Hope In The Ashes

Prologue and Part One: Into The Fire

Forward:

Hope In The Ashes

Chapter One

Into The Fires

An modern American nightmare,

I fervently hope and pray this never becomes more than a bad dream of twisted fantasy. The Gog- Magog war, and the tribulation of the saints are no joking matters.

Some may think that I have taken some liberties, with the standard Biblical apocalyptic references, it has not been my intention or desire to change, distort, or twist GODs word at all, rather, to take things in a more directly literal sense. While partially based upon various Biblical prophecies this is not intended as a prophetic work, this is merely a work of fiction, utilizing elements of the Bible, and Islamic eschatology as well as recent political events as part of the plot structure. This is a great

" What if ? "

What if the apocalypse, tribulation was more horrible than popular writers have conveyed?

What if, the rapture, when the saints are caught up, only happens in the end of tribulation?

What if all the accepted tales, of a pre-tribulation rapture, the source and identity of the Beast/antichrist, were wrong?

What if...

What if there was far more literal meaning in Biblical prophecies than has been interpreted over the last two centuries?

What if good ole unca sugar, uncle sam is not found mentioned in Biblical prophecies simply because, the U.S. Was no longer capable of doing anything because of a non existent economy, storm devastations, solar flare ups, terrible politics, man made viral out breaks, and a military worn down by decades long wars,

What if the U.S. Dissolved, into factions, a brutal circumstance like the Balkans of Europe ( Yugoslavia post Tito) in the 90's, with genocides, revolutions, civil wars, ethnic cleansing, inter cultural warfare. Serbs vs Everyone, Croats, Albanians, Bosnians, and all the rest of the genotypes and cultures known to the region against everyone, one against all , all versus one, enemies amongst enemies, confusion, chaos, evil unleashed.

What if...

What if, we have been sold childlike fantasies, fairy tales to believe, lies that deceive, in a world that is built upon nightmares?

What if, light, can only shine in darkness?

What if the dawn, the promise of light, only follows the darkness of night?

Anyone interested in the facts, I must refer to the Bible, it is there that truth will be found in the Word of GOD.

Do not trust me to get it right, Trust only HIS Word, not fantasy, not distorted visions, to reveal the light.

the Only way out of darkness,

is to follow the SON.

*****++++++++++*****

“What do you think you are gonna do?” Michael could not help himself, he had to laugh. The belligerence was ludicrous.

The speaker, long used to being in control and the submission of his minions truly had no understanding of the situation he was in.

Pin point pupils showed evidence of likely opioid intoxication. The stench of stale beer and alcohol spoke of drunkenness.

Michael gathered himself ,this would require serious control.

“ We, are going to have a conversation. I, will endeavor to bring you to a clear, concise understanding that actions have consequences.First, to sober you up a bit, can't have you missing the point now can we.”

“ What bullshit is this? Trying to impress me with big words?Do ya think I am stupid? You ain't gonna do nothing, Do you know who I am aaaaaarrrgh!” The tirade cut off with a scream that faded into gasping breaths and groans

“ I know exactly who you are. Before we are done, you will know exactly who and, what, you are as well.” Michael feigned a smile while speaking softly, with a pleasant tone while holding a spiked Tomahawk in his right hand and a Red wire with clamp in his left. A black wire was clamped firmly to the scrotum of the now highly attentive recipient of understanding duct taped to the metal folding chair. Both wires led to a deep cel marine battery placed beside the chair.

“ I wonder, which will give out first, the battery or, you ?” Michael asked with a feral smile. “ I ain't snitching! Not telling you nothing asshole” the bedraggled lost soul strapped to the chair spit out.

Chuckling, Michael replied.

“Oh No, there's nothing you could tell that we don't already know. This is not about us learning anything you may know. This, is about you learning. You learning exactly who and what you are. Besides, coerced information is usually false. Which is why torture is mostly useless in interrogation.”

Michael lightly touched the chair with the red wire. “ See what I mean?” The semblance of a person screamed and fainted. Soiling himself as well as the chair in the process. Michael wrinkled his nose in disgust.

The lost soul, awoke to new sensations.

He was no longer bound to the metal folding chair. He found himself laying on his back on a cold stainless steel table.hands and feet securely fastened to the table. He was naked, and he could feel the clamp still attached to his scrotal sack.

“ When we are finished here, You will be a believer. A believer in the mercy of Hell.” Michael explained as someone out of the prisoners sight was pouring something into his belly button.

“ You will understand that Hell is Gods mercy. You Will believe. You will know precisely what you are. When we are finished, You, will joyously, reverently kneel and wrap your lips around Satan's cock in gratitude. Gratitude for freeing you from me. Shall we begin.?”

Michael ignited a road flare and touched the burning end to the prisoners belly. A shower of bright sparks erupted.

The prisoner screamed while a shower of fire and sparks fountained from his belly.

“ That's the thing about thermite. It cauterizes as it burns through. Even burns under water.” The prisoner screamed, writhed, tried to flail.

Turning to the watchers, men bound to folding chairs, placed in a circle around the proceedings. “ Pay close, careful attention. I want you to make clear, detailed reports to your superiors when we release you.”

Michael set about the lesson.

As he worked, coldly, efficiently, showing no emotion beyond a feigned smile,Michael considered the path that had brought him here, to this place, this moment, these actions.

Michael considered the things that unleashed the monster within.

For Michael It began Five years before. Though,progressives had been laying the ground work and setting the stage since the early Twentieth century.

†**************************†

"I don’t care! It aint about politics, It is about right and wrong!” Spitting on the ground he turned and stalked away crumpling the pepsi can and throwing it into the open back of the blazer as he got in, started it up and drove off.

The group of good old boys watched him drive away, baffled by Mikes sudden outburst and reaction. Michael was usually the calm one, reasonable. This was a new face for their friend.

Mike drove down the red clay dirt road, the anger still steaming off him like steam from a kettle. He could not understand why they didn’t get it. The news was filled, night after night with the sickening images from Syria and the atrocities of Daesh the Taliban, and countless other terror regimes. Yet the government seemed intent on doing nothing while giving the least appearance of action. Politics as usual. Politics had nothing to do with wrong or right, only convenience and expediency. Fubar,( f*ck#d up beyond all recognition) the standard state of the world it seemed to him. Most of his friends and neighbors were too wrapped up in the big two-party argument to think for themselves. A country divided within itself, Democrat vs Republican, neither party really cared about right or wrong, all they cared for was the favors and connections needed to acquire and maintain political power. Meanwhile as the world burned, the media served as pack of 21st century Nero’s fiddling while everything burned. Doing their utmost to distract, divide, and confuse the people. The wars of terror and violence, the fear mongering was great for ratings. High ratings led to high profits. High profits motivated both the corrupt political powers and their media mouthpieces. Right, wrong, good and evil meant nothing to these servants of greed.

Shaking his head as he drove back home. Home, where Laura waited. Laura, His wife was the only thing keeping him here in the states. For the thousand and first time he thought about the job offer. The money would be extremely handy, with the wrecked economy and two ex-wives constantly crying for more. More and more that was never enough. Neither one of his exes seemed to understand the concept of budget or economy, one of the many reasons both marriages failed. Mike was still trying to figure out an argument that would convince Laura that the job was a good Idea. Laura did not care about the money, all she seemed to be concerned with was Mike being gone for a year. A year spent in the Middle East training the Peshmerga for their fight against Daesh.

The Kurds were the only effective fighting force in the field against Daesh. The armies of Iraq and Syria were in constant retreat. Hell, 20 years in Uncle Sam’s Army Had left Mike with few real world skills. His retirement was completely eaten up in alimony and child support. Leaving Mike with no choice but to scrabble hard to make ends meet. Thirty eight years old, and working dead-end jobs in the economic shambles of post covid America, with only the occasional bounty which were few and far between blessings. Laura did not like it when Mike kitted up and went to work picking up bail skips. Far from a pacifist, Laura was worried for Mikes safety. She hated seeing him shrug into his bullet proof vest, and blue and yellow Bail Enforcement agent jacket. She really hated seeing him with his .357 on his side and shotgun in hand, walking out the door. She was terrified each and every time that he wouldn't come home again, that she would wake up in the middle of the night to a Sheriffs officer at her door telling her Mike wouldn't be coming home. Mike did not know it, but, Laura cried herself to sleep each and every night he was working. She would never let it on to him. She kept that secret far from him. It was her only secret.

Mike pulled into the long gravel driveway, stopping to get out and check the mail. Then driving slowly up to the house.

Laura would be surprised to see him back so soon. Mike had planned on an overnight fishing trip with his friends, and here he was and it wasn’t even dark yet. Mike just couldn't handle listening to the shallow arguments about the war on terror, the war in Syria, the constant bomb them back to the stone age comments. Damn, bombing couldn't work, the problem with that was, most of the problem areas were still in the stone age! Damn fools who had never seen the elephant let alone seen anything firsthand of the third world couldn't understand that. How to explain the reality of most of this sad world to people that had never seen or experienced the madness and horror that most of the world called reality.

In the nineties Mike had been tasked to an “observer” mission in Zaire and Rwanda, He had seen first hand the horrors, and the evil of his fellow-men. After that the missions to the Balkans, the mass graves, the genocides of Africa and the Balkans, the ritual cannibalism of the Hutu’s and Tutsi’s, seeing young girls with their hands and feet cut off, their breasts cut off so they couldn't nurse their babies. Mike had come to understand the depths of evil humans were capable of. The evils of the Balkans were just as bad, if slightly different than Central Africa. Both missions had been pointless as far as Mike was concerned. Both missions achieved nothing other than the scant appearance of doing, something, while watching and doing nothing.

You do not send US Army Rangers to watch. The things that plagued Mike were not a single time he had ever had to kill in battle. The guilt Mike carried came from watching, from not killing the evil bastards committing the evils he had been ordered to watch and submit reports about. And here it was happening all over again, nothing seemed to change. A Democrat controlled government, making noises about human rights while doing nothing other than lining their pockets. Of course, the Republicans were just as bad, merely the flip side of the same political coin.

Mike pulled up next to the cabin, and sat, gathering himself together, tears threatening, he could feel the bitter sting of sorrow mixed with fury burn in his eyes. Breathing deep, he wiped the tears away, composing himself before going inside to Laura. He did not want to worry her, and decided yet again that he had no good argument for what he desperately wanted, what he believed he needed to do. A few steps from the truck, three steps up onto their front porch, and breathing deep, he jerked the front door open, “Hello baby! I am back!”

Laura had heard the old Blazer coming up the driveway, she knew the sound well. Wondering what had brought Mike home so early, she was just stepping into the front room as Mike came through the door, A huge smile on his face as he called to her, seeing her, he swept her up, and hugged her tight burying his face in her long red hair, “ I missed you baby! I love you, let’s go get some barbeque!”

She knew something was wrong, but Mike’s infectious grin prevented her from asking, so she just kissed him and smiled back. “It’s all about the pig, has all you can eat ribs tonight!” Laura was sold, It’s all about the pig had the best and most varied Barbecue Laura had ever tasted.

The rundown restaurant looked like something out of a bad B movie, but the menu had both mustard as well as hickory sweet sauce plus Texas bbq…not to mention the hush puppies, Laura’s mouth was already watering.

“So put me down and let me get my shoes on!” she laughed and set about getting herself ready. Mike smiled watching her get ready, knowing it would be a little while, as she primped, checked her makeup and scurried about.

He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, though she surprised him, he had only time for a couple of sips before she announced “Let’s go Darling! The line will be out to parking lot if we don’t hurry!”

Putting down his coffee cup, Mike decided to take the classic restored 73 Trans Am tonight. He didn't know it yet, but that was one of the more crucial decisions he had ever made. Would ever make.

It is the little things that matter most. Those small details that mold the future more surely than the big splashy media events could ever lay claim to.

Theo and his partner in crime, Shaniqua, were both stoned as all hell already, giggling as they got ready for their nights fun.

Sharing the oversized blunt between them, the room was hazy from the smoke. It was more than just weed, a cocktail of special k and crack mixed in, had them out of their minds already, and tonight was a special night, they had plans!

Gonna stick it to the man, kill the oppressive white demons time! Gonna get even with evil whitey.

Their young lives had been spent on a constant diet of hate and anger, blaming every ill in their narrow urban world on the racist white powers that had kept them down.

Louis Farrakhan had been preaching the evils of racism for decades that only whitey could be racist don't you know. Only racist whitey, and the corrupt " bankers" held power according to the collective voices of leftist insanity. Screaming they were fighting Nazis while spewing Nazi doctrines of Jew hatred and anti capitalism.

The nation of Islam had been preaching that whites were not even human, but some sort of demons from outer space, that every wrong and evil in the world was the creation of whitey and the evil bankers. The bankers financed and controlled everything, using whitey as their weapons to oppress every people of color while Enslaving and exploiting the worlds resources.

Tonight, the war would begin at long last; the oppressed and abused would strike back. Antifa, with a hodge podge of radical Islamists had been planning, recruiting, plotting for years. Training camps had been set up throughout the United States in rural areas, training and spreading their twisted hate, preparing to bring the great Satan to its knees while in most major cities across the country, the armies of evil , bizarre alliances of marxist anarchist and Islamic terrorists, prepared to strike.

Street gangs had been recruited and armed; the gun was cocked and loaded, just waiting for the trigger to be pulled. Yes, federal and state agencies had known about this situation, the preparation, the planning for decades. Considering the amount of profits to be made with the political powers, corruption had obviously become the rule.

Mike drove in silence, the radio blaring classic rock, Led Zeppelins " When the Levee Breaks " thundering from the CD player. The 73 Trans Am purred with that sweet big block rumble down I-85, headed south towards Atlanta. Laura sat quietly, subtly watching Mike from the corner of her eye, wondering what was bothering him and anticipating the sweet tangy ribs waiting for them. Whatever it was, she was sure he would eventually work his way through it just as He always had.

Mike exited the interstate and slowed down, Gainesville Georgia was a college town, and Friday night was in full swing, coeds wandered everywhere, cruising back and forth, partying as college kids do.

Mike wove his way carefully thru the crowded side streets, pulling in beneath the giant neon pig. Parking close to the restaurant for a change. He shut her down, got out and hurried his way around the car before Laura could open her door herself, Mike gallantly opened the car door with a sweeping bow, “Milady, thy feast awaits!” Laura laughed and stepped out and up into Mikes waiting arms, he pulled her close kissing her thoroughly.

Laura forgot any apprehensions, pleased, happy in the moment. Arm in arm like typical young lovers, they walked into the Barbeque joint. The air was heavy with the smells, sweet hickory, tangy mustards, vinegar, roasting pork, beef, sausage, Brunswick stew. a heavy melange of mouth watering aromas. Both of their stomachs grumbled in anticipation.

They were seated quickly. It was still early and they didn’t have to wait at all. Mike ordered sweet tea and the rib buffet for both of them, Laura arranged her jacket on the back of her chair, and they were off to the salad bar, laughing and joking.

It was a good time, the food as always was fantastic, the ribs so tender they fell apart. You could easily have simply licked the meat from the bones, no teeth required. Mike and Laura gorged themselves. After several platters of ribs had been reduced to a pile of barebones sucked clean, Laura ordered peach cobbler and coffee. Mike, went for the strawberry cheese cake, and coffee as well.

The two sat, sharing tastes of their respective deserts, laughing, relaxed, enjoying the moment. Life, was good. This is why, this simple joy and pleasure, the peace that assured its existence, had been worth sacrificing, fighting, even killing for. Mike thought silently, smiling.

However

Just like in the days of old Testament prophets, the political pundits and false profiteers, had cried " Peace peace! "

When there would be no peace.

Savoring his oversized slice of cheesecake, Mike was considering what to do next, should they go for a few drinks, and some dancing, or maybe a movie, He was just opening his mouth to ask Laura which she would prefer when the plate-glass front of the restaurant blew into a million pieces shattering into the now crowded restaurant with a flash and a roar.

Mike reacted nearly simultaneously it seemed, diving across the table covering Laura with his body, sweeping her to the floor overturning the table. Laura was just registering that something was wrong when Mike swept her to the floor. Laura never processed more than that moment, ever again.

Broken glass was everywhere, there was the sound, like fireworks popping, and then people started screaming. Smoke filled the room, people panicked. Those that could, were trying to rush the front doors, which hung in shattered pieces.

Mike had already realized that it was gunshots not fireworks. Those that tried to get out the front door, began falling and screaming.

Mike half dragged half carried Laura towards the back, into the kitchen, which was still intact. Then out into the back alley, the kitchen crew were the only people in the alley, freaking out, babbling questioning what had happened.

It was then that Mike realized that Laura was not only silent, but limp in his arms. He gently lowered her to the ground, asking her what was the matter, running his hands across her body, he found them covered in blood.

Laura had been hit by pieces of the broken storefront glass, and been cut badly. When he moved her into the light cast down by a street lamp, he saw, a small neat hole in her forehead, gasping he rolled her over to find that the whole back of her head was missing. Laura was dead in his arms. Time stopped, eternities fell between Mike’s heartbeats.

Something inside of him snapped. An icy chill spread from Mikes belly, he gently moved Laura’s body to lay her down next to the wall.

An Hispanic busboy began yelling in Spanish , pointing at the blood covered specter of Mike as he stood erect, his 6’5” frame , covered in Laura’s blood, shaking and towering over the much smaller kitchen workers.

Mike bent once more, and softly kissed Laura’s lips, closing her eyes, he stood, turned and began running towards the entrance to the alley.

Pausing at the corner of the building Mike surveyed the scene. He could see people screaming , some panicked and running,some wandering in shock.

As he emerged onto the sidewalk, he could see his car, parked just beneath the now shadowed sign. Yells could be heard, he could hear cries of Allahu Akbar mingled with die Honkie bitches , amongst the screams of panicked running people.

Mike made his way to his car, as a man cried out and fell right beside him, Mike dove for cover, rolling to a stop on the passenger side of his car. Automatic weapons fire rang out, Mike fumbled for his keys dropping them repeatedly. Staying low, he opened the passenger door, and wriggled part way in, he hesitated for a split second then quit thinking.

Trained reflexes took over. He retrieved his Ruger GP100, .357 from the center console, along with three speed loaders. Staying as low as he could, he removed the trigger lock, and looked around him. Part of his mind cursed the awkward trigger lock, he promised himself that he would never use the damned things again.

People were running every which way, screaming, crying out and falling as they were hit. Mike was looking for the shooters, where were they? He could tell from the echoing reports that there was certainly more than one.

Sporadic automatic fire could be heard in the distance as well. It was clear this was part of a much larger operation. Faint sirens could be heard, though no law enforcement was anywhere near Mikes position. There, in the street, Mike saw a still form, A tall black male was laughing, and spraying the running crowds with an Ak-47, an equally tall heavy-set Black female was beside him , working a twelve gauge pump shot-gun, not even bothering to aim, just firing into the masses from the hip.

Mike worked his way to the rear of his car, popped up, acquired his target and fired. Double tapping the tall black male, who spun about as he fell, dropping the AK.

The female spun to see her companion fall, surprise and shock replacing her expression of glee. Mike sighted carefully and fired again, the back of her head exploded spraying her effluvia across the street and sidewalk. It was an easy shot, barely 25 yards.

People screamed and cleared the street. The shooting here had stopped, two armed bodies lay in the street along with their innocent victims. Sporadic firing could be heard in the distance. Mike slid to the ground, resting his head against the wheel of the big Dodge Ram parked next to the Trans Am. That was when the shakes and the tears began.

Sirens approached, Mike roused enough to retrieve his holster and shoulder rig. Shrugging his way into it, he holstered the .357 and pocketed the speedloads. There was no way to know if he would need them again tonight.

Closing and locking the car door, Mike made his way back to his wife’s body, ignoring the cries of wounded around him, and the pointing fingers of the people, now milling about gathering around the two bodies in the street. Eventually The police found him cradling her body in the alley, rocking her, silent tears falling.

††******††

The same scenario had played itself out throughout the United States that evening. From New York to Los Angeles, Seattle to Miami and scattered in between. War had come home to the country just as Antifa had been promising. However, just as Mike had fought back in Georgia, all across the nation, people had panicked, but some had fought back. Americans were a breed apart from anything the terrorists had planned for. More than two decades of war had provided many trained, experienced veterans that had been living quiet peaceful lives.

One has to wonder if the terrorists had expected the response of the American people. They obviously had not studied their history or they would never have awakened the dragon.

By dawn, the morning after the cowardly attacks. Neighborhoods in every city were in flames. Vigilante justice reared its ugly head, and many innocent people had been lynched along with the guilty and the killing had only just begun. Not one of the attacking terrorists survived. In the south, the killing and burning began in earnest. Inner cities were set aflame as vengeful infuriated Americans set about their work. Vigilante justice ruled. Over night the United States had become much like the war torn Balkans. Ethnic cleansing began, and in many cases the national Guard which had been called out to suppress the rioting. Instead either stood aside and watched or they joined in. The bloodshed was horrific. The country had gone insane. Only when the there was nothing left to burn did things begin to quiet down.

That was when the U.S. turned their eyes to the source of the weapons and planning. This was not a simple drone strike in retaliation. It was vengeance, pure rage directed and unleashed. The United States wreaked hell on earth.

The world looked on appalled and terrified. For when the dragon was awakened and enraged, the fires of Hell prevailed. The bombing only stopped when there were no more bombs. The shooting only stopped when there were no more bullets and no more serviceable targets.

Tragically, that was when the true horrors began. Just under a year of destruction, had devastated the world economy. Communist China tried to seize Taiwan. Japan South Korea, Australia, and others said no,no you don't to the CCP and east Asia burned. Pakistan and India lobbed nukes at each other, while Kashmir bled and burned.

Except for Israel , the Middle east was, done. Mecca, Medina, and every single city, town and village of the Saudi Arabian peninsula had been eradicated. The oil ceased to flow, instead it burned. Each oil field a hellscape like the Iraqis had left behind as they fled Kuwait in the first Gulf war.

Russia tried playing all sides to no avail. Internal strife, wars with Ukraine and other former soviet States left eastern Europe in ruins.

The rest of Europe managed until they ran out of gas and food. Then Europe ignited.

Africa, was, Africa, pretty much nothing changed except all of the various aid programs, stopped.

The Americas dissolved into regions of pseudo states that fought amongst themselves for resources constantly. These spasms of insanity cleared away the past setting the stage, making way for the new beast to rise.

And so, civilization burned and consumed itself leaving a world of chaos and death.

The world became the horrors that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Malachi, John, Peter, and YESHUA forewarned.

The moral of this story?

Never, not once, not ever, wake the sleeping dragon.

For the dragon will be hungry and the world is crunchy and good with ketchup.

Still, amidst the ashes of despair,

There is hope.

CHAPTER 2

The unexpectedly nice thing about Florida rivers, is how calm they appear. With no true high ground to flow through, on the whole the rivers are somewhat sedate. They do get a bit exciting during tropical storms and hurricanes, but over all, they are mild and easy flowing. This relative calm is deceptive. Gators, Cotton mouth Moccasins, invading Pythons and deadly Amoebas dwelled within the still waters.

The same for life along the river banks, could not be said. The dangers were not hiding beneath a serene camouflage. Smuggling in the decades before the fires, drugs, humans, all forms of illegal trade, had made life along these natural channels more than a little interesting. After the night of fires, life had become both cheaper, and more exciting. Life on land along the canals and river banks proved brutal, cruel and glaringly obviously so.

Michael, stowed the paddle, shifting position creating a lower profile. The inflatable boat, covered with a camouflaged net fixed with tufts of saw grass, palmetto branches and other native Florida plant life. The rubber boat , with the two Rangers aboard seemingly disappeared into the predawn shadows.

Michael scanned the river banks, on either side through the night vision scope of his M-21 rifle.

Ken, Michaels Ranger buddy, worked as spotter, together, the duo drifted silently down stream while searching for the tangoes LP/OP, ( Listening post/observation post)

Which, on their third trip down stream through the area, the third moonless night of fruitless patrol, neither man had spotted the enemy. No tangoes observed. Both were convinced there had to be one, or several concealed along the low lying river banks. Drifting with the current for the third night in a row during the dark of the new moon, the only sign had been an obvious blind, suspended on the underside of the two lane bridge, they had bypassed a few miles back. Only completely amateur idiots, would have left the river approach otherwise unguarded.

Well, considering that the target was Daesh terrorists from Syria, the so called caliphate, it was entirely possible.

Michael and Ken had spent several hours the night before observing the bridge out post, literally looking over the posted guards shoulders , they could clearly see the twisted porn videos that the tangoes were watching on their cel phones. This night, a strike force had been set up to seize control of the bridge, Michael and Ken were serving as the forward observers for the air assault elements poised to strike. The Apaches and Blackhawks that would descend in the chaos just after the drone strike. Problem was, there were no outlying targets to be found.

Something the two Rangers found nearly impossible to believe.

When the flash and booms began the duo had no available targets, they took no fire, serving as only observers. They may as well not even been there. By the time they had made their way to the area of operations, it was over. They never fired a shot.

The hidden training camp, reduced to smoking ruins and scattered body parts from the airstrike. None of the tangoes had survived the air strike and initial run of the apaches. The Air assault troopers, didn't fire a round either. Paddling up to a bullet riddled wooden dock, Michael and Ken could see the dismounted troopers searching the ruins, and gathering various body parts in an attempt to get an accurate body count. In silent agreement the Rangers took their sweet time securing the small rubber boat and moving ashore. It was all over , with only the itching mosquito bites and sweat soaked BDUs to mark their nights labors. It had turned into a near flawless operation, not one American service member had accrued more than the occasional mosquito bite. Though, unfortunately, there appeared to be no surviving tangoes to take prisoner and question.

At least sixty lifeless bodies, accounted for the tangoes. With any luck, the strike team upriver would have two prisoners to question. Though, that was unlikely in itself, These bastards had a nasty habit of wearing explosive vests and blowing themselves to hell rather than be taken captive.

Maybe there would be some good intel from cel phones etc, seized from the encampment.

Within an hour of initiation, the area of operations had been secured, cleared, and the main body of troopers were climbing aboard the Blackhawks while FBI and Homeland security moved into the area to begin their phase of operations. Michael and Ken were quite content to let the fed bois bag and tag, as they lifted off for the ride back to Hurlburt field.

Sometime in the relatively near future, they were expecting to be deployed into the Kurdish/Peshmerga regions of Syria and Turkey.

Turkey, in a fever of Islamic insanity had embraced the Islamic caliphate, leaving Nato and forming a formal alliance with Syria, Sudan, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Iran, continued the back door supply to various Terror Groups. U.S. Troops had returned en masse to Iraq and Saudi Arabia, operating against Daesh elements from Kurdish and former Saudi controlled areas.

To what purpose no one seemed to know, aside from killing radical islamist elements. The 82nd had seized control of the Sinai, serving as a trip wire between Egypt and Israel once again. While Israel devastated the Hezbollah, and Hamas elements of Gaza, the west bank and southern Lebanon.

No one seemed to have any idea what was next, only that escalation appeared inevitable. With the joint Taliban/Daesh Islamist take over of Pakistan's military and nuclear assets it was only a matter of time, though whether Kashmir and India, or Israel, or one of the ports of Europe or North America would be the first nuclear targets was anyone’s guess.

While the main stream media referred to World War 3, looming, Michael knew the brutal reality was actually, World War 4, this time with Russia and China added into the mix. WW3, had proven to be the so called, war on terror, the precursor, to World War 4. The so called war on terror had involved more nations, than either of the two World Wars that preceded. Exactly as the first world war had set the stage for World war 2, The War on terror, WW3 by any other name, in which only Antarctica had not seen national military or terrorist operations. Set the stage for World War 4.

Michael mused,

Well, couldn’t WW1 and WW2, be considered the same war over all with only a break to regroup, rearm and then return to battle? Would that make this in fact, WW2?

After the death of his wife Laura, during the first, night of fires, or days of ashes as some called the month long national spasm, Michael had reenlisted. With no wife, including his ex-wife and children, killed during the terrorist actions, there was nothing else Michael could think of to do. The Army had been the one thing he had ever been really good at, it had been a no brainer.

For their part, the Army were tickled pink to have him back. Michael was determined to be " highly motivated" had been the assessment. Michael, merely felt numb, empty and vengeful. That it wasn't patriotism on his part, was the one thing all could agree on. Michael had no point, purpose, or desire outside of vengeance for his murdered family.

With Posse Comitatus suspended, Socom, special operations command had been tasked to take out both the islamist terrorists and antifa elements across the country. Which, they had attended to with a dedicated fervor. It was a covert war, initially. In reality, it was all about setting the stage for more nightmares to come. One more step on the road into apocalypse.

The use of chemical and biological weapons truly serves only to destroy an civilian population, to slaughter noncombatants and to spread fear and terror.

The use of Chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction serve no true purpose other than terror and unmitigated slaughter.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for tactical nuclear weapons. Low yield nukes, can serve definitive tactical purposes against massed forces.

During the Iraq war, Saddams cache of chemical and bio weapons were not all secured. Those not used against the Kurds and the Shia populations of Iraq made their way into Syria, to later fall into the hands of Daesh.

For years, U.S. Socom forces worked covertly trying to find, secure, and destroy those weapons of mass destruction. Despite the resulting illness and death of operators from exposure to those weapons, Unfortunately, they never found them all.

Daesh, used some of them, a few, here and there in setting up the caliphate, false flag operations blaming the Assad regime, reserving the majority for their true targets of Israel and the great satan, America. None of them were successfully deployed in the U.S. Thank GOD. Israel, became another matter. From positions in southern Lebanon and south western Syria, the unholy jihadist alliance struck. Raining chemical artillery barrages onto the Golan heights, launching bio agents aboard Iranian supplied rockets.

The Israeli Iron dome defense system worked very well. Unfortunately, Iron dome could not prevent the bio agents from being released even as they struck every rocket and shell from the sky. The debris rained down upon Israeli cities and settlements. Bringing plagues, mass deaths, and inciting Israel, to retaliate.

In return, Vengeance was launched, the Samson option, deployed.

Damascus burned, consumed by three tactical nukes, a trinity of death, rained down on the ancient city. That hell fire was followed by wave upon wave of Israeli chemical weapons, until, there was nothing left but smoking rubble, that would never be habitable again.

The world, pretended outrage, protesting Israel's response. The destruction of Damascus, along with the destruction of Russian assets and forces around Damascus sparked rioting and protests worldwide, the craziness made the Islamic spring, look like a stroll in the park comparatively.

Oddly enough very few nations or media outlets condemned Daesh for their attempted Israeli genocide. Par for the course. Ignoring the horrors wrought by the Islamists, was the status quo maintained. Business as usual in other words. So long as the oil flowed, that is all most of the world cared about.

Israel, alone, with their backs to the sea, felt no choice except to retaliate. Which, they did. Damascus and a large Russian force based there, were utterly destroyed. This event lit a fuse, the entire Islamic world lost it's mind, swearing vengeance, their collective rage embracing the Madhi, and his caliphate was born from the destruction, the beast , the wounded head, was set to astonish the world, the Russians joined their voices in protest. Turkish and Iranian forces and support gathered together, along with their Russian allies and central asian allies, to strike in fury and vengeance , via the Golan heights. All of this of course took time. Almost three years passed as the wounded beast licked its wounds gathering strength.

Israel had more tactical nukes. Miraculously they would not be used.

The alliance of the invasion of evils , was destroyed, consumed On the mountains of northern Israel. None of the forces survived.

The wrath of God, rained down. A series of coronal mass ejections, pelted the earth. Creating chaos and destruction. The skies ignited in magnificent auroras, as electro magnetic storms razed the earth. Satellites fell from the skies, electrical grids failed. Unshielded Electronic equipment, which is to say, pretty much every unshielded non military electric device ceased working. World wide earth quakes rocked the planet. The massive armies of the alliance of evil, stopped in their tracks unable to move. With no functioning electronics, the massed armies lost communications, command and control, and any ability to coordinate. Frightened Troops panicked, " friendly fire" incidents abounded, feeding the terror, inciting retaliation. The Armies destroyed themselves, battling amongst themselves, which was a blessing from GOD. Israel could not have survived had they been forced to fight the invaders. Between the devastation wrought by first, daesh, then ,what had come to be termed, Ezekiels war, Ezekiels fire, the wrath of GOD, or simply framed as the Gog Magog war.

It was estimated, that Israel would be cleaning up the dead and destroyed equipment for at least seven years. The population of carrion birds exploded astronomically.

The entire combined arms of the Russian, Iranian, Turkish expeditionary force had burned in the solar rage, the world itself, seemingly ground to a halt. World wide, the only functional elements were those hardened and shielded against the EMPs of nuclear weaponry

For a short while, the world stepped back , watching as the horrors unfolded along Israel’s mountain ranges.

No nation involved with the failed invasion had the means to wreak vengeance alone in the aftermath. This resulted in

Spasms of madness and chaos that consumed most of the Islamic world. When the dust settled, a super power had appeared, stretching from central Asia, to Kashmir, to Morocco, east Africa and Anatolia with all of the Saudi peninsula. The Madhi was proclaimed and the caliphate of the Madhi, declared world wide jihad. Everywhere the Caliphate held power, non muslims were systematically sought out, and executed. The penalty for non conversion, being death by decapitation. Israel stood alone in the midst of the madness, Surrounded on all sides, by a maniacal regime of evil intent upon the genocide of the Israeli peoples. Nukes make for wonderful deterrents even against pure evil.

Controlling the vast majority of the worlds Oil and gas, thus, the worlds economy, the caliphate quickly brought the world to its knees. Only the ruined United States, Canada, Great Britain and the Australasia/ New Zealand alliance along with a near destroyed Israel stood openly opposed to the proclaimed Mahdi... How long that could last remained to be seen. With the essential capitulation of the European union, the only way to get supplies to the besieged Israel was via submarine and or direct orbital insertion. Neither method proved to be efficient or cost effective.

It was as if the worlds political leadership had used the old Testament prophets of Isaiah and Ezekiel as a plan of action.

That being the case,

The next 7- 14 years should be extremely eventful, horrible, and destructive.

Pray that the ending of the Biblical story, is the end game here. Else,

There will likely be nothing and no one to survive.

Ashes from ashes, dust into dust...

The blood of heroes,

Turns the world into,

Rust.

That rough beast slouched onwards to be born amidst the birth pangs and tears of an anguished dying world.

†*****†

The interstate held almost no traffic. Only government and military vehicles moved freely. Civilian traffic, had essentially ceased. In some urban areas, a few bus systems, underground mass transit systems haphazardly survived , bicycles, and foot traffic had become active after the chaos of the " event", an new normal introduced itself. When lockdowns , due to a variety of engineered bio agents permitted movement that is. Of course the general collapse of the power grid, and essential eradication of the great interconnected media, the internet, and central command and control also rendered things into a systemic chaos.

Michael , looked across the near deserted I75 in Atlanta. It was seriously weird to see the interstate so deserted. From the observation post overlooking down town Michael scanned the vacant streets. A lock down due to an airborne ebola outbreak was currently in effect. Only authorized government operatives were free to move about in public.

To say this created problems would be the understatement of the past few centuries.

The U.S. Economy had ceased existing months ago. Most urban regions, reduced to ashe covered ruins from the rioting, protests, and insanity that had swept the nation. In Atlanta, only the main downtown region around the state capitol and the suburban CDC complex, and Ft McPherson, had not burned. The national guard and regular army had managed to preserve that much at least, though, the signs of damage were clearly evident. The Golden rotunda of the Capitol did not shine so brightly at the moment.

Some freight traffic moved with military escort, interstate travel had become a rare thing. What mass supplies were transported interstate traveled on heavily armed and guarded rail roads. Some Diesel trains had been engineered to work again and carried sporadic service.

When the tracks were operable that is. The United States as an cohesive whole no longer existed, the world of the 1860s had been less chaotic.

In the burned out urban areas, there was no functioning order, except, the law of the jungle, a reign of terror dominated by gangs. The Chaos caused by the birth of the Caliphate, the Reborn Islamist Ottoman and Persian empires had brought the United States to ruin. The only free trade that flowed now was within the borders of the Caliphate and Communist China. The world was effectively under the rule of the proclaimed Madhi. Those nations outside of the Madhis iron grip primarily collapsed, choked into submission by the destroyed economic order, and the Caliphates control of the clear majority of the world's oil and gas supply. Across the planet, the Madhis agents funded insurrection and jihads, with their riches. Most places were governed, when governed, by the best government corruption and caliphate funds could buy.

Stories circulated, rumors of genocidal activities within the caliphate abounded. Miraculously, Israel had survived. Terribly wounded, isolated, but functional still due to their Gas and oil sources from the Golan and the Mediterranean sea, along with a mostly intact nuclear arsenal, What survived of the U.S. Navy, Great Britains, and a devastated French naval force had helped preserve Israel’s flow of oil and gas.

Without the desperate need for those resources, Israel would have long ago ceased to exist.

The nuclear deterrent worked to preserve Israel, Though not until after most of the old Arab capitals, and Tehran, had been nuked, along with Riyadh, Dubai, Qatar, Mecca and Medina, Amman, and Alexandria.

Michael watched as a caravan of school busses, escorted by heavily armed military vehicles rolled past along I75, south bound. He counted one hundred buses. For a week now Michael had watched busses packed with people roll thru, all south bound. What few buses returned under escort heading north, were always empty. Rumors abounded, stories, whispers, dark hints. Michael had ignored that scuttlebutt until, his current post had put him in position to see the buses. Every couple of days, several hundred packed buses rolled through. This was making Michael highly uneasy.

When he had led a patrol of the freight yards, the blood stained freight cars, with empty shackles left within had disturbed him greatly, the past few days of bus traffic left a further sour taste in his mouth. Michael, glanced over at Ken, his Ranger buddy, sleeping , wrapped in a cammo woobbie, propped against a non functioning a.c. Unit on the roof top.

The two of them had expressed, dismay over the buses and empty train cars. Michael, feeling sick to his stomach, considered the implications. None of them were good.

Michael and Ken had already decided that they were going to bug out. It only remained for a clear opportunity to abandon their post without pursuit. Neither man could stomach being any part of what they had come to suspect was happening. First hand Tales of World War two, and nazi cattle cars, death camps, by his Grandfather kept playing out in his mind. Michael had been unable to sleep for days, looking at Ken, he marvelled that the former Green Beret could sleep at all.

This was clearly no longer the America, that Michael had volunteered to protect, serve and defend. What to do about it, he hadn't a clue. He only knew, he couldn't be a part of it any longer.

A rattle of automatic fire snapped his attention. On the street below, a ma Deuce, mounted on an old Humvee, hosed down the trailer behind a slow moving semi. There was no return fire from the truck, Michael watched confused, until the firing stopped along with the truck. Troops dismounted, two moving to the cab, dragging the limp body of the driver out to lay in the street, two opened the rear doors of the trailer.

Children flooded out of the bullet riddled trailer. Children that the troops opened fire on. Michael was stunned by what he saw. Sighting through his scope, he fired , and the M2 gunner slumped. Ken leapt awake in time to see Michael fire two more rounds dropping the two troops at the rear of the trailer.

" What the fuck are you doing? " Ken cried out, trying to wrestle the rifle from Michaels hands. They scuffled until Michael relented. "What the flying fuck man! " Ken screamed into Michaels face. Michael began telling Ken what he had seen. " No fucking way! " Ken declared as he moved to the spotting scope to survey the scene. Moments later, Ken was firing his rifle as well. Seconds had passed. There were now six dead troopers, below them, and crying children, the bleeding, wounded survivors scrambling out of the truck in full flight. Michael and Ken moved out, abandoning their observation post, moving down the stairs inside the building, to emerge on the street two city blocks from the bullet scarred semi and now still Humvee. Moving cover to cover, they approached the vehicles. The sounds of crying and screaming children haunting them. By the time they had approached, and cleared the Humvee, securing the weapons of the now dead troops. Those children that could run, had. Those that remained, were best left unseen. .50 caliber rounds tend to make a mess. No one left in the truck was alive. Michael and Ken climbed in moving through, checking body after body for survivors. There were none. Those that could, had fled. What remained was best left unsaid, unseen, unknown.

Ken moved to the Humvee, checking it over until he had found the gps tracking device and transponder and removed it. Michael manned the turret, and they evacuated the scene. The when of their desertion, clearly if suddenly determined. The where and the what the fuck remained to be sorted out. As the humvee moved through the deserted streets, the men remained silent, each contemplating what had just occurred. They avoided the interstate taking surface streets, moving as covertly, as they could, until, three hours later, they were moving through what remained of Roswell. Shermans march had done far less damage than what currently remained. Driving thru the remnants of Roswell then north around Cumming, they followed old Hwy 9 north into Dawsonville.

The town, looked abandoned. It was not a burnt and wrecked ruin, it was intact, eerily empty. In fact, everything they had passed through along Hwy 9 had been empty, though Roswell and Cumming had been burned, trashed and destroyed, Dawsonville appeared abandoned, an empty town devoid of any sign of the presence of people. Michael and Ken continued searching the empty town. During the hours long journey they had discussed where they would go. As deserters, they had a rather bleak future if apprehended, they also knew that highway travel was supremely dangerous, problematic.

They stopped near the Nascar museum, in Dawsonville, where they ditched the humvee, which was nearly out of fuel anyway. between raiding local shops, devoid of people they managed to assemble a respectable kit. Tent, sleeping bags, back packs, canteens, even some veterinary antibiotics from a feed store. A variety of freeze dried foods, they skulked around town gathering supplies. In the museum parking lot, banners proclaimed a car show. Sure enough a variety of hot rods and classic cars were assembled. From the look of things, the people had abruptly left, leaving everything behind. Ken felt queasy as he guessed where, the people had gone. He and Michael had watched the convoys of guarded school busses headed through Atlanta. The people had been " relocated" into fema centers, put together in south Georgia and North Florida. Concentration camps by any other name.

After some time, looking, lightly bickering, they settled on a modified 4X4 suburban they spotted in the side lot. Then, procuring siphons, they gathered gasoline from every vehicle which had any. They managed to top off both tanks of the suburban. The question of where to go remained. They decided that the best option may well be, the Appalachian trail, which began at Amicalola falls state park which was not that far away. The trail, should be vacant, there were shelters along the trail, and hopefully, no people. North into the mountains was the obvious route. Traveling the trail would give them plenty of time to clear their minds and make viable plans, while moving covertly. Far simpler to vanish into the mountain forests than deal with the urban remains. Driving along hwy 52, west, they cruised in the darkness, creeping along slowly with no head lights or running lights on. Following the highway signs to Amicalola falls. It took them an entire night of travel, between creeping slowly in the dark, avoiding aerial patrols, to travel from Dawsonville to the State park.

The park was closed down. The main Pass gate closed chained and locked. There was no sign of people anywhere, which had made both men increasingly uneasy. After minor debate, Michael rammed the gateway with the suburban. They entered the abandoned park and campgrounds. Ken jumped out and jury rigged the pass gate , trying to make it look still closed and locked.

Luckily, theirs was not the only vehicle on site. So, it wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb.

Putting their kit together, they each carried one M-14 rifle slung and one M-4 carbine rifle at ready arms. Along with all of the ammunition they had secured from the Humvee and dead troopers , they plodded along beginning the ascent, along the trail.

Michael laughed as they paced along, " Well, I have always wanted to hike the trail. Just never imagined anything like this situation" Ken shook his head, chuckling in agreement.

Strange how ethereal the early morning mists made the well maintained trail. Setting a steady ground devouring pace, the two men moved out into the unknown.

†*****†

There was nothing unusual about that Sunday evening, aside from a late afternoon thunderstorm, The evening service held only a few diehards. The late summer thunderstorms that had rolled in had kept most members and their families home. Next weekend, the following sunday would be homecoming.

The yearly church social gathering. A veritable feast of home cooking and southern delights when the friends and extended families of the small mountain methodist church gathered in fellowship, joy and remembrance. Thank merciful GOD that the darkness descended before then.

The small church, just over a hundred years old, rough timbered , hand built , trembled, the windows rattled, The power had been out for awhile now, after the flash event and the windows were open wide to catch the cool evenings breeze.

What the few parishioners had mistaken for the rumblings of thunder, and the effects of the summer Storm, proved to be quite a different thing entirely.

It was a storm alright, a storm straight from hell.

The main doors, twin hand carved antique chestnut beauties, exploded into kindling that sprayed throughout the interior. Every member was hit with bits and pieces of the flying debris. Men in black military type uniforms, rushed in through the shattered doors, some crashing through the open windows. In seconds, the new comers had entered and began issuing instructions, barking orders to the terrified church members. One stalwart parishioner upon realizing the lack of any visible insignia, drew his concealed pistol and fired upon the armed men at the rear of the building. There was an abrupt cacophony of subdued return fire from the uniformed men. In seconds every church attendee lay dead, or dying from the focussed firepower of the uniformed men. A few more seconds and the men, were moving, checking the fallen for weapons. Firing short suppressed bursts into the survivors. triple taps, two to the chest, one to the head. Ensuring that there were no survivors, no witnesses. not that there had been a plan for their to be any witnesses. Some of the men sprayed painted slogans and symbols on the walls, and pastors podium. They left, exfiltrating as quickly as they had arrived. Five specially blacked out Blackhawks were reboarded and took flight. Less than five minutes had passed from the moment the doors had exploded until they were back inflight.

An even two dozen church members lay dead, along with the pastor and choir leader that had been playing the piano as the church had sang hymns, praising GOD.

The church, had fallen dark, and empty. One might even say, as silent as the grave.

Similar scenes played out across the Bible belt, over the coming days. surviving , isolated small town churches were hit, parishioners murdered, the martyrs left where they had fallen. Only those small conservative churches which had resisted the evacuation and resettlement orders had been targeted to be made example of. At each target, left behind were slogans, leftist anarchist symbols, nazi and Islamist terror declarations. Though the actual perpetrators had been neither.

The following morning, national outrage ruled. The mourning and anger were as directed, nation wide. Precisely in accords with the objective. The frightened people demanded action! The authorities must do something! Just as had been planned.

The president, declared a new national emergency, martial law was imposed. Public gatherings more heavily restricted, extensive travel restrictions, lock downs. The vast majority of people, obeyed without question. An illusion of peace and safety, even though, there was no peace and certainly no safety.

Some however, did question. By the end of the week word had circulated that the terror scenes had played out across the nation in a coordinated action. This was regarded as rumors, labeled as false news and written off as conspiracy theories by the media mouth pieces.

A few, understood that it had been an organized operation, that Islamist terrorists and Marxist anarchists could not have possibly organized, let alone pulled off such a coordinated attack. The smart ones, kept their mouths shut, quietly they set about hiding firearms, ammo, food in hidden caches. Students of history, they recognized patterns, Most, Bible believers, took it as a warning of things to come. A few foolishly voiced doubts publicly, questioning the official narrative, challenging the obvious false flag operations. Those vocal few quickly vanished. Dissent was not to be tolerated, inconvenient questions were not to be asked, lest the lies be revealed.

Surprisingly, most Americans complied with the martial law orders, the lockdowns. The reborn internet, under central federal control, tolerated no questions, allowed no dissent. The few main stream media that had come back on all complied with the official narrative. Even so, it was astounding how quickly that narrative warped and changed.The U.S. Was left devastated and divided, essentially non functional as a society.

In an disingenuous act of charity The Caliphate forgave the great Satan, publicly at least. Money and emergency relief supplies trickled into the states. Most of the funds found their way into corrupt politicians, their lackeys, and their masters pockets. The media, uncle sams propaganda agency, greatly exaggerated the so called aid. making mountains of the mole hills. Meanwhile, The media and internet began being reborn , changing the narrative. At first, the " blame" had been lain at the feet of marxist anarchists and islamist terrorists. It didn't take long for the media sources to forget that story, replacing it with another boogey man. The true threat to the corrupt power mongers.

So called racist rightwing fanatics, closet fascists, were the new targets, the new enemy of the state. The new narrative named conservative Christians, right to lifers, constitutionalists, in reality, most of small town America, enmasse was viewed as the targeted enemy.

The warnings of last days, Gods wrath, played into the corrupts hands a ready made propaganda in and of itself. Warnings of Gods judgement and wrath were reframed as prayers for and acts of horror world wide.

Anyone that spoke out about constitutional violations or rights, was labeled an extremist. All who questioned the legitimacy of the state response, began to disappear. The true enemy had been revealed. Born again, Bible believers had been termed as the enemy, labeled fascist terrorists while being the innocent victims. Corrupt Governments tend to act in an narcissistic manner. Gaslighting, manipulating the masses. Following the classic leftist model, every heinous crime the corrupt operatives committed, they in turn publicly blamed their targeted victims of.

A new world order had rapidly emerged arising even as the fires still smoldered. The old world, broken and smashed had birthed an hideous beast to replace the former arrangement of powers.

Monday morning arrived, the gray dawn bore witness to cries of outrage, grief, dismay, and rage. There was no national coverage of the small town horrors per se , but, each local station did cover the local events. Not a word in any public forum, indicated the national extent of the murders. The local survivors, mourned, and buried their dead. Each community carefully isolated by travel bans and information controls, that were strictly enforced.

Some few, a remnant, quietly vanished over the next few nights. They simply up and walked away from the small towns and the urban disaster zones, disappearing into the wilds. In Florida, the thousand islands on the south western coastal region was a primary objective. Elsewhere, people simply walked away. Overall, those that fled into the mountains, swamps, and wilderness, were a tiny minority.

Those that delayed, were trapped, locked down, patrolled and watched closely. Firmly in the power of the new order.

Everywhere, Christians and Those that asked questions were targeted, blamed for the death destruction. Persecution had begun . It was a time of great, chaotic, tribulations.

†*****†

The late summer thunderstorms crashed amongst the mountains. Michael and Ken, sheltered in one of the hostel service shelters, established for those adventurous hikers on the trail. This section of the trail wandered near a small mountain town, with specialty shops, shops that served the needs of hikers on the trail. Three days before they had crossed into North Carolina, moving north. There was no sign of the people that had once lived and played throughout the area. The shops, and vacant hostels were not looted. The people had seemingly abandoned the small town, shops, restaurants, diners, left unlocked. The goods untouched. It was an eerie scenes, like something out of post apocalypse horror movies only, no bodies, no zombies, as if the people had simply vanished. Both Mike and Ken felt sure they had more than a clue as to what had happened. Taking care to leave no trace of their passing the two men gathered extensive supplies, Both ecstatic to find very nice examples, upscale versions of military jungle hammock/ shelters. No more crashing under the half shelters and ranger rolls they had been carrying. Ken eyed the bicycle shop, after some serious thought and discussion, they decided not to acquire bicycles. Though, the camping trailer Ken had spied out, designed to be towed by a bicyclist, held some intriguing possibilities. They liberated it from the shop display, Ken set about adapting it to be easily rigged to his ,and or mikes LBE vests. Once secured, the trailer towed easily behind, the man, hands free and with the quick release buckles, easily dropped in a hurry if need be. They could carry a great deal more supplies with this. Mike scrounged through the shops, securing freeze dried meals, snacks, all the food they could carry in their packs and on the trailer. Though, he was careful to leave no trace of his passing. In no case were any shop shelves emptied. There was still no clear destination in mind, no agreed upon plan other than an unspoken plan to avoid people. They had traveled nearly a full week, in near silence. Neither man had spoken of what had led them to this situation. There’s a type of bond, that forms between brothers, Ranger buddies, even more so than battle buddies, Ranger buddies that are also battle buddies, sometimes no words are needed, action is carried out almost instinctively, reflexively.

Both had been wrapped in their own thoughts. Ken, absorbing , digesting the events of the last months, observing his friend with concern. Mike never stayed withdrawn and silent. This was new territory for him. Ken worried that things may have gotten somewhat unpredictable.

Through all of the madness, Michael had been Kens rock, steady, stable, the only thing left in this world Ken held any faith or trust in while everything around them had been coming undone.

Michael had begun a running conversation in his head, talking with GOD, as if GOD was listening. A childhood of sunday school and Bible believing grandparents, had instilled a core belief, a distant hope, that had been left behind after his teen years.

He had enlisted on his 17th birthday. The next few years gave him an new world view and concept of reality. Michael had seen no evidence of a merciful God in Africa, or the Balkans. The only evidence he had seen, spoke of the evil and depravity of humans. Michael carried no conviction of heaven, but, he held a firm belief in hell, having walked there a few times in person.

Deep inside however, a still small voice spoke to him. Memories of sunday school, of the last days hysteria that had swept the churches in his childhood. Problem was, there had been no rapture, no sudden vanishings into the clouds, The Roman empire had not returned, no proclaimed antichrist, no one world government or religion, none of the various theories that had been popular themes were evident. The end of the world, or, at the least, the collapse of civilization was either in progress or imminent. likely both! The Apocalypse, evidently had not began as of yet.

Not clearly knowing why, or consciously thinking about it, Michael had picked up an King James 1611 Bible from a abandoned Christian bookstore back in Dawsonville. By the third night on the trail, he had begun to read from it, nightly and when ever they stopped to rest or eat their scant provisions. Growing up, his grandfather had repeatedly told him, the only light and truth, the only hope, was within that Book.

Michael was desperately searching for what his Grandpa had claimed was there. Some hope, to combat this empty aching despair that filled him. Remembering both his Father and Grandfathers examples, Michael had begun an silent inner conversation with GOD,

What began as a wtf! And list of angry complaints had, morphed into questions, and become a sort of habitual one sided conversation that kept his mind occupied as they traveled. Ken watched this, without comment, keeping his thoughts to himself.

Michael had worked his way through the pentateuch, the first five books of Moses and his way through the Psalms of David. Some of the laments he could deeply identify with. Lamentations, Ezekiel, Isaiah and Daniel, spoke to him though he honestly was not sure what it was they had to say.

Disturbing dreams had become a nightly normal. Dreams that left him unsettled, every morning. Dreams that became a large part of the subject matter of his ongoing inner monologue with GOD.

One theme had become clear. Suffering, pain, sacrifice, betrayal, had been at least as common in Biblical days as in current days. Job had been depressing, Michael found plenty of misery there, though he still held a faint hope, for the comfort, the peace, the hope his Grandfather had spoken of. That hope was fading as he read. How had Noah, Joseph, Moses, Job, all held onto faith with the horrors their life had been? That had become a central question for Michael.

Plodding along, Michael had some faith in his grandfather even if he doubted GOD cared. So, he continued to read, and to talk to the God he was neither sure was there, or if he was, that he cared.

Despair tormented Michaels heart. He moved forward only by instinct.

†*********************†

The creek was bitter cold. John, watched out as the boys horsed around, while cleaning off the sweat and grime, washed their socks, and clothing amongst the tumbled rocks of the creek. Six teenage boys, 15-18 yrs old, could be an unruly handful. Six badly frightened, exhausted, and beyond stressed teens, was a nightmare. Thomas, pretentious jack ass that he was attempted officiate, barking demands at the boys, which, the boys promptly ignored. Now and again the youngest boys glanced towards John, for instruction, or directions.

The church camping group, had been on the Appalachian trail themselves when the fires had come. With no contact with the shambles of the outside world, the group, were unaware of what had happened to their world at large. What they did know was, cel phones, tablets, gps, all simply shut down, they quit working entirely. The earth quakes had shook them a bit, and the nightly Auroras were spectacular. When they had trekked back to the parking area, the situation was traumatic. None of the vehicles worked, everything was closed down, abandoned, and , there were the bodies of the Park service personnel and some fellow park visitors to tell the tale. They gathered everything useful they could scrounge, blankets, water bottles etc they could find, even breaking into the snack and soda machines, taking the various drinks and snacks they held they then retreated back onto the trail. John had decided that they would hike the trail, and hunker down in one of the trail shelters until they could think of what else to do or rescue arrived. Distant smoke on the horizon spoke of massive urban fires, John decided that their best course of action was to give it a day or two, he left a note for any rescue teams that may come along and led them back up the path to the trail. The boys were quiet and subdued. Fear clearly shadowed their eyes. Thus they found themselves, a week later, hungry, filthy, frightened, cleaning up in the ice cold creek, some trying to tickle the small trout and Bream So they could eat. Some rinsing filthy clothing , all trying to stay cool in the muggy heat.

No one had been watching the trail itself. The appearance of two, uniformed, armed men, obviously some sort of soldiers startled them. Whooping in relief the boys , thinking it a rescue team rushed the two men, who quickly dropped behind tree cover, pointing wicked looking rifles at the boys, and barking orders to back off or else. The boys halted haphazardly, some throwing themselves to the ground, Thomas yelped, crying out loudly" Don't shoot! We're unarmed! We need help! " John took to cover amongst the over sized rocks and boulders that framed the creek, dragging those boys he could reach, roughly down with him.

Ken called halt from his movement position on point, his right hand upraised, closed fist. He had moved to the edge of the cleared trail, taking a knee amongst the brush and branches along the edge. Silently, Mike, followed suit, moving to the opposite edge from Kens position.

Ken pointed to his eyes, then his ears, then gestured towards the sound of a distant stream down hill from the trail.

Mike then heard what had alerted Ken, laughter, distant sporadic laughter amongst the streams faint murmuring. Ken moved further into the brush, and began to slowly belly crawl towards the sounds after quietly wriggling out of his pack and the gear he carried. Rifle ready Ken crawled silently along the ground.

Mike, shrugging off his heavy load, leaving his pack and the trailer behind as he quickly moved into to an overwatch position on the oposte side of the trail from Ken, to try and provide covering fire should Ken have need, or quickly react to a possible ambush. Rule one when ambushed, attack the ambush. Immediate violence of action in response was the best tactic. Eyes scanning, Mike scanned the clock, looking for tracks, any sign of movement. That was when the silence registered. A cold chill flooded his stomach, nothing good ever happened when the forrest was silent. Controlling his breathing, Mike kept overwatch. Ken moved excruciatingly slowly, silently, until from beside a big hickory tree he found an observation position. After a few minutes and an odd, confused head shake, Ken began moving back towards Mike. Using silent hand signals to report what he had observed. Mike was a bit confused and concerned by Kens report. While Ken retrieved his pack and equipment, Mike moved and reacquired his as well, then Ken once more took point as they moved back up trail, along the direction they had come from. A Good ten minutes travel, and stepping up hill, off the trail, the Two Rangers dropped their load, took a knee and softly discussed the situation.

A group of more than a dozen, apparently teen, boys, accompanied by two adult males, noisily moved, played, performing chores of a sort along the Creek bed below. No weapons in sight, no guards or overwatch posted. The two Men contemplated what to do. Once they Reached a consensus, they began moving out. Now moving openly and a bit noisily moving back towards the boys along the trail. Fifteen minutes and they were looking down, directly from the trail, at the boys scattered, scampering along the creek bed below. Up hill, to their right, a shelter showed signs of occupancy. Mike and Ken stood quietly in the open, waiting to be noticed. It was clear, these were not tangoes or bandits. Why exactly, along with who, what where etc. Would soon be addressed.

One boy looked up, eyes wide he cried out warning of the two silent heavily armed men. One of the adults, a tall black man swept the nearest boy to him up, and moved behind cover of the smooth worn river rocks of the shallow falls. The other adult, a much shorter, thickly built man stood , frozen, staring up. Some of the boys copied the tall adults actions seeking cover among the large tumbled rocks, most however, froze in fear and stared.

Mike could see no weapons, no evidence of such in sight. He slowly unslung his rifle, placing it gently on the ground at his feet. Ken made no move, standing quietly rifle at ready arms. Mike stood straight, extending empty hands, to show he meant no harm, that there was no threat speaking in a calm clear voice " Hello there" .

That triggered action amongst the boys who began to point and call out " John, John look! "

After a few moments John stood up, stepping out from the cover of the rocks. The other man stood still frozen in place staring in obvious fear.

One of the boys, noticed the uniforms, " look, its the army! We are rescued! " John warily studied the two men. A moment longer, " Hello, are you looking for us? We could use your help. " gesturing at the scattered boys.

Ken grunted, letting his hand drop away from his rifle, as Mike replied, " What are you doing up here? "

"We were camping and hiking, " John gestured at the boys, " We are a church youths group, then the sky went crazy and everything electronic quit working, we hiked back to our parking area, and it was a mess. None of the cars would start even though they had plenty of gas, and there were some bodies, people killed, we were scared and ran back to the shelter to wait for rangers, rescuers or y'all. " John gestured in the direction of the shelter , then at Mike and Ken as he finished. Around him, the boys gathered staring at the two soldiers.

Ken pursed his lips saying nothing as Mike absorbed the story. Covertly, Mike signaled Ken , using hand signals, Ken nodded once then backed away, turning to carefully approach and look over the shelter and camp site. Mike remained standing, quietly assessing the scene below, the dynamics of the boys behavior, their interaction and the way the group looked to the man, John, marked him out as the groups leader.

"Hooahh, clear." Kens voice called from up hill. Mike gestured at John addressing him " Would you come up and talk with me? How long have you guys been up here? Have you seen anyone else? " John nodded, scrambling up the hill, telling his group to stay in place, keep together. And, to run, scatter if anything bad happens. John figured he really didn't have a choice but to comply with Mikes, request. A feeling of cold apprehension caused his knees to feel weak, trembling as he hurried up the mountain side, to the cleared, leveled area of the trail, Mike slowly retrieved his rifle, shoulder slinging it as he stepped back onto the trail. Ken reappeared, silently making hand gestures while keeping in an overwatch position where he could see both, John, and the group, now huddled along the creek bank. The other adult, collapsed , taking seat on a mossy stone as the boys gathered around him at the creeks bank.

John cleared the top, moving onto the trail, hands open, kept away from his side. " Hello there, my name is John, " he declared, extending his right hand, Mike studied the man, scanning him up and down before extending his own hand, " Howdy, I am Mike, " pointing towards Ken with a bob of his head, " that’s Ken. " "We were on patrol, when we heard y'all, and stopped to investigate." John looked Mike over then grasped his outstretched hand, " Pleased to meet you. " they shook hands, Mike took a knee, waving at John to join him. " We have a lot to talk about. " Ken maintained his position, trying to watch everyone at once while Mike and John talked quietly for a moment, Then John called back to his waiting group, " It's okay come on up lets get to the shelter. " The boys began a haphazard scramble with accompanied horse play as they moved towards the log shelter. Ken watched, a mildly amused smile as the group crossed the trail heading up the path to the shelter. The other man, disappointed Ken with his hiding in the midst of the group of boys and refusal to openly even look towards Ken. Mike and John had resumed their conversation, with nods, gestures, and an occasional " You have to be kidding! " exclamation from John. None of what Mike had to impart, was anything like anything that John had expected, as Mike explained the unreal nightmare aspects of recent events. Mike filled John in on what had been going on in the outside world over the last two and a half weeks. John listened, with a stunned sense of doom settling in. Apocalyptic, barely described the nightmare that the world had become. Ken returned , towing the trailer with both their packs secured to the trailer as Mike had finished his narrative. John was shook, the news of , no possible rescue, and the busses, and freight cars with shackles was nearly unbelievable.

†*****†

Let those with wisdom calculate the number of the beast...

Chi-Xi-Stigma:

John relayed how he had become a believer and youth pastor, as the four men sat around the fire pit. Three of the oldest boys had been tasked to watch the trail and one as firewatch, for the early night shift .

" One day I noticed the greek characters for 666 in an old mans interlinear study Bible. I had been talking to him about the koran and allah when I noticed this text in greek, chi, xi, stigma, which looked remarkably like the bismillah, the arabic phrase, in the name of allah. I became very excited, there in the text, it proclaimed allah! "

John paused to take a drink of water from his canteen. Mike looked on with eyebrows raised. He actually felt chills down his spine.

John Continued, " I tried to point this out to the old preacher man, drawing out the arabic for the bismillah with my finger in the dust at my feet.

The old man went wide eyed and took a long, deep, drawn out breath

While I excitedly tried to show him his Bible proclaimed allah before Mohammed had.

Shaking his head the old preacher sadly spoke, " Son, those characters, in the greek, mean 666, the number of the beast, the number of his name: you just told me, that the number and name of the beast, the antichrist, is allah, proving the god of the koran is not the god of the Bible. You just declared that the god of the koran is, the antichrist! Do you understand what that implies? "

" I was shocked, I tried to argue against that statement. The old pastor then began asking about the mahdi, what he does, what he says, and as I answered him he replied point by point from his Bible. Each point in his Bible that matched with the Hadith of the Madhi was a description of the evil one, the antichrist. I was most distressed by this, this conversation had gone off the rails and journeyed into unexpected realms. I didn't know how to answer him. It was hard to believe what he said and showed me. In the end, I could not deny it or refute it. Sometime after midnight he led me in the sinners prayer and, I joined his church the next day, where I have been every since. I publicly renounced islam and Mohamed, accepting and declaring for Yeshua Ha Messiach, Jesus Christ, as the son of GOD... "

Mike leaned back taking in what John had said. " can you show me those Bible references he used? " John disappeared into the shelter, returning with his Bible, " Certainly! "

John then went through texts from Isaiah , Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Zephaniah, Matthew, And Revelations along a sluagh of others that Mike lost count of. Ken was intrigued, listening intently, and very disturbed. Both he and Mike had spent tours in the sandbox, dealing with, interacting with, Islamic militants, terrorists and their rhetoric, the graffiti, the head bands they often wore. Once John had gone through the Biblical texts, Ken began asking questions, as the two of them talked, Mike silently rose up and walked away into the Darkness, he needed to think, to process what he had just heard.

Finding a rock outcrop overlooking the trail, Mike leaned against it , soon he was having another of his internal conversations with, to, and about GOD and everything he now knew. Or thought he knew at least. After turning it all over a few times a terrible certainty settled onto his heart.

Tears filled his eyes, as he took a knee. Bowed his head and for the first time since childhood began to honestly, brokenly, pray to GOD.

Mike could not deny the things he had seen with his own eyes, nor could he ignore the literal text of the Bible. The only thing that made any sense, was, that this was in fact the Apocalypse.

Nothing had happened in the manner that Hal Lyndsey or the Left Behind books and movies had prepared them for. Consequently, everyone, believer and non believer as well had been caught completely unaware as the prophetic events apparently played out.

Some time passed, with Mike remaining in prayer, with the deep blue and green aurora flamed over head fading into a heralding of dawn. Michael stood, turned and made his way back to the shelter and the still sleeping group. Ken, having remained on watch greeted him as, he entered into the clearing holding the Bible he had been reading , Ken called out " Mornin bud! Welcome back! Wondered where you were off too." Mike was not fooled, he had been fully aware of Kens spying eyes several times through the dark night, as Ken looked on, checking up on Mike, " hah, what’s this? You can read??? When did you learn to read? " Mike exclaimed Ken thumped the Bible closed " last night" he quipped with a lazy smirk.

The two friends observed each other, there was something different about each of them, tangible differences, attitudes, even the manner they carried themselves. Ken had an open smile as did Mike, both men looked alive, rather than like taciturn stone faced mannequins.

John poked his head out of the log shelter, watching the two men talk for a moment, noticed the Bible in Kens hand, Then quietly backed away leaving them alone to talk undisturbed. John settled back onto his inflated air mattress, smiling, with a silent prayer of thanks giving.

The full sunrise brought sleepy eyed boys tumbling out of the shelter. Mike and Ken were making breakfast. Pancakes, reconstituted scrambled eggs ( don't cringe, tabasco covers many sins ,including green army eggs) and Coffee brewing. John emerged from the shelter,following his nose. Mike poured and proffered a cup of coffee to John, " Mornin... " John smiled as he accepted the warm cup " Thanks, wasn't expecting this... " he waved his hand at the stack of pancakes and platter of lightly green insta eggs.

Raising his voice after taking a sip of the very strong coffee John called out to the Boys, " Alright guys, lets roll up your, sleeping bags, get camp straight, then we can feast. "

The boys scrambled about, laughing, clearing up and organizing for the day. Breakfast was waiting, teen aged boys were ruled by their stomachs and raging hormones. Mike and Ken watched in silent approval at the manner in which John managed the herd in his charge.

" Wheres your friend? " Ken asked John after a few minutes. The other adult had yet to appear from the shelter. John snorted, " Probably still trying to sleep. " Ken laughed, " he best rise and shine before the herd eats it all" John laughed along, " Would serve him right. " Mike quirked an eyebrow at the interplay. He thought that he would really need to pay attention to the other guy. Something just wasn't sitting right there. From the first, Mike had felt a need to keep the guy in sight, and was constantly taking notice of where he was. The dude never seemed to do much other than sit around, issue orders to the boys and complain about all of the little things, discomforts while he watched others busy themselves. This was not setting well with either Ken or Mike, John was also obviously a bit aggravated. This could be a potential problem.

john called the boys to gather around the fire ring and led them in a brief morning prayer, thanking GOD for the day, the food, and new friends. Mike and ken joined in the prayer, with the Amen, John clapped his hands " Alright gang y'all know the drill. Line up" the boys arranged themselves by age, youngest first, lining up. Ken chuckled " I have seen boots way less disciplined. Good work there John. " Breakfast was served. In short order, there was nothing left. The other man had yet to emerge from the shelter. After they had finished breakfast, they followed John down to the stream, to clean up their metal camp plates and the cast iron griddles.

†*****†

The crowd gathered outside the gymnasium, was out of control. The Police and Guard were vastly outnumbered. Which is to say,

They were doing nothing to stop the mob, disperse or control it. For some reason, the site commander had ordered all of the double doors chained and locked. The few single doors exiting the building, blocked and barricaded.

Inside the gymnasium, three hundred men, women ,children, old, young, infants, were terrified of the insanity outside. There were a few guards posted inside, at each entrance, which gave them a thin veneer of a sense of safety.

The mob screamed epithets, calling the people in the middle school gymnasium horrible names, racists, fascists, and other evil epithets. Waving signs, with marxist, anarchist, slogans, a variety of marxist and anarchist flags, along with a smattering of BLM banners, the great majority of the gathered mob, were in fact privileged upper middle class folks, twenties to thirties in age. College educated, enraged, consumed with an insane blood lust. Everything wrong in the world was those people insides fault!

Their conservative fascism, capitalism, racism had destroyed the world, their religion, had been the bane of every free people, enslaving millions, and now, in this crisis, they claimed that their God, was in control, their God, was judging the world and pouring out bowls of wrath, causing the chaos, famines, suffering.

These despicable people were sub human, parasites that must be eradicated. They stood in the way of progress, of the next level of evolution, they called for repentance, to turn away from sin, to love and honor God, they dared to call most of what the mob declared as their right, their pleasures, evil. This could not be tolerated any longer.

The mob surged, rocks, fireworks thrown at the police, guard and building. When the first Molotov cocktail burst in flames next to the building, the site commander ordered the police and guard to withdraw.

The police and national guard regrouped in the discount retail super center parking lot a few blocks away. What Fire dept equipment that worked, along with personnel, were already assembled there. In a strange irony, the small towns entire volunteer force along with their local, city police officers, were all inside the Gymnasium. The vast majority of the violent mob, were not locals. They had been bussed in, many paid, to protest these evil fascist rednecks.

The State police stood, and watched from afar,

As the mob hurled rocks, bricks, fireworks, molotov cocktails at the school gymnasium. When the frightened people inside, began to see and smell the smoke, and flames appeared along the ceilings they panicked, stampeding , desperately trying to get out of the burning building. Better to risk the mob than to burn alive. They could not as they discovered, the doors chained and locked , the fire exits barricaded, blocked.

The frightened group screamed, cried for help, for rescue, only GOD could hear them, the mobs cacophony, drowned out the cries of terror, the screams of burning, dying people.

The building burned. The mob continued raging, hurling more molotov cocktails, fuel and oil cans, anything flammable, onto the inferno.quickly the fire spread, to the library, and cafeteria buildings. Soon the entire school was engulfed. The mob celebrated, elated by their victory over their oppressors. The fire department, police and guard watched from afar. Only after the entire school complex had been destroyed, burned, did the mob begin to disperse. Peacefully smashing windows, looting stores, the super center, then boarding the busses that had brought them, to return from wherever they had been gathered from. The fire department watched, not moving towards the burned school until after the last bus pulled out of the parking lot, only then, did the state police allow them to respond to the fires. Nearly half of the deployed police officers, had already left, simply walking away leaving guns, badges, patches behind ,thrown down in dismay and disgust. The Guard had evacuated hours earlier. Those that remained, appeared numb, quiet, broken. dismayed, yet, they stayed.

†*†**†*†*†**†**†*†**†*†

"Run! Stay low, don't look back!" Sheila waved the crying terrified kids towards the wooded area behind the school. Eddie struggled to hold up the steel grate cover of the catch basin while Sheila helped drag children from the catch basin. They had crawled through the drainage system concrete pipes in their effort to escape from the surrounded and burning school. Sheila and eddie were both tall gangly teens that had scarcely fit through the underground pipes. None of the adults left behind could fit, or wiggle through the drainage pipes. As the last crying child climbed up out of the catch basin, Sheila scurried around to try and take some of the weight of the load off of the struggling Eddie. She could not, Eddie lost traction and went down beneath the grate, trapped in the catch basin still. The loud clang drew attention from some of the people milling around the back of the gymnasium. As they called and pointed, Sheila ran away, following the smaller children into the woods, they quickly disappeared into the early evening shadows. Eddie scrunched around and wriggled back inside the main drain pipe. Backing his way deeper into the dark shadows of the pipes.

Sheila caught up a frightened toddler, and balancing the child on her hip, she directed the rest to follow her. She led them deeper into the woods, then along a shallow creek bed, some times crawling in the ankle deep stream to avoid being spotted. Back at the rear, edge of the schools field, several black hooded and masked people stood around the catch basin, pointing flash lights and seeing nothing but an empty basin. After one meager attempt at lifting the heavy grate, to no avail, they turned away, returning to the screaming mob that surrounded the school buildings. Eddie remained hidden, undiscovered in the depth of the pipes, safely hidden. He fell into a deep exhausted sleep after laying quietly in place for almost an hour.

Sheila and the seven young children crept along the creek bed, staying out of sight of the rioting crowds. Moving upstream, away from the town and the burning school.

Ken studied the smoke, from the burning school to the due east of the trail, the trail side overlook, provided too good of a view. He had watched the distant goings on for most of the day. Spotting scopes were meant for spotting things after all weren't they? From his vantage point, he looked down, over a town, the conglomeration of school busses had drawn his attention, then the gathering of commercial buses in the wally world parking lot,caught his notice. He had watched as the crowd grew around the school. Entranced, helpless, Ken watched the crowd grow into a mob and the mob work itself into a frenzy. The Molotov cocktails and subsequent withdrawal of police and guard personnel, went as he had suspected it would. Ken witnessed the mobs frenzy ,and the burning of the school. The unexpected sight had been the young woman or girl leading children into the wooded region that bordered the cleared fields around the school.

Ken observed as the flames grew into an intense fury, no one emerged from the burning building. As the fires died some of the rambunctious mobsters, began surrounding, rocking to and fro the school buses, flipping many onto their side in the front lot of the burning school. When a group from the mob, began to work their way into the wooded area, Ken knew he had to do something. Using the small mirror he carried Ken signaled to Mike. A few minutes passed and Mike along with John walked up to the overlook where Ken had been watching from.

" What’s up? " John warily asked of Ken, the look on Kens face showed that something was terribly wrong. Mike had noticed the distant smoke plumes and was scanning the source through his rifle scope. Ken waved his hand towards the burning school below them. Explaining what he had observed. Mike listened while closely, scanning through his scope. " How can we help them? " were the only words John spoke aloud. Ken, wanted to head down to ambush the few that appeared to be searching for the girl and the kids. If they had air assets, getting to them would be no problem. The situation being as it is, several miles, on foot, overland, through old growth forests, mountains, it could easily take a day just to reach the valley floor. There was nothing they could really do save, watch.

However, Rangers do not watch, Rangers, lead the way.

Mike and Ken discussed possibilities. Thankfully, the pursuit was called off before the mob found the kids. Once it was determined that the kids were working their way up stream, and into the national forest, the options for action became obvious. All three men prayed that what could be done would not be, too little, too late.

Mike and Ken discussed movement routes, coms, etcetera. With no working radio or phones, they were reduced to line of site, hand mirrors, and morse code. John returned to the shelter, to retrieve some equipment and supplies. When John returned, Ken had unpacked, and was reorganizing his pack. John dropped the sleeping bag with supplies next to john, Mike continued to scan, trying to track the kids movements. So far, they appeared to be following the creek, up stream. Ken elected to head down hill, directly to the creek, and would follow it until he found the kids. They preselected some signal positions for Ken to pause at, sites with clear line of site to the overlook ,so that Mike may give movement directions, and instructions to Ken.

Ken packed up MREs, water, first add supplies and moved out directly down hill through the heavy brush. Mike stayed in place as overwatch. Ken moved as quickly as he could manage without falling. After a good hour, with no let up Ken reached an upper region of the creek then began following it down stream, eyes wide open to spot the fleeing kids.

Some time later, Ken nearly stumbled into the motley group working their way upstream. They were surprisingly quiet, clumped together following the creek up the mountain. He withdrew to study the movement of the group of kids, circling wide, Ken bypassed the kids and followed their path back. After a couple of miles downstream patrol, finding no sign of pursuit, Ken turned, hurriedly moving upstream towards the kids . Quickly overtaking them from their rear.

To say the kids were surprised to see the tall soldier ambling casually along the creek bank Would be an understatement. Ken had already signaled Mike that he had made contact. So, Mike had begun following, moving down hill while John took up the watch position. Full night had settled , and the group of frightened kids were scattered among the rocks on the creek bank, resting, Ken approached slowly, openly. In the dark, not one of them noticed him before he was only a few yards away, and cleared his throat... " Ahem...Hello... "

The children shrieked. The young woman, or girl, astonishingly began hurling fist sized rocks in Kens direction. Ken withdrew as fast as he safely could, he didn't want to be hit by a thrown rock. " Hey Hey its ok, I'm not here to hurt y'all, I am here to help! " Ken cried out as he scrambled for cover. It took a few moments for his words to register and the rain of stones to cease. " Who are you? Who said we needed help? " the Young woman spoke up. She tried to sound confident, even belligerent, however , her voice betrayed her fear. Even so, Ken was impressed.

" Sergeant Macklin, U.S. Army, Rangers, maam, I am here to help. Out here, in this wilderness in the dark, and from the troubles down stream, I think it is safe to assume you could use help. " Ken replied. A few more moments of verbal back and forths ensued until Ken made his intentions clear, " I am stepping out now, don't brain me! I have food and water... "

An softly hesitant " Ok sergeant " was her reply. Ken rose up from behind the rock out crop where he had sheltered, held up his pack, and placed it on the creek bank before backing away. "There’s food, water, in the pack. " Ken called out as he backed away.

Only after Ken had moved far back, remaining in clear sight and had set his rifle aside, did the young woman move to the pack, shushing the children around and behind her. Her frightened eyes widened when she grasped at the pack and felt the weight of it. She had to drag it along the ground with her as she withdrew slowly, keeping her eyes firmly on the distant sergeant.

After a few moments struggle, two of the older boys ignored her implications, moving up to help her with the heavy pack. Together the trio managed to maneuver back to the rest of the children now curiously inquiring as to what was in the pack. Cautious she opened up the pack, and stared hard at the contents. A variety of MRE packets, silvery emergency water pouches, and in the large peripheral pouches, first aid supplies. " Oh.... Thank GOD! " she murmured while passing out water pouches and mre packets. Every child received one, there were several mres left over. " Thank you! GOD bless you! " she called down to Ken , who smiled and nodded his head. Taking a perch on a moss covered stone, tearing open an mre packet of his own. The young woman and children watched his actions. Ken kept smiling and exaggerated the actions of opening up the MRE bag. Withdrawing a pound cake snake, he opened the pouch and held it up, before taking a bite. The Children hurriedly copied his actions. Soon they were laughing and exclaiming over the various contents. The main entre pouches were ignored in favor of the candies, sweets, crackers and peanut butter pouches. Kids will be kids even in dire straights. Ken watched from his distance, careful to demonstrate how to use the mre heating units, and explaining " it gets hot! Be careful! "

The young woman studied his actions. Then followed suit. The stew , was nicely hot and while not as good as her grandmothers stew, she devoured it. It had been more than two days since any of the children had eaten anything. They feasted. After they had all eaten, and the Young woman had ushered the kids to gather up the waste, Ken stood, " Mind if I join you? " The young woman eyed him a moment. Deciding that there really was no other choice and, that had he wished them ill, he could have easily had his way. She nodded her assent, and gestured to the stone she had been using as a table top, " Please. "

Ken slowly moved, careful to sling his rifle and approach slowly, empty handed. Reaching the stone she had pointed towards Ken took a seat. Smiling he addressed her, " Sooo, what brings you out here ? "

The young woman blinked. Unsure how to answer. Still wary, she replied with a question of her own rather than answer his, " Were you sent to find us? Who sent you? " her apprehension clearly evident in both tone and her demeanor.

" Yes and no, We", Ken vaguely gestured upslope, "saw the fire, and your escape. no, i am not with that crazy mob nor are we working with, " Ken snorted, " the , authorities. "

The two sat, talking, Ken answering questions as honestly as he could. It had already been decided that there was no option but to shepherd the kids back to the shelter and their encampment. Thus, Ken answered her questions with an openness, omitting only the more gruesome details of his journey. These kids had already been traumatized enough.

Ken helped them settle in for the rest of the evening. Letting the young woman take the lead, acting only in a support and assistance mode.There were more than enough mres for a quick breakfast in the morning. plus, even for trained experts, moving at night through this wilderness was dangerous. There were many opportunities for injury in the daylight, best to let them rest first then, to begin their ascent with mornings light.

†*****†

The combined Friday service, turned out to be a success. Which really should have surprised no one. The few remnants of the two congregations, happened to be that rarest of unicorns, true believers. That one was Gentile, Christian and the other, Torah observant Messianic believers, made no difference. They both worshipped the same GOD, and held the same sacred scriptures as HIS Word. They shared common grounds, beliefs and loyalties.

Friday night was selected because, first, it is the Beginning of the Biblical Sabbath, which runs from sunset, Friday, until sunset Saturday, second, Friday night was not associated in the minds of the masses with Christian services, so, gatherings in private homes, were generally assumed to be like most of the non believers typical Friday night debauchery.

While being a Bible Believing Christian, or Messianic believer was not illegal per se, it was seriously frowned upon by the authorities. Law enforcement did nothing to protect them from the violence of the mob.

Media openly mocked them, blamed them for every real and imagined ill deed, they could conceive of. The mob,

A bizarre coalition of leftists and islamic radicals, burned churches, assaulted, even killed with impunity. While the official authorities did nothing other than often arresting the victims for daring to resist the mobs violence. The new world order was taking firm control of things now. The old order, must be blamed, targeted, and removed so that the new order could thrive.

Thus, Believers met secretly, in homes, basements, on boats, in wilderness regions. Places generally difficult for the mobs to access. The authorities worked diligently along with their media, to expose these dangerous malcontents that openly questioned their lies and dared to preach the Love and Grace of GOD. Still, bad as things had gotten in the United States, it was nowhere near the evils within the caliphate, with public executions, by beheading, of believers, infidels the mahdi had called them. In the U.S., The relief funds from the caliphate that filled the corrupt leaderships pockets, caused the authorities to look the other way when churches, and or synagogues were attacked. Of course no criticism of the progressives or radical islamists was allowed or tolerated. It was a brave new world indeed.

For most,

Life ,with all of it's distractions galore, essentially continued. People got married, gathered for parties, even went to church. A new normal had been established, one that had been strictly enforced. In the name of security, emergency, expediency, freedom of speech, movement, had been severely curtailed. Only officially approved public gatherings were tolerated or allowed. Those, were strictly monitored and managed.the population of the United States had been over Three hundred million when the calamities began. Now, a much easier to manage eighty million were what remained. No one knew how many remained, hidden in the wilds, and the ruins. A small remnant that held out, hid, refusing to go along or get along with the powerful corruption that now openly ruled the U.S.

The same pattern was repeated through out the world. A remnant, remained separate, among the mountains, islands, ruins of the past world.

†*****†

Mike raised an eyebrow, silently absorbing what John had been explaining. Ken, was not silent however, " Ok , what about the rapture? Why didn't that happen? Why are you still here if this were the last days? Nothing you're saying adds up! I saw the left behind movies, I saw the years of the beast and seven last years movies as a teen in church, nothing matches the last days stuff! " John sighed audibly. " Ken, those were movies. Fantasies. Not what the text literally says. " Ken interjected " yeah yeah, but doesn't it say believers are not appointed to wrath? Doesn't that mean that believers won't be on earth during the last days? " Ken shook his head, " Yes it says GOD will not pour his wrath onto believers. No it doesn't say that the believers won't go through tribulation. In fact it says that believers will face great tribulation, be imprisoned, killed, tortured, all kinds of horrible things. GODs wrath, is GODs response, to the tribulations of the the saints. "

Ken was obviously confused, " That’s not what they taught us in sunday school! "

" Did you know, Yeshua, the Messiah said, that they were already in the last days, during his ministry on earth? That the last days began with his birth? That He warned repeatedly, that believers would face great persecution, that the world would hate them, and reject them just as the world hates and rejects HIM! He warned over and over again! None of the Apostles died of natural causes, without exception, every single one of them was arrested, tortured, killed, all of them died, persecuted just as the Messiah was. "

Ken shook his head , " Wait! What? Where does it say that? I never heard that! " Mike sat back thinking, thinking about what he had recently read. Thinking about the old testament prophets and the life of the Apostles in the new Testament. John had raised valid points. The implications were immense.

What if , a literal interpretation of the Bible, contradicted all those fantasies that had been believed and taught? Could that be why Jesus kept warning them not to be deceived?

Could that be why His return would be, unexpected?

Other questions roiled about and formed within Mikes mind. Why were no Biblical feasts remembered or kept by the church? Why did the church celebrate holy days not found in the Bible? Why were the days of the week called after ancient pagan gods? Why? These questions led to more questions, each question brought new revelations along with new fears.

Mike considered the history he had been taught, comparing it to what John had been explaining. That was a lot to take in. What John suggests, turns everything inside out and upside down!

Which, actually matched with a literal take, or understanding of the text.

The world, the church, believers, had all been deceived. Many abandoned their faith in the face of harsh reality exposing the charade of falsehood, the temple of lies for the deception it was. Just exactly like the Word warned.

Mike considered his grandfather in an entirely new light.

The world is what it is, the world is not nor ever has been the fantastic lies they had been fed, and believed to be.

Which meant what exactly?

The Apocalypse? Armageddon? Zombies? The end of the world?

The birth of nightmares? Ragnarok?

Mike had the unsettling sense that the answer to all the above was an emphatic, YES!

What did that mean for him? For the group? Mike could not see how anything in terms of daily need had changed with the revelation.

One day at a time, one moment at a time, that is all they ever had to begin with, all they could ever actually experience or cope with.

The only difference was, now, the end game, the close of the story was known. The contents between, remained to be lived just as before.

Though, Mike had to admit, knowing the final outcome, and their final destiny was, is, more than an encouragement. Deeper than a comfort, and brought hope, into this world of cruelty, injustice, trial, tribulation, evil, and deception. It was a blessing to perceive, and a light within the darkness.

†*****†

She was like something only Tolkien could have imagined. Ethereal, elegant, graceful, moving silently like some eldritch wonder, a wood elf that simply appeared amongst the trees. A Forrest spirit that materialized out of some mystical other world. Michael blinked, rubbed his eyes, sure he must have nodded off and dreamed her. She was still there. Crouched at the base of an long dead, rotting oak, doing something, poking and sniffing at the orange colored chicken of the woods mushroom growths around the old tree base.

Of, course, Michael had no idea that the odd shaped tree fungus she was studying was called that at at the time. Nor that it was edible and tasted vaguely like, chicken. Those were facts he learned slightly later. In the moment Michael was bespelled by the raven haired beauty that had materialized there, without even alerting the dogs scattered about the encampment. John had not noticed her as of yet either. Michael wondered if this were some sort of apparition, until she looked up directly at him, smiled and waved.

Bemused, Michael watched as she gathered parts of the odd fungus , then began moving towards their temporary observation post. Pausing here and there to pluck this handful of weeds, and pull that odd root, on her way towards the encampment.

Michael cleared his throat, to gather Johns attention. John had been focused upon the sterno stove, and fry pan he had some rainbow trout fillets sizzling in. John only looked up from his task as she approached and peered down into the copse they had set up in. The look of surprise and dismay on Johns face was priceless. Michael couldn't help but laugh,

"Hello" a soft contralto voice called, scarcely above a whisper. Michael leaned back , waving towards the two man set up, " Hi there! Would you join us? "

The situation was a bit surreal. John stared in confused astonishment. She smiled, a sort of, Mona lisa smirk, and scrambled rather elegantly over the fallen hickory tree that had formed the small open copse they had so thoughtfully hidden their observation post within.

Obviously they had not been as unobserved as they had intended. Michael wondered where the rest of her group was , surely this petite woman was not up here in this wilderness alone. On second thought, considering the state of the world, this would be the safest environment for a beautiful, petite woman to be in, compared to the dog eat dog, cannibalistic reality of the urban regions.

She slid into a sitting position, and held out the olive drab collection bag she had been carrying. " I smelled your fire and the fish , and brought veggies. "

John stammered a strangled hello and thank you, while eying Michaels relaxed position wondering if this was really happening. Neither man was sure if this was real or not.

Silence held reign for a few moments, She broke the tension with a soft laugh, " My name is Branwen pleased to meet you and what’s for breakfast?"

Interestingly a crow called from amongst the trees. Branwen had spent a good deal of the previous evening rehearsing what and how she would break the ice so to speak. Johns confused, half strangled response took her by surprise. She had noted his well practiced speech, from her covert observations. John, she knew already had been a well educated, well read well spoken youth pastor. His dismay was unexpected. Though, Branwen had always failed to notice the usual effect that she rendered on most men. "trout, I am tryout u, I mean, hi I am John, and this " he pointed at the sizzling trout, "is trout. "

Michael , was trying to study every direction at once while struggling to remain calm in the surreal situation. " Hello, I am Mike, and this is John, " he needlessly replied. " thank you, Where did you come from? Where is your group at, "

Branwen flashed a slight grimace, opting for truth from the outset " No group, I am camped at the trail post just a bit north of here. "

"You are up here alone?" John asked, rather incredulously eying her. Michael had noted her silent, careful movement, the dancer like grace, and how she had seemed to effortlessly avoid random branch and limb snags, leaving no trace of her presence as she had approached their position.

Clearly this woman was experienced, and more than competent in the wild. Everything about her spoke of confidence, competence, intelligence, and elegance. From her clothing, her hiking boots, the sheathed fix bladed knife and tomahawk secured to her belt along with her quiet, calm and relaxed manner, Micheal deduced that only a complete idiot would underestimate this woman. Consequently, he assessed her rather highly in regards to the threat, danger level she represented.

There was clearly far more to this woman than meets the eye. Michael found himself intrigued. Simultaneously, Michael felt oddly familiar stirrings deep within those secreted, carefully buried, heavily scarred places within. Things he wanted nothing to do with. Some wounds never mend, allowing those memories to awake, those thoughts, hopes, dreams, those needs, to be acknowledged in anyway, was too dangerous in this new world. Michael felt the weight of leadership, he was fully aware of the consequences should he fail to be fully dedicated to the purpose. The way that he had chosen. In his chosen path, Michael had found purpose, duty, meaning once again. All of his focus, all of his attention must not be distracted. The group, the kids mostly, had become Michaels purpose, meaning, and reason to exist. Michael decided, he must stamp down these vague stirrings, he could not allow this bewitching wonder to affect him. Michael, was an utter fool. Those were not vague stirrings. Those unbidden thoughts, desires, emotions, were signs from God, of recognition, and Branwen, had been aware of them herself. She had already recognized what was there. She had already spent a week in contemplation, following, covertly observing, listening to campfire talk, watching, before She had chosen to say,

Hello.

The chemistry had been, physically immediate. The interest, had been intellectual at first, fed from curiosity, observation and discovery. Truthfully, the physical response was, surprising. She found herself completely unprepared for that. Seems God likes those type of surprises.

Neither Michael or Branwen, was prepared. Michael in fact, found himself, afraid.

Fear , is a thought blinder, a mindkiller,

Fear is a liar through and through.

Michael, found himself in an inner battle, of fear, fear of himself, fear of failure, fear of consequences, fear of his fear.

Fear, is the devils playground.

Branwen,

Had no idea of the inner battle, that tormented Michael. Rather, Branwen had no clear idea of the exact nature of the obvious conflict. Had she have known, she wouldn't have cared. Fate was apparently all too real, and here, they were. Call it destiny, Gods will, Lokis joke or whatever, it is as it is and here they were in it. Now, where it all leads remained to be seen. Alone, there had been no hope , merely existence. Now, not being alone brought more possibilities. These possibilities kindled hope, which in turn fueled other desires. Tiny sparks can, and do lead to raging flames. Flames can feed a forge, and fuel creation. Flames can also consume and destroy.

Branwen found herself hoping, determined, to forge something new, to create, in the ashes of the old, the tools that built the new.

Michael, was to be ...

Hammer?

Anvil?

Branwen was to be,

Hammer? Anvil?

She did not know , or care. What she did know was the fire had been lit.

The dark had been pierced by a spark,

And there was light, to show the way, until the dawn.

This is likely why,

Pagan Gaels had called the Goddess Brighid, whom the Brythons knew as, Brigantia, the Goddess of Smiths and fire, of home and hearth, of inspiration and poets, of healing, hope and victory

Christian Celts had called her, Saint Bride, St. Bridget,

Both , in so many ways true.

Avatars seem to find themselves in the ashes and ruins, manifesting,

hope,

Here,

Two Avatars had been found,

GOD always provides.

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