hate him for what he’s done. I’m really struggling with wanting God to snatch him from the flames of Hell because I want to push him there myself!” She paused as she regarded everyone. “I’m trying not to hate. It’s a shortcoming I have right now, and I could really use your prayers.”

Donna nodded her head encouragingly. “You’ll have more than our prayers. You have our love, too, Amber.” She smiled. “It’s good to know that you can really talk.”

“After a while, you may not think so.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I say it like it is.” She tapped her forehead. “If it’s in here…” She touched her fingers to her lips. “…it comes out here.”

Saint clapped his hands together. “There’s nothing wrong with that, sister…to a point. Look, why don’t we all huddle up and go to God right now in prayer. We can all tell Him like it is, even if He already does know.”

“We need to pray about our living arrangements, too,” Donna reminded him.

“I may have an idea about that,” Yeomans said.

Saint regarded him with a look. “Really? What would that be?”

“There’s another location we can use.” Yeomans paused. “There’s a place I know that would hold everyone here, and then some. We’d have to look into it first.”

Saint nodded his head. “That’s good news. Let’s pray about it and then we’ll go see David to make plans.”

The six of them gathered in a circle, held hands and went to the Lord in prayer. As they prayed, God listened and He answered.

Hoag lowered his weapon and looked at Morris. He didn’t want to explain himself to anyone, but he felt that he owed it to Morris anyway. Morris had always been one to stand up for the law in Willow Creek. He had been a positive influence in the town meetings, but that influence had left when the man had decided to join up with Saint and the others.

Hoag re-holstered his weapon.

“Sheriff,” Morris began with concern, “are you here to cause trouble?”

Hoag looked at him. “You think I’m here to cause trouble?”

“You’re hiding in the barn, eavesdropping on conversations not meant for you.”

“Or for you,” the Sheriff pointed out.

Morris nodded once. “Maybe so…but I knew you were in here and that’s why I waited around.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“I was going around the barn when I saw you climb in through the chute above the pig trough.”

Hoag shook his head. “Tony, why are you here?”

“Because I happen to believe in what’s going on and I want to do something about it. I want to be able to participate in the work that God has given us to do. A work that is far more important than earning a paycheck. A work that saves souls, Sheriff. Everyone here is a part of that. Except for you.”

“And that man who was just in here.”

“Are you referring to David?”

“You mean Darwyn Musad!” Hoag snapped. Then, he let out a sigh. “But I meant the other man who was with him. He doesn’t seem…sincere.”

Morris regarded him. “And David King…or, as you’re so insistent on calling him…Darwyn Musad. What about him? Do you think he sounded sincere?”

Hoag hesitated. “I don’t know what to think.”

“I can vouch for him.”

“Of course, you can! Everybody here can vouch for him. Tony, I put a bullet right into him and it passed through him without leaving a mark! Even that gives him credibility that he’s telling the truth!”

“Then why can’t you accept it?”

“Because I don’t understand it!”

Silence descended upon them and Morris waited to see if the Sheriff had anything else to say. When he didn’t, he said, “Look, Sheriff…I wasn’t there. Did the bullet really go through him?”

“He was standing in Pastor Worsham’s office and he was on the other side of the desk. I pointed my gun right at him and pulled the trigger. There was no way I could have missed. I left the room, thinking he was dead, but when I saw him standing there outside the church later that evening with not a mark on him, I couldn’t believe what my eyes were telling me! He should have been dead, and I can’t for the life of me explain why he isn’t! I came here to see if I can make any sense of it.” He shook his head. “Why didn’t he die, Tony?”

Morris shrugged. “Maybe God really does have a plan for him. And you need to have a good long talk with him about it.”

“But he’s a terrorist!”

“He was. Not any more. Do you want me to tell him that you‘re willing to have a talk with him?”

Hoag hesitated. “Sure, Tony. Why not? Go tell him I’ll meet with him.”

Morris turned to go.

Hoag turned around and paced forward a few feet. “This world has gone crazy.”

Morris stopped and turned to regard him. “What was that, Sheriff?”

Hoag paused. “I said this world has just gone mad. God has his hand on people who were once terrorists and people you know and trust every day have gone berserk! They‘re out for blood.”

“What do you mean?”

“The folks back at home, Tony…”

Morris paused. “What about them?”

“They torched the church. They broke into the Willow Creek Baptist Church and set it on fire.”

Matthew 4:5 - 7

Forty-Three
The Devil's Advocate

It was agreed that the Storm Breaker would not fly into the quarantined airspace over Allentown unless it was necessary, but LeBeau and Bandjough had decided to head for their helicopter to make preparations. If they needed to be in the air, they were going to be ready. After they had left their quarters, Erin found herself alone with the Crazy Man, who was still working his talents with his fingers dancing on the keyboard.

She watched him for a moment. She loved to see him at work, doing what he did best. His face was a mask of anticipation and concentration. He was like a little boy trapped inside a candy store. He was completely in his element and clearly didn’t want to leave it. It was one of the many qualities she loved about William Fronk. As she continued to watch him, she wondered not for the first time if he even suspected how she felt about him.

“Do I have hair growing out of my ears?” he suddenly asked her.

She blinked. “What?”

“I’m kind-a hoping that - being as young as I am - I have yet to reach that ripe old age where weeds of a different color begin to sprout from my ears and my nose. But judging from the way you’re staring at me, I believe that hope has just been eradicated.”

Erin blushed. “Oh…No. No, William, you’re not…sprouting.”

“Ah.” He nodded once. Then, he wiped a hand across his forehead. “Whew! That was a close one. Man, I thought I was a goner for sure!” He glanced at her. “So…if you weren’t staring at me for being gross…then there was another purpose behind it.”

She paused. “Uhm…How do you know I was even looking at you?”

Fronk tapped his finger on the right side of the monitor screen on his laptop. “You have a reflection.”

She blushed again. “I’m sorry. I…I thought you were involved in what you were doing to notice something like that.”

He winked at her. “I am keenly observant.”

“Yeah. I can see that.”

He continued his research in a window on the lower part of the screen as in the upper left side continued to display what was happening inside the Quarantine Mobile Unit. He could also still see Erin’s reflection as she leaned over for a better view of the monitor. It was apparent to him that she was paying more attention to him than to what he was doing.

There was a pause.

“It must be my rugged good looks,” he finally said.

She shook her head. “No, William, it’s not.”

Fronk blinked. His fingers stopped above the keyboard as he turned to regard her. “It’s not?”

She smiled wryly. “You’re not rugged…but you are good looking.”

He looked at her for a moment. “You are, too,” he said softly. “Only gooder.”

“That’s not a word.”

“Oh, it doesn’t have to be, but it fit’s the occasion.”

She smiled. “Hey…you’re not calling me rugged, are you?”

“Oh, no. No, no, no! Absolutely not! How could you possibly even consider that I would dare to think such a thing? You are as lovely as a rose! As refreshing as a gentle waterfall falling down from a brook into a stream! As breathtaking as a sunrise over the ocean!”

“Aren’t you laying that on a bit thick?”

Fronk paused. “Maybe I am…but I believe that you’re worth it.” He paused again, hesitating. “Erin…if you’re interested - because I know I am - would you care to go out on a date when we get back?”

Erin nodded her head without hesitation. “That interests me very much. Yes.”

“Yes…You said ‘yes’. Uhm…can you just look the other way for one second?”

Erin looked at him, puzzled by the request. “Oh…okay,” she said. She turned around and looked toward the door.

Fronk raised his hands heavenward and mouthed the words, “Thank You, Lord!” Then, he lowered his hands and cleared his throat. “Okay. You can turn back now.”

She turned, grinning as she regarded him. “You were thanking Him for me, weren’t you?”

“Huh? Oh, well, you know…I do thank Him for everything. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1’ Concerning us all, really.”

She nodded knowingly. “Um hm.” She looked at the monitor. There was an article with a photo of a woman at a charity event taken from a Chicago Tribune newspaper. According to the article, the woman had come from London, France to participate in raising funds for children with cancer. The article was twenty-four years old. Erin looked closer. “Hey…she looks like the woman Carr has trapped in quarantine…only older. Who is she?” She squinted, trying to read the article.

“That…is Katherine Allison Dozois. She’s Danielle’s mother.” Fronk paused. “I knew I recognized something familiar about her.”

Erin looked at him. “But…how did you know about this woman?”

Fronk paused. Then, he opened his mouth to speak, but the doors to their assigned quarters crashed open, causing him and Erin to jump. Shiva strode purposefully into their quarters and focused intently on Fronk. The ex-wrestler didn’t seem to notice that he had startled them. Without another word, he handed a small, handheld video cam to Fronk.

The Crazy Man took it. “What’s this?”

“Can you film yourself on it, talking about the truth of what’s happening here?” Shiva asked.

Fronk nodded. “Sure, I could, but…”

“Just do it. When you’re done, give it back to me.”

“When do you want it?”

“Before we’re done here.” With that, he turned and hurried back out.

Fronk and Erin looked at each other.

She smiled and held out her hand. “Hand it over and I’ll help you.”

He gave her the video cam. “I always wanted to be in pictures!”

“Well, now here’s your chance.”

Staci and Barrington each put on an environmental suit as Alyson, Lenox, Fuller, and Carr stood off to the side. The FEMA agent helped Staci and Barrington. Unknown to Carr, he showed them how to use the suits communications devices to talk to each other without anyone else eavesdropping. While they were suiting up, Fuller had a brief and private conversation with Shiva on his cell phone. He was watching Danielle through the barrier as he spoke. He was on only for a short time and when he was done, he snapped the phone shut and returned it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

Alyson watched everything as closely as she could. She glared toward the sealed door. Averill and the two Justice agents who had been there had backed out of the unit, closing the door behind them. This had prevented Meers from continuing to film the inside of the unit. For his sake, she hoped he had caught enough on film that would be of use for her Pulitzer prize story.

Lenox had put his gun back into its holster. He looked into the chamber and saw Danielle, still huddled in the corner. She was on the other side of the bed so she was unable to see what was left of the FEMA agent who had entered without a suit.

“So, Carr…what’s her story?” he wanted to know.

Fuller stood beside Lenox with his arms folded across his chest. He also watched Danielle, concerned for her.

Carr shrugged casually. “Oh, what can I tell you that you don’t already know? It’s the same old story you hear every day. Quite typical actually when you consider the number of identity thefts across the United States. She steals identities and leads lives that aren’t hers. This one here -” He tapped on the window and pointed at the huddled form of Danielle. “- claimed a name of a wife married to a lawyer from the Case ‘N’ Point Law Firm based out of New York City. It’s a very big Law Firm, mind you, so why she would be so stupid as to pretend she was married to one of its lawyers is beyond me. But she lived the good life for a while until the truth finally caught up with her. Now, we have her and the man she pretended to be married to is at this moment compiling a very strong case against her.” He let out a chuckle and shook his head. “I imagine that when he’s through with her, she’ll wish she had never been born.”

Fuller turned his head and regarded him. He narrowed his eyes. Something about that last comment angered him, but he didn’t address it. Instead, he said, “What’s this lawyers name?”

Carr glanced at him. “I’m really not at liberty to say.”

Fuller leaned closer. “Say it anyway.”

Lenox looked at Carr. “Just tell us. You know we’re going to look into this and find out anyway. You might as well bite the bullet and come out with it now.”

Alyson continued to hang back, listening to their conversation.

Carr let out a sigh. “Fine. The lawyer’s name, if you must know, is Andrew Anderson.”

“And the woman here…?” Lenox inquired.

“She said her name was Danielle Marie Anderson…but it’s really only one of her many alias’. In time, we’ll discover her real name.”

Fuller glared. “That doesn’t give you the right to use her as a lab rat.”

Carr looked at him. “She’s a criminal.”

“So you say,” Lenox said.

“Why do you doubt my word?”

Lenox nodded his head toward Staci, who was stepping through the first doorway of the chamber behind Barrington. “Because you told me that Staci Cohen was a criminal until I checked it out for myself. You know what I found out? She was telling the truth. Dr. Richard Manning had set her up to take the fall because he didn’t want to be held liable for Ishmael Musad’s death. You didn’t even bother to check into her story. You just called her guilty without any evidence and thought you could get her out of the way.”

Carr cleared his throat. “Well, perhaps a more thorough investigation can be done. I’ll see to it -”

“The investigation is done. I just got through telling you that I was the one who conducted it. What I want you to do is to help with getting her license back for her.”

Carr hesitated. “Certainly. Anything else?”

Fuller nodded his head. “Yes, there is something else. When that chamber is cleared of the toxin, we’re taking Danielle into our custody.”

Alyson remained silent as she continued to watch them. Did these guys forget I was here? She grinned mischievously.

“That is not proper procedure,” Carr argued. “This woman is in our custody because we apprehended her.”

Lenox glared at him.

Carr swallowed. “Okay. Fine. I…I release her into your custody, then.”

Alyson’s eyes widened in surprise as she regarded Carr.

“That’s all we ask,” Fuller said. He watched with the others as Barrington and Staci entered the toxin-filled chamber.

Staci wasn’t concerned about the red ashes with the skeletal remains laying in it. She was more concerned about the living. The suit was bulky and heavy, but she somehow made it around Barrington and approached the woman huddled in the corner.

Looking up at Staci, she shook her head. “No…please …just leave me alone.”

Staci stopped. She tried to look at Barrington, but the helmet didn’t turn with her head. She gave up and focused on the woman. “I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but…we’re here to help you.”

Danielle glared at her. “You’re right. I don’t believe you.”

“We’re not with these men who put you in here,” Barrington told her.

“You’re in the suits,” she pointed out, “and the men who put me in here are watching from the outside. Don’t tell me you’re not with them!”

Staci shook her head. “Please…we’re not with them. My name is Staci Cohen.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m a Medical Doctor, and -”

“I don’t care! I don’t care who you are! Get out of here and leave me alone!”

Staci took a deep breath. “You will care! We’re here to help you whether you like it or not. We’ve lost a lot, just like you have.”

Danielle glared at her. “You don’t know what I’ve lost.”

“I’ve lost a son in the vanishings. Albert here has lost a wife and a daughter. They…they were caught up in what we call the rapture.”

Danielle regarded them differently. “Rapture?”

Barrington nodded. “Yes. Look, we’re not your enemy. What’s happening to you is wrong and we’ll do what we can to get you out of here. We know we can’t just ask you to trust us, but -”

“I lost family and friends in the rapture, too,” she said, interrupting him. “I-I accepted Jesus as my Lord, and-and then my husband kicked me out of our home. I went for a drive, saw some kind of…of strange wavering or something in the air…and passed out. I woke up here. I-I don’t even know what’s going on. What do these people want with me?”

“You’re a Christian?” Staci asked, smiling reassuringly.

Danielle nodded her head.

“So are we.”

She closed her eyes. “Oh, please don’t be messing with me. You’re not making that up, are you?”

“No, we’re not,” Barrington assured her. “We don’t know all the facts yet about what’s happening here, but we do have some ideas. A toxin was released in Allentown and it killed everyone there just like it did to this FEMA agent. We don’t know who released the toxin. What we do know is that Ed Carr, the man who is responsible for you being in here, is trying to prove that the rapture didn’t happen. He wants to convince the world that the vanishings were caused by this toxin.”

Danielle shook her head. “That’s insane! Who’s going to believe that? This toxin killed everyone it touched.”

“It didn’t kill you,” Staci pointed out.

Danielle leaned her head back against the wall. “No. I guess it didn’t.”

“I guess in a way, you would be proof that the toxin doesn’t affect everyone. Just certain people. Maybe it has something to do with DNA…a certain gene. Blood type.” Staci shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Wait…you don’t believe that, do you?”

Staci shook her head. “No. I-I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate here because Ed Carr and others like him will believe that.”

“Some people would rather believe the lie,” Barrington said, “then to know the truth.”

“And we know that they don’t want to believe the rapture, or they don’t believe it because it sounds like Science Fiction to them. When news of this toxin gets out, people are going to listen to it. Many of them are going to be deceived into believing that it’s true.”

Danielle paused. “Why didn’t it do anything to me?”

Barrington considered his words carefully. “I don’t really know. There is only one plausible answer, but I hesitate to say.”

“We think God prevented the toxin from affecting you,” Staci replied without hesitation, “because He wants this lie to fail.”

“We don’t know that for certain, Staci.”

“Albert, how can it not be the answer? Danielle is a Christian like us. She was the only one not affected by this toxin. Why would it be hard to believe that God spared her to reveal the truth?”

Barrington let out a sigh. “Look, I’m not trying to put a hole in your theory…”

“It’s not a theory.”

“We can’t know the mind of God. We don’t have proof that God even spared Danielle. What if it is because of her DNA, or blood type…or genes?”

“Oh, you don’t believe that any more than I don’t.”

“Maybe not…but we still don’t have all of the answers.”

“You say we don’t have proof…”

Barrington nodded. “Right.”

Staci regarded Danielle. “What if it isn’t proof we need? What if all it takes is just a little faith?”

Barrington narrowed his eyes. “Staci…what are you thinking?”

Staci stood up and reached for her helmet. “God brought us here to reveal the truth, Albert, and the truth is…the lie will be revealed for what it is. The lie. But His Truth will always shine through no matter how big the lie becomes.” She began to work on taking the helmet off.

After the prayer session, Yeomans followed Saint and Chase through the small shelter and back up the ladder out through the hatch. Chris and Faye stayed below with Donna and Amber to help prepare the stew they were creating. Rumor had it that Amber Eastwood made the best stews around. Just thinking about it made Yeomans salivate with hunger. He intentionally began to think of something else.

Like the sleeping arrangements at the shelter.

What he saw from the shelter underground, it had originally been designed for a family of eight, possibly one or two more. But there were more than that cramming themselves in there to sleep at night. Everyone else who couldn’t fit in the shelter were either sleeping in their cars or in the barn. Or in tents erected on the lawn in the fields.

It was beginning to look like a campground.

Yeomans had an idea about that and he wanted to share it, but Saint made him wait until they could meet up with David King.

“David’s around here somewhere,” Saint replied as he stood away from the hatch, searching the grounds for King. “I’ll take you to meet him.”

Chase glanced at him.

Saint recognized the look. He knew what was on Chase’s mind. Making a decision, he turned to Yeomans. “You’re going to meet a man who is doing a great work for the Lord, Larry,” he began, watching the man for a reaction. “He’s helped to put this thing together. In fact, he started this Gatherers thing with an FBI agent named Albert Barrington. David is a great leader amongst us, even though he has the tendency to keep away from the role.”

Yeomans nodded, smiling. “Sounds like a great man. When do I meet him?”

“Right now,” said a voice from behind him with an accent.

Yeomans turned and saw a man with dark skin approaching. Another man walked beside him.

Saint and Chase exchanged looks. “Well,” Saint said as he clapped one of them on the shoulder, “welcome to the world outside the loft, Jim.”

Bollinger nodded. “Thanks, John. I guess it was getting a little stuffy in there.”

“Larry, this is Jim…I don’t know his last name.”

“It’s Bollinger.” He reached over and shook Yeomans hand. “I’m…kind of new here.”

Yeomans grinned. “So am I. I’m Larry Yeomans.”

Saint indicated the dark-skinned man. “This is David King.”

“Hello,” Yeomans greeted, extending his hand toward him. “It’s great to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you since I’ve been here.”

King shook his hand. “Have you now?”

“Yeah. These guys have been telling me how you and Albert Barrington are forming this…Gatherers thing. It sounds really great, and I’d like to get involved.”

King regarded him with a smile. “Is that all you’ve heard?”

Yeomans nodded. “Well, yeah. So far.”

“Then…” He glanced at Bollinger. “…you haven’t heard the one about me being a terrorist before I came to Christ?”

“Terrorist?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Chase clapped Yeomans on the back. “David has an astounding testimony. Wait until you hear it. It’ll knock your socks off.”

Yeomans nodded. “I’d love to hear about it. I also have an idea I’d like to share if you’re interested.”

Saint glanced at Bollinger.

Bollinger noticed. “Hey, if you guys don’t mind, I’m just going to walk around and get to know people.”

King nodded. “Perhaps later tonight, you would like to share your testimony in our fellowship meeting.”

He hesitated. “Yeah. Sure. Maybe I will.” He walked away from them.

Chase shook his head. “Wasn’t he the guy hiding out up in the loft, stirring things up?”

“He was,” King agreed. “But he has assured me that he won’t do it again.” He turned to Yeomans. “What is your idea?”

Before Yeomans could reply, Morris approached them, running from the barn. “David,” he called out.

The others turned and they waited for his approach.

When Morris got there, he said, “Can I speak with you privately for a moment?”

King regarded him for a moment. “You can tell me here, in front of the others.”

Morris shrugged. “Okay…Then, I’ll just come out and tell you. Sheriff Hoag is in the barn and he wants to talk with you. Alone.”

1 - I Thessalonians 5:18

Forty-Four
Family

Fronk was busy working on the task that Shiva had given to him. Using his computer skills on his laptop, the video cam and the details of the mystery surrounding Allentown, he believed he and Erin could get the job done.

Meanwhile, Shiva had been walking back toward the Quarantine Mobile Unit when his cell phone rang. He took it out, answered the call, and as he listened to Fuller on the other end, he stopped walking.

“Certainly, sir,” he said without hesitation. “I understand completely. I’ll have them ready to move out on a moment’s notice.”

Then, he snapped his phone shut, turned around and retraced his steps back to their quarters. As he got to the door, he remembered that he hadn’t seen LeBeau or Bandjough inside. Just Fronk and Erin.

He opened the door and looked inside. “Hey, do either of you know where Ace and Rookie went off to? I‘ve got to relay a message to them from the Director.”

“Ooh, a message!” Fronk exclaimed. “What is it?”

“Ah…it’s just for them.”

He snapped his fingers. “So it’s a decoded message!”

Shiva nodded hesitantly. “Sure, it is. If that makes you happy to think of it as being decoded, knock yourself out. Are you gonna tell me where they went or do I have to guess.”

“Nah. I’ll tell ye, me giant ex-wrestling junkie.” Fronk leaned back in his chair and looked at the ex-wrestler. “They headed on over to the Storm Breaker.”

“What for?”

“They want to be ready to fly over Allentown,” Erin answered.

Shiva nodded. “Oh. It’s just as well. I’ll catch you guys later.”

Fronk waved at him. “Coitenly! Nycuk, nyuck, nyuck!”

Shaking his head at Fronk’s imitation of Curly from the Three Stooges, Shiva purposefully strode through the Outpost until he came to the outskirts of it. He saw two of Justices Bell ARH’s on separate landing pads while the Storm Breaker was on an assigned landing pad for the ATD agents. Observing the Bell ARH’s, Shiva clearly remembered when a Bell ARH similar to the ones he was looking at chased the Storm Breaker over Albany. That had been a close call.

He marveled at how they could still be working with Justice when deep in his heart, he knew the time was coming when Justice would be hunting those who called themselves the Gatherers. Ed Carr would be leading the hunt personally.

Shaking off the thoughts, Shiva found the pilots inside the Storm Breaker. He slid open the door, climbed in and closed it. Then, he stuck his head inside the cockpit.

“Hey,” he said, “how soon can you have the Storm Breaker ready for flight?”

Bandjough turned his head to look at him. “Why do you want to know? Are we going over Allentown?”

Shiva shook his head. “No. That’s not the plan.”

LeBeau held his clipboard in his lap. It contained the preflight checklist he knew like the back of his hand. He was tapping it against his leg because he was bored to tears and itching for some action. “We can be in the air in ten minutes. Less if we were goin’ somewhere now.” He let out a sigh. “Do you have a destination in mind?”

“I’m afraid I don’t…but the Director might have something in mind. He told me to tell you guys to be ready to move out at a moments notice.”

“We’re ready.”

Bandjough nodded in agreement. “We’ve been ready.”

Shiva paused. “Yeah, it does get pretty boring when all you have to do is wait, doesn’t it?”

“You should talk!” LeBeau exclaimed. “You’re out there in the action, Fury! I know how to fly but sometimes, I’d much rather be in on the action. I don’t do well when all I got to do is twiddle my thumbs and listen to Rookie rant about how much he likes tennis!”

“Tennis is a very relaxing sport,” Bandjough told him.

“It’s relaxin’ because it’s borin’. It puts me to sleep just thinkin’ about it!”

“Well, I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“So am I.” With a sigh, LeBeau turned to Shiva. “So, yeah, Fury, we’re ready to go. Go back and tell the Director…to hurry up!”

Grinning, Shiva climbed back out of the Storm Breaker and headed for the Quarantine Mobile Unit.

“Why can’t we hear what’s going on in there?” Carr asked suspiciously as he glared at Barrington, Staci, and Danielle through the Plexiglas. The three were huddled together, and he didn’t like it that he had no idea what was going on inside the chamber.

Lenox couldn’t help but grin. “I’m sure it’s probably Doctor/Patient confidentiality or something like that. Or maybe your toxin fried the communications.”

“My toxin doesn’t affect electronic systems.”

Lenox and Fuller exchanged knowing looks.

“So you admit it’s your toxin?” Fuller inquired.

Carr hesitated. “What are you talking about? Of course, it isn’t my toxin. I’m sure you know that’s not what I meant.”

Lenox shook his head. “I’m not sure at all about anything you say. Everything that pops out of your mouth always seems to have some kind of a double meaning.”

“That is ridiculous.”

Alyson couldn’t resist. She had been silent for a while now, but the journalist inside wanted answers. “Mr. Carr, are they insinuating that the toxin - the X-24 - is actually owned by the government?”

Carr glared at her. “Of course, that’s not what they’re insinuating. They’re not insinuating anything.”

Lenox looked at Fuller. “He’s right.”

Fuller shrugged. “Of course, he is.”

“We’re not saying the government owns or even created the toxin to begin with.”

Alyson tilted her head. “What are you saying?”

“Ed Carr has his own agenda. I wouldn’t put it past him if he had people create the toxin for him…or they found it and are now keeping it for themselves. He does a lot of things while he works for the government, but many of those things aren’t always in the best interests of the American people. In fact, our government might not even know about this toxin.”

“But they will because of what happened here.”

Carr nodded his head. “Of course, they will. This is where the toxin was used by terrorists.”

“What terrorists?” Lenox demanded.

“We may never know.”

“Yeah…well, I think you really know what happened here and it isn’t exactly as you’ve told us.”

“You’re out of line.”

“I tell it like I see it.”

Carr glared at him but didn’t say anything further. He wanted to, but decided to seek out an opportunity for a private conversation with Lenox at another time.

At that moment, Alyson’s eyes widened. “What is she doing?”

They all turned and looked into the chamber.

Staci was taking her helmet off.

Lenox pounded on the Plexiglas barrier. “Staci!” he shouted. “What are you doing?!”

Carr stared in fascination.

Inside the chamber, Barrington moved toward Staci with intentions of stopping her, but he was too late. She had the helmet off and was standing there with her head tilted to the side. It was as if she were listening for something. What she was waiting for was for something to happen or not to happen.

After a moment, she realized that those outside the chamber were staring in at her. She turned around and saw Barrington and Danielle watching her. Danielle slowly got back up to her feet.

“Staci, are you out of your mind?” Lenox demanded, using the communications panel.

She smiled at him. “No. I just wanted to prove a point.”

“What point?”

“Danielle was unaffected by the toxin…because she is a Christian. She is one of His. Just as I am…” She turned her head to regard Barrington. “And just as you are.”

Barrington shook his head. “You…are something else. How do you feel?”

“I feel fine.”

Outside the Plexiglas, Lenox shook his head. “Staci, as much as I respect you for your faith, I can’t accept that. Why would God protect you and not those who reject Him?”

“Because we are living in the End Times, Michael,” Fuller responded. “And this toxin is being used to make the rapture - something God did - into a lie. It makes sense to me that God would protect His people from the toxin.”

Carr snorted. “I’d love to test your ridiculous idea, Director. Perhaps I should round up a few Christians and a few non-Christians, put them in a room together and release the toxin.”

Fuller turned to glare at him.

“Hypothetically speaking, of course.” Then, he turned to regard those in the chamber. “However, your idea has no basis, Dr. Cohen. It will take more than faith to prove what you say is true, and I, for one, do not believe it.”

Barrington took off his helmet and dropped it on the floor.

Carr shook his head. He turned to the FEMA agent. “Has the X-24 levels decreased any inside there?”

The agent consulted a monitor screen and shook his head. “No.” He swallowed. “There’s still enough toxin in there to wipe out everyone in the Outpost.”

Carr pursed his lips in thought. He looked in there once more and wondered how he would ever be able to get his hands on Staci, Danielle, and Barrington to run further tests. If what Staci said was true, what else would they be able to endure.

Lenox narrowed his eyes. “Don’t even think about it.”

Fuller stepped up to the communications panel beside Lenox. “Danielle…?”

Danielle turned her head, regarding him through the Plexiglas with suspicion. “Yes?”

“We’re getting you out of there. Justice has agreed to turn you over into our custody.”

“I don’t need to be in custody. I didn’t do anything.”

“Trust me. You will be treated fairly. And you can be certain we won’t put you through any of this…nonsense.”

Danielle looked at Barrington and Staci.

“You can trust him,” Staci said. “He’s one of the good guys.”

“Then, can’t we get out of here right now? Why do we have to wait.”

Carr leaned toward the Plexiglas. “The levels of toxin are still too high. You have to wait until it clears. If we let you out, you could expose us to the toxin.”

Danielle folded her arms. “Well, turnabout is fair play, don’t you think?”

The FEMA agent at the console outside the chamber looked up from the readouts on his monitor. “Actually, sir, if they come out through the opening, we could decontaminate them before they leave the chamber. The toxin will be cleanse through the process and we won’t face the risk of exposure.”

Carr glared at him. He had been attempting to keep them in there as long as he could until he came up with a plan. “We can’t be certain that some of the toxin won’t escape out here.”

“Yes, we can. There will be no danger after they have been decontaminated.”

Carr wanted to kill him.

Fuller leaned toward the panel. “Albert, each one of you come through decontamination one at a time. We’re getting you out of there now.”

Danielle’s eyes began to fill with tears at the thought of finally escaping the chamber of horrors. She turned to Staci and Barrington. “Can I…?” she trailed off.

Barrington nodded. “Of course. Go ahead.”

Taking a deep breath, Danielle rushed to the door as he opened it for her. She passed through the doorway and stood inside the small decontamination cubicle as Barrington resealed it closed. The FEMA agent on the outside ran the decontamination process, which to Danielle’s relief finally ended with a hiss.

The exit door opened and for the first time since the nightmare began, she finally stepped out of the chamber.

Fuller was waiting for her. Gently, he took her by the arm. “Why don’t you allow me to lead you out of here?”

“That would be nice,” she replied, smiling gratefully.

Carr did everything he could not to withdraw his gun as Fuller took Danielle out of the unit.

Fuller and Danielle walked together through the Outpost. “You’ll be safe now,” he told her. “I promise you that.”

“Who are you people?” she asked, grateful to be outside where the weather was clear and the air was fresh. “I mean, you, Staci, and Albert. That other guy in there…Michael?”

Fuller glanced at her. “We’re the ATD. An extension of the FBI.” He paused. “But, with the exception of Michael who we’re continuously praying for, we’re something else, too. We call ourselves the Gatherers and it is our purpose to gather as many people as we can for Christ before the end comes.”

Danielle considered his words. “That sounds noble.” She paused. “That also sounds like something my mother would get into. She always loved noble causes.”

Fuller paused. “Is…your mother someone you can go to right now?”

“Well…if I can get out of here, I can get to her. She’s in London.” She stopped. “Wait…I can’t. My husband…my…Andy took everything I had. Everything was in his name when he kicked me out. I don’t…” She stopped as the tears finally came. “I-I don’t have anything.”

Fuller placed his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. “Yes, you do, Danielle. You have a new family. One who can love you unconditionally. One who will always be there to help you in your time of need. I’ll get you to London to be with your mother. You’ll recover from this. I swear it.”

“Not that I’m ungrateful, but why are you helping me?”

“God’s people always take care of their own.”

She smiled wryly. “Because we’re family.”

“Yes.”

She shook her head. “This world just gets crazier and crazier, doesn‘t it?”

“It does indeed.” Fuller nodded in agreement as he continued to lead her toward the outskirts of the Outpost where LeBeau and Bandjough were waiting in the Storm Breaker. He had a plan, and that plan was simply to get her there where his pilots could fly her to safety far away from Allentown.

King considered thoughtfully what Morris had told him. Then, he turned to Saint, Chase, and Yeomans. “It would seem that I am required elsewhere.” He paused. “Larry, before I go, what is your idea?”

“Well,” Yeomans began, “it seems to me as if you’re running out of room here and starting to look like a campground. Someone’s bound to think this is odd and might come just to cause trouble.”

“That thought had crossed our minds as well,” Saint assured him.

“I know a place…It’s about a two hour drive from here, almost three actually. It’s a campground my cousins own. They had it closed for renovations on the cabins and facilities there so I don’t believe anyone’s there now. I figured that maybe we could take a drive up there and check it out.”

King nodded thoughtfully. “This is something to pursue, my brother. John, perhaps you would care to look into it?”

Saint shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure. Peter and I can go with Larry.”

“Excellent. Then, I shall see you in about six hours when you return.”

They shook hands, and King lead them in prayer for safe traveling mercies. Then, King thanked Morris for getting him. As he headed back for the barn, he prayed that God would use him to help make Sheriff Hoag see the Way.

Unfortunately, when he stepped into the barn and closed the door, Hoag pressed his gun against King’s head.

The Sheriff’s finger tightened on the trigger. “Glad you could make it, Musad. I just wanted another chance to see if you can survive a second bullet. Only this time, it will be right up close and personal.”

Forty-Five
Unequally Yoked

The Storm Breaker was on its way to its destination as ordered by Director Fuller, and LeBeau and Bandjough were glad to be doing something. Their destination was the John F. Kennedy Airport. Fuller had made arrangements by calling ahead. There was to be a landing pad available to them. They were to land and escort Danielle to her plane. She would have a ticket waiting for her at the counter.

Shiva rode with Danielle in the back of the Storm Breaker. They shared each others testimony.

Danielle sighed. “I can’t believe this is over. This has been a horrible nightmare.” She looked at Shiva. “And it’s not over, is it?”

He shook his head. “No. Not according to the Bible, it isn’t. It’s going to get worse. Soon, we’ll become the hunted.”

“You’ve studied a lot?”

He nodded. “Yeah. We study whenever we get the chance to. How about you?”

Danielle shook her head. “I don’t study as much as I should, but I don’t have a connection with other believers like you seem to have. I hope I can find people in London like you Gatherers. I know I need a lot of help studying. I’ve never been any good at it.”

“Well, don’t forget, you are one of us now. You’re a Gatherer, and if you ever come back this way, you can look us up. The Director instructed me to tell you that you’re welcome here any time. You can find us either at the Federal Building in Albany, or the shelter in Maine, just outside of Belgrade. That‘s where you can find us. Of course, when next we meet, we may have other locations, too.” He told her about the shelter found by Barrington. “If you know of anyone who needs our help, send them to us. We’ll help them all we can.”

Danielle nodded. “I will.” She paused. “I have a question if you don’t mind, since you‘ve been studying more than I have.”

“We have some time,” he assured her with a casual shrug. “Ask me anything you want, and if I can answer, I will.”

“This has to do with prophecy. I mean, we’re obviously living in the last days, right? Do you know who the Antichrist is, because just thinking about him gives me nightmares? I hope he‘s not like Ed Carr.”

Shiva let out a chuckle. “No, Danielle, I assure you, he’s nothing like Ed Carr. In fact, he is far more sinister.” He regarded her. “Have you been watching the news?”

“As much as I can. My husband…” She stopped. She took a deep breath and said, “I’ve been kept busy, but I’ve tried to keep informed about what’s been going on.” She paused. “If you want to know the truth, once the vanishings happened and the attack on our country…Andy forbid me to watch the news. He even took out every television we had to make sure I didn’t watch it.”

“Really?” Shiva looked at her with concern.

She shrugged. “I thought he was being overprotective. He wasn’t. He didn’t want to hear a word about Jesus having raptured His Bride and he thought I just lost it. So he tried to keep me away from what was happening in the world.” Her eyes met Shiva’s. “Anyway, I managed to get my hands on some news occasionally, either through a newspaper I could get my hands on, or listening to the radio in the car.”

He hesitated as he kept eye contact with her. “I’m truly sorry this happened to you, Danielle.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

He paused. Then, he cleared his throat. “Do you know about the peace treaty signing in Israel?”

She nodded. “I heard about that, yes.” She looked at him. “Was the Antichrist there?”

Shiva nodded solemnly. “He was.”

“Really? Then…is it Judas Hannah?”

Shiva paused as he considered her question. “I’ve heard that name before, but…no, it’s not him. The AC’s name is Tristian Salvadori.”

“Oh. Oh, I saw him in the news. Some charismatic guy talking about bringing peace into the new age. Promising all wars to end…Some new world order.” She frowned. “Yeah. Come to think of it, he does sound like the one, doesn’t he?”

“Who is Judas Hannah?”

“He was there foreseeing the signing. At least, I heard he was. But maybe he’s just a representative for Israel. He’s also been in the news…He’s mostly been seen with Salvadori.” She shuddered. “This whole thing just gives me the chills. I can’t believe this is happening. I mean, the rapture…the Antichrist. What’s next?”

“Plenty,” Shiva told her, “and none of it is good. Except for the 144,000.”

Danielle paused. “What is the 144,000?”

“I’m not really sure. In our studies, we think they could be 12,000 members from each of the twelve tribes of Israel who will be witnesses during these last days. But we really need to study some more into that to be certain.” He shook his head. “We don’t want to be wrong when we study His Word so we try to be careful about it. Pray earnestly, asking Him for direction. It’s all we can do, you know?”

“I guess there’s really so much to learn. How do you find the time to it?”

Shiva pulled out a small New Testament from the inside pocket of his jacket. “I try to carry a Bible with me wherever I go. Are you up to a little studying now before we land?”

“Yes.”

He took a hold of her hand, to which she appeared hesitant at first. When she realized he was only praying, she relaxed and smiled as the peace of God fell over them. After Shiva prayed, they read from the Book of Revelations together.

As Barrington was getting out of his suit, Lenox decided to have a talk with Carr.

“Is there somewhere we can go?” he asked Carr. “I need to have a word with you.”

Carr glared at him. “I was entertaining the same idea myself. Come with me.”

Lenox followed him out of the unit. Outside, they began to walk away from the Outpost and out toward the landing pads. Lenox saw that the Storm Breaker was gone, but the Bell ARH’s were there. The two men went behind one of them.

Lenox looked around, making certain they weren’t about to be interrupted.

Carr spun around and glared at him, pointing in his face. “I thought we had an understanding. You came to us, Michael, to be a part of something grand, but perhaps I was rash in thinking you had come around to our way of thinking. That woman was ours! You had no right to -”

Lenox grabbed his finger and pulled it away from his face. At the same time, he brought his other fist up and connected hard with Carr’s nose. Something snapped, blood spilled out, and Carr fell backward against the Bell ARH. Dazed, the man slid to the ground, favoring his nose in both hands.

Finally, he glared up at Lenox. “What are you doing?”

“Who was responsible for the toxin in Allentown, Carr?”

“What?”

Lenox was losing patience. “Who released the toxin in that town? Hmm? Do you have any idea who is responsible for the deaths of everyone who lived there?”

Carr swallowed. “No.” He didn’t make eye contact.

Lenox looked at him for a long time. “Was this a test? Your people set this up to test the toxin, isn’t that what happened here?”

“No.”

“I want to believe you. I really do, but I’m having a hard time with it.” He pulled out his gun and held it directly in front of the mans face. “One more time…who is responsible for what happened here in Allentown? Who released the toxin?”

Carr stared right into the barrel of the gun. It made him look cross-eyed. “I swear to you, I don’t know!”

Lenox let out a sigh and put his gun back into its holster. He looked at Carr with disgust. “Let me swear something to you.” He leaned over the Director of Justice and glared into his eyes. “If I find evidence that you were behind this in anyway, I will hunt you down and put a bullet in your head. Don’t believe for one second that I won’t because I am capable of having a good nights sleep right after I end your life.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Carr just stayed there for a long time. The victory he had felt when all of this had begun had deflated and he soon discovered he had run out of steam. But deep down inside, he vowed if only to himself that he would make Lenox pay for this atrocity. And the best way to attack Lenox was to go through Staci.

A grin slowly began to spread across his face as a plan began to take shape.

Staci had trouble getting out of the suit. Alyson saw this and was completely amused by it, but she didn’t let it show on her features as she approached the red-haired medical doctor.

“Let me help you,” Alyson offered as she took a hold of the sleeve of the environmental suit. “It seems you’re having some trouble getting out of this thing.”

“Yes, thank you,” Staci replied, turning her head as she tried to see where the arms of the suit loosened. “This thing is heavy and bulky…and it’s making me dizzy trying to get out of it.”

Alyson went behind her to release the clasps keeping the suit secured. “Have you ever been in one of these before?”

“No.” Staci sighed. “I don’t think I ever want to be in one again.”

Alyson continued to help her. She intentionally paused before she strategically brought up the next subject. “This day has been full of surprises, hasn’t it?”

Staci agreed with a nod, thinking of how she made a fool out of herself by running up to Lenox and kissing him. She blushed thinking about it.

Alyson noticed. “Well, imagine my surprise when I saw Michael here today. I thought I was in seventh heaven.” She grinned mischievously behind her back.

Staci stopped moving as she realized what the news reporter had just said. “Uhm…You know Michael?”

“Yes, I do. And I have to tell you, as soon as I can, I’m going to wrap my arms around him and give him a great big kiss. I wish I had known he was going to be here. I haven’t had time to really get his attention, but I will when the time is right.”

Staci swallowed. “Oh.”

Alyson moved around her so she could see her. “Are you okay? You sound like your in pain.”

“Oh, no…I-I just think the suit is tight. Too tight, and I’d really like to get out of it.” Staci took a deep breath to mask her true feelings. “Are…uhm, are you and Michael dating?”

“Oh, no! No, don’t be silly. It’s really a casual thing we have between us. You know…Neither one of us want to settle down, so we have absolutely no strings attached. He does what he pleases, and I go my way. But…sometimes we hook up and,” She grinned, “you know, have a little fun.”

“Oh, that’s nice!” But it really wasn’t.

Barrington had his suit off and he approached to help with Staci’s. He had seen them together as he was getting out of his suit, and knowing Alyson to be a conniving, manipulative person, wanted to get her away from Staci.

“Having trouble, Doc?” he asked Staci.

“Oh, she’s fine,” Alyson assured him. “She’ll be out of this in no time.”

They helped Staci out of the suit, but the medical doctor’s body language told Barrington that Alyson had said something to her. Alyson smiled at them both and made her way out of the unit. Staci used that moment when she was gone to wipe at a tear that had trickled down her cheek.

“What did she say to you?” Barrington asked.

Staci tried to put on a smile. “Nothing.”

“Staci…whatever it was, it wasn’t ‘nothing’. You can tell me.”

“Albert, it’s ridiculous, okay? It isn’t worth it.”

Barrington paused. “She said something to you about Michael, didn’t she?”

Staci shrugged. “So what if she did? I’m not going out with Michael. He-he’s got no interest in me.” She sighed. “According to Alyson, he likes blondes.”

“Don’t let the devil use this against you. Michael had a brief relationship with Alyson but it was years ago. He’s not interested in her.”

“Albert, we shouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Why not?”

“Because even if he were interested in me…how could I even hope to have a relationship with him if he hasn’t come to Christ? Wouldn’t we be...unequally yoked?”

“What are you talking about?”

She paused. “I looked it up. It’s in the Bible...and it says, 'Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 1’ ” She let out a sigh. “I think that’s pretty painfully clear enough to understand, don’t you?”

She got up and headed out of the unit before he could respond.

Fuller had watched the Storm Breaker leave with a lot of mixed emotions. He had stood there watching as it took to the skies and didn’t move until it was completely gone from view. When it was, he decided to head back to their quarters and wait for the Storm Breakers return.

He believed what they had come there to do was done. There was nothing to do now but call it quits. He walked into the quarters that had been set aside for him and his agents, and when he did, he saw Fronk and Erin watching him with concern.

He frowned when he saw the looks on their faces. “What’s wrong with you two?”

Erin and Fronk exchanged glances.

Fronk slowly got up from the table and approached Fuller. “Director,” he said.

Fuller let out another sigh. He knew this was going to be serious because the Crazy Man had used his title. He hadn’t called him ‘Skipper’.

“Erin and I discovered something about Danielle,” Fronk continued.

“I know,” Fuller said softly.

“We know who she is and thought you should know before…well, before you find out some other way. Anyway, I guess it would be best if it came from us.”

Fuller held up his hands. “William, Erin…I know. I appreciate your concern, but…I know.”

They regarded him for a moment.

“You know who she is?” Erin asked.

Fuller nodded. “I knew the second I saw her.”

Again, Erin and Fronk exchanged looks.

“Well…where is she?” Fronk wanted to know.

Fuller hesitated. “She’s gone.”

“Gone? But where did she go?”

“I sent her home. Where she belongs.”

“But, sir,” Erin began, “if you know who she is, why did you send her away?”

Fuller paused as he regarded them. “Does anyone else know about this?”

Fronk shook his head. “As far as we know, it’s only the two of us.”

“Keep it that way. The less who know, the safer she is. Because to answer your question, Erin…” He paused. “…I sent her away because I didn’t want Ed Carr to find out.” He looked at each of them. “This conversation is now closed. I would appreciate it if neither one of you brought it up again.”

“Of course,” Erin said.

Fronk saluted. “Aye aye, Skipper.”

Fuller grinned and shook his head. “I knew I could count on you.” He pointed at the laptop. “You might as well pack up your gear. We’re leaving just as soon as the Storm Breaker returns.”

Fronk held up the video cam he had received from the ex-wrestler. “That’s good, ‘cause we’re done with this video Fury wanted us to make. This is going to be the best news story ever. We think you’re gonna like it. Yeah, you’re gonna like it a lot.”

Fuller didn’t doubt him. He just hoped the world would like it, too.

For a moment, King remained silent as Hoag stood before him with his gun pressed against his head. King saw the anger in the Sheriff’s eyes and silently began to pray. Not for himself, but for Hoag. He prayed and asked God to help Hoag get past his anger. The man seemed to have a lot of rage bottled up inside, and it was threatening to explode.

King didn’t move. “If you have come to shoot me, Sheriff, perhaps it would be wise to do so away from here so that the people do not have to be witness to it.”

“How can you be so calm?” Hoag demanded. He was so angry, his hand that was holding the gun was trembling. “Don’t you think it would be easy for me to pull the trigger? You’ve killed many. Killing you wouldn’t be a problem for me.”

“And yet I still stand here as you debate with yourself the pros and cons of murdering me in cold blood.” He paused as he carefully regarded Hoag. “The first time you pointed a gun at me and pulled the trigger, Sheriff, you gave in to your anger. You don’t have to do it this time.”

Hoag pulled the gun away and took several steps away from him. He faced away from the man he had wanted to kill. “You have no idea just how easy it would be to pull the trigger.”

“Perhaps.”

“It wouldn’t do any good, would it?” He turned to look at King as if he were a ghost. “I shot you at point blank range and yet here you stand. I know I didn’t miss.” He paused. “Why did God spare you? Are you really a servant of His?”

King shrugged. “I cannot truly stand here and explain to you why God spared me the day you came into the office at Willow Creek Baptist Church. I believe I know God as all His children know Him...but we cannot know why He does the things He does. Sometimes, He reveals to us why. At other times, He doesn’t. Perhaps it is just as simple as Him wanting me to continue doing His Will.”

“You changed.”

“Yes.”

“You were a terrorist. You’ve killed innocent people in your crusade as a member of the Islamic nation.”

King nodded once. “Yes.”

“Yet you converted to Christianity.” Hoag studied his face. “The guilt of what you’ve done...the crimes you’ve committed...That must have been going through your mind when you cried out to God.”

“It was, Sheriff. But God took that guilt from me and He has enabled me to do His Work.”

“Well, I’m angry. I’m so furious I can’t trust myself to do the right thing!”

King watched him. “Are you angry at me?”

“No, but I am envious. You seem to be able to turn from your past, but I give in to mine. That night when people I knew as friends and family surrounded the Dell’s home and set it on fire, I stood there and watched. I let them do it. I made no moves to stop them. And I was so angry, all I wanted to do was kill you in cold blood.” He took a deep breath and looked at King. “Well, I did kill you. At least, I would have if God hadn’t spared you. So let me ask you, David King...how do you forgive yourself?”

“The first step is to accept that you are not perfect. Then, you must realize that God loves you and you need Him in your life. He will help you with your anger. But then comes the tricky part. You must not only allow God to forgive you, but you must also forgive yourself. Only then will you be able to free yourself from this bondage of anger.”

Hoag hesitated. “Will you help me?”

King held out his hand. “I will.”

The two men shook hands and then prayed.

1 - II Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

Epilogue
The Presence of Evil

It happened that evening on the DEN network at 6:00 pm. The new breaking story from Alyson Moore was about to be revealed and it promised to be the most shocking news story since the day of the vanishings. This was the story that the people wanted to hear. They needed some type of closure to the loved ones they had lost during the vanishings and the attack.

Alyson promised to give them that closure.

The first ten minutes of the news program centered around the local area. But it wasn’t long before it happened and millions of viewers watched, holding their breaths.

“Alyson Moore,” announced the news sponsor, introducing the main topic, “She doesn’t just give you the news, but she gives you Moore news than any other source. She is Alyson Moore, The Source, on the DEN.”

And on television screens and on the internet video feeds, Alyson stood in the center of the Outpost located several miles from Allentown. She opened her mouth to speak...and abruptly disappeared.

Due to modern technology and also due to Fronk’s computer skills, it was a simple task to erase Alyson from the picture and insert someone else in. The man who took her place was a man wearing sandals, and a robe. He had white hair and a long white beard and in one hand, he held a staff. In the other, he held a Bible.

A new sponsor’s voice said, “Willy Frank! He doesn’t just give you the news, but he gives you frank news. He is Willy Frank, the top news reporter for The Word, and he’s the guy who tells it frankly.”

Willy Frank waved his staff over the outpost. In a deep voice, he said, “The people you see behind me here at this outpost near Allentown wish to deceive the world about the truth of the vanishings. They claim the event known as the Rapture had never occurred. They further claim that a toxin known as X-24 is what is truly responsible for the vanishings.” He leaned forward as if he were looking through the camera. “The truth is far more heinous than that, my friends. These men who follow darkness rather than light have conceived this toxin, created it intentionally to force a lie into existence. They believe that you will take this lie as the truth.”

Several scenes flashed across the screen. The scenes included the piles of dust in Allentown where people once stood. There was a scene of Danielle in her prison chamber with Carr gloating on the other side of the barrier. The next scene was far more horrific for it showed the FEMA agent whom Carr had ordered inside the chamber being attacked by the toxin. As he began to literally disintegrate for all the world to see, Willy Frank continued with his narrative.

“This toxin is not what caused the vanishings. The trumpet sounded. The voice shouted. And those who were able to hear were taken up to be with the Lord in the air. If this toxin had been responsible, then there would have been not a single trace of the vanished ones behind. Here we see that the skeletal remains fall where the toxin has taken him. He becomes as dust. Not so with those who were caught up to be with the Lord. Their bodies were gone. They left behind nothing but jewelry and clothes.”

Willy Frank stood in front of the Quarantine Mobile Unit. “For more of the Truth, join us online at TheRealWord.com and register today. Let us help you find the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Just as the story ended, those who worked diligently at the DEN were finally able to recover their video and play it. Alyson continued with her story, but the damage had been done. Many out there were now looking online to see The Real Word website.

As they did, Fronk sat in front of his laptop at the Federal Building in Albany and stared in surprise as the hit counter at the bottom of his splash page began to accelerate.

Meanwhile, in the news van belonging to Meers, Alyson’s cameraman sat watching the news and realized that what he and Shiva had planned actually worked. He took out the tape he had made and began the process of destroying it.

Saint drove. Chase rode in the front passenger seat and Yeomans sat in the back. It had been almost four hours on the road to get to their destination and Yeomans had apologized for being inaccurate on the travel time. However, they finally did arrive at the campground Yeomans had told them about.

On the way in to the campground, there were two wooden posts on either side of the dirt road. Above the road hanging from the posts by thick, white ropes was a wooden sign with the words Camp Wood on it. Then there was a gravel parking lot and the main building off to the left.

As Saint pulled into the parking lot, he noticed what the others had.

“There’s not a car in the lot,” Chase replied softly.

Yeomans looked toward the main building. “Well...I would have assumed the renovations would have been done by now. My cousins wanted to add things to bring in more campers.”

“Like what?” Saint asked as he parked.

“New cabins. An electrical storage unit to run some power lines into some of the buildings for running water and cooking. Things like that.”

After Saint turned off the engine, the three men climbed out and headed toward the building. The door was unlocked and leading the way, Saint entered first. He found a light switch on the wall and flicked it up.

The lights in the mess hall came on.

There were still no signs of people.

Chase was standing at the counter where an open area revealed the kitchen. He leaned over the counter and said, “Someone was here.”

Yeomans went through a set of swinging doors and entered the kitchen. On the floor were three sets of clothing, shoes, watches, and rings. Saint walked in and saw them as well and then he looked at Yeomans.

“They were my cousins,” Yeomans said softly.

Chase regarded him from the opening. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I was at Carl’s birthday last year and his wife got him that watch.” He pointed at one of the watches on the floor. “And I know he and his brothers loved this place. They poured their hearts out here. That was them, probably going over ideas for camp recipes.”

Saint clapped him on the shoulder. “I don’t think they’ll be needing any recipes where they’re at, brother. Nothing can top the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I’m sure of it.”

Yeomans let out a chuckle. “Yeah. I guess not.” He paused. “You know, I’m glad they’re okay. I knew their wives were church goers, but I didn’t know they were. I’m glad they knew Jesus.”

“There’s another bright side to this, too.”

“What’s that?”

Saint grinned. “You just inherited your cousins campground.”

Danielle was exhausted when she got off the plane at the London International Airport, but she looked forward to being with her mother after the ordeal she had survived. If Director Fuller and his Gatherers had never arrived to save the day, she believed that the remaining time of her life would have been spent in misery. Especially if Ed Carr had had his way.

She shuddered as she walked outside to wait for her ride.

The wait wasn’t long. A long, white limousine was idling at the curb and a man wearing a black suit and driving cap was standing patiently beside it. When he saw her, he approached.

“Miss Dozois?”

Danielle looked at him. “Do I know you?”

“No. But I know your mother. We have been expecting you.” He moved to the side of the limo where he opened the door for her. “Please…” He gestured for her to get in.

Danielle hesitated.

Her mother was rich. Perhaps even obscenely so. What Danielle had learned as a child from her mother was how to take from others, even though that wasn‘t a lifestyle she adhered to. Katherine Allison Dozois married money. She didn’t care particularly for the men, but if they had money, then she certainly did her best to make them happy. She had married and divorced more times than Danielle wanted to remember. All Danielle realized out of it all was that she never wanted to be like her mother.

So she had made the decision after she had graduated that when she went to college, she wanted to make it on her own. For years, Danielle did all right by herself. Her life was turning out for the best...until Andrew Anderson kicked her out into the streets.

Danielle climbed into the limo, surprised to see her mother inside waiting for her.

The driver closed the door and Katherine happily reached over to hug her daughter. “Oh, my dear girl! I am so happy to see you!”

“Mom...” Danielle smiled as she returned the embrace.

“Did Andrew send you packing?” her mother asked as she sat back to watch her daughter.

Danielle hesitated. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“He did, didn’t he? I always suspected that he would, you know. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Mom, it wasn’t like that.” She explained everything that had happened to her from the time her husband demanded her to leave up to when Director Fuller had arranged for a flight home for her.

At the mention of the name Darren Fuller, Katherine let out a chuckle. Then, she laughed.

Startled, Danielle could only stare. When her mother showed no signs of stopping, Danielle began to worry. “Mom, what’s so funny?”

Katherine made herself stop, but it took some effort. “Oh, dear girl.” She shook her head. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but I do suppose it’s rather poetic when you think about it.”

“Tell me what?”

“Darren Fuller...” Katherine began carefully, “is your father.”

Danielle stared. “What?”

“It’s true.”

She swallowed. My mother is out of her mind! she thought. “You told me he was dead.” She glared at her mother.

Katherine regarded her daughter. “Oh, dear girl, please don’t get so upset over this.”

“Don’t get upset?! How can I not get upset? You told me my father died in a plane crash, and then you tell me that he’s not only alive, but I actually met him! Why would you do this?”

“I did this because I care for you and I didn’t want you to get attached to someone who would never be around.”

Danielle took a deep breath. “Well, maybe he’s never around because you pushed him away!”

Katherine avoided eye contact.

“That’s it, isn’t it? You did push him away.”

“This is none of your concern.”

“Mom...are you telling me you pushed him away because he didn’t have money?”

Katherine remained silent.

Danielle shook her head. “You turned him away because you wanted to find someone with more money. Even though you loved him.”

“Oh, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Danielle leaned back in her seat. “Please tell me you don’t have any other surprises.”

Katherine smiled coyly. “Actually, there are two more surprises.” She paused for affect. “I’m getting married.”

Danielle stared at her. “Not again.”

“Yes, again, and I would appreciate it if you would show some happiness for me. I assure you, the man I am to marry is someone you will love. He’s very sweet and he will treat you as a father should.”

“I’ve heard this all before, mother.”

“Oh, dear one, I realize you must be exhausted from your trip. But I promise you, when you meet him, you will love him.”

The limo arrived at the Dozois estate. Danielle had almost forgotten about it, but as they drove through the large black gates and up the long driveway, memories she didn’t enjoy came back to haunt her. The estate had always been too big for her.

It still was too big.

The driver let them each out, and Katherine took her daughter’s hand. Unable to contain her excitement, she led her up the steps to the large double doors that led into the mansion.

“I can’t wait for you to meet him!” Katherine exclaimed.

Danielle sighed. “You mean, he’s here?”

Katherine was unaware or indifferent of her daughter’s misgivings. She led her down a corridor where they stopped at a door. Danielle knew it was the den that was on the other side of the door.

“My future husband is inside the den,” Katherine told her. She smiled at Danielle. “Your future step father. We are to be married soon. We also have the blessings of the man he works for. A great man. A man who will reshape this world and make it better than it has ever been.”

Danielle froze as fear gripped her. She slowly turned her head to look at her mother. “What?” She