It happened that evening on the DEN network at 6:00 pm. The new breaking story from Alyson Moore was about to be revealed and it promised to be the most shocking news story since the day of the vanishings. This was the story that the people wanted to hear. They needed some type of closure to the loved ones they had lost during the vanishings and the attack.
Alyson promised to give them that closure.
The first ten minutes of the news program centered around the local area. But it wasn’t long before it happened and millions of viewers watched, holding their breaths.
“Alyson Moore,” announced the news sponsor, introducing the main topic, “She doesn’t just give you the news, but she gives you Moore news than any other source. She is Alyson Moore, The Source, on the DEN.”
And on television screens and on the internet video feeds, Alyson stood in the center of the Outpost located several miles from Allentown. She opened her mouth to speak...and abruptly disappeared.
Due to modern technology and also due to Fronk’s computer skills, it was a simple task to erase Alyson from the picture and insert someone else in. The man who took her place was a man wearing sandals, and a robe. He had white hair and a long white beard and in one hand, he held a staff. In the other, he held a Bible.
A new sponsor’s voice said, “Willy Frank! He doesn’t just give you the news, but he gives you frank news. He is Willy Frank, the top news reporter for The Word, and he’s the guy who tells it frankly.”
Willy Frank waved his staff over the outpost. In a deep voice, he said, “The people you see behind me here at this outpost near Allentown wish to deceive the world about the truth of the vanishings. They claim the event known as the Rapture had never occurred. They further claim that a toxin known as X-24 is what is truly responsible for the vanishings.” He leaned forward as if he were looking through the camera. “The truth is far more heinous than that, my friends. These men who follow darkness rather than light have conceived this toxin, created it intentionally to force a lie into existence. They believe that you will take this lie as the truth.”
Several scenes flashed across the screen. The scenes included the piles of dust in Allentown where people once stood. There was a scene of Danielle in her prison chamber with Carr gloating on the other side of the barrier. The next scene was far more horrific for it showed the FEMA agent whom Carr had ordered inside the chamber being attacked by the toxin. As he began to literally disintegrate for all the world to see, Willy Frank continued with his narrative.
“This toxin is not what caused the vanishings. The trumpet sounded. The voice shouted. And those who were able to hear were taken up to be with the Lord in the air. If this toxin had been responsible, then there would have been not a single trace of the vanished ones behind. Here we see that the skeletal remains fall where the toxin has taken him. He becomes as dust. Not so with those who were caught up to be with the Lord. Their bodies were gone. They left behind nothing but jewelry and clothes.”
Willy Frank stood in front of the Quarantine Mobile Unit. “For more of the Truth, join us online at TheRealWord.com and register today. Let us help you find the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
Just as the story ended, those who worked diligently at the DEN were finally able to recover their video and play it. Alyson continued with her story, but the damage had been done. Many out there were now looking online to see The Real Word website.
As they did, Fronk sat in front of his laptop at the Federal Building in Albany and stared in surprise as the hit counter at the bottom of his splash page began to accelerate.
Meanwhile, in the news van belonging to Meers, Alyson’s cameraman sat watching the news and realized that what he and Shiva had planned actually worked. He took out the tape he had made and began the process of destroying it.
Saint drove. Chase rode in the front passenger seat and Yeomans sat in the back. It had been almost four hours on the road to get to their destination and Yeomans had apologized for being inaccurate on the travel time. However, they finally did arrive at the campground Yeomans had told them about.
On the way in to the campground, there were two wooden posts on either side of the dirt road. Above the road hanging from the posts by thick, white ropes was a wooden sign with the words Camp Wood on it. Then there was a gravel parking lot and the main building off to the left.
As Saint pulled into the parking lot, he noticed what the others had.
“There’s not a car in the lot,” Chase replied softly.
Yeomans looked toward the main building. “Well...I would have assumed the renovations would have been done by now. My cousins wanted to add things to bring in more campers.”
“Like what?” Saint asked as he parked.
“New cabins. An electrical storage unit to run some power lines into some of the buildings for running water and cooking. Things like that.”
After Saint turned off the engine, the three men climbed out and headed toward the building. The door was unlocked and leading the way, Saint entered first. He found a light switch on the wall and flicked it up.
The lights in the mess hall came on.
There were still no signs of people.
Chase was standing at the counter where an open area revealed the kitchen. He leaned over the counter and said, “Someone was here.”
Yeomans went through a set of swinging doors and entered the kitchen. On the floor were three sets of clothing, shoes, watches, and rings. Saint walked in and saw them as well and then he looked at Yeomans.
“They were my cousins,” Yeomans said softly.
Chase regarded him from the opening. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I was at Carl’s birthday last year and his wife got him that watch.” He pointed at one of the watches on the floor. “And I know he and his brothers loved this place. They poured their hearts out here. That was them, probably going over ideas for camp recipes.”
Saint clapped him on the shoulder. “I don’t think they’ll be needing any recipes where they’re at, brother. Nothing can top the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I’m sure of it.”
Yeomans let out a chuckle. “Yeah. I guess not.” He paused. “You know, I’m glad they’re okay. I knew their wives were church goers, but I didn’t know they were. I’m glad they knew Jesus.”
“There’s another bright side to this, too.”
“What’s that?”
Saint grinned. “You just inherited your cousins campground.”
Danielle was exhausted when she got off the plane at the London International Airport, but she looked forward to being with her mother after the ordeal she had survived. If Director Fuller and his Gatherers had never arrived to save the day, she believed that the remaining time of her life would have been spent in misery. Especially if Ed Carr had had his way.
She shuddered as she walked outside to wait for her ride.
The wait wasn’t long. A long, white limousine was idling at the curb and a man wearing a black suit and driving cap was standing patiently beside it. When he saw her, he approached.
“Miss Dozois?”
Danielle looked at him. “Do I know you?”
“No. But I know your mother. We have been expecting you.” He moved to the side of the limo where he opened the door for her. “Please…” He gestured for her to get in.
Danielle hesitated.
Her mother was rich. Perhaps even obscenely so. What Danielle had learned as a child from her mother was how to take from others, even though that wasn‘t a lifestyle she adhered to. Katherine Allison Dozois married money. She didn’t care particularly for the men, but if they had money, then she certainly did her best to make them happy. She had married and divorced more times than Danielle wanted to remember. All Danielle realized out of it all was that she never wanted to be like her mother.
So she had made the decision after she had graduated that when she went to college, she wanted to make it on her own. For years, Danielle did all right by herself. Her life was turning out for the best...until Andrew Anderson kicked her out into the streets.
Danielle climbed into the limo, surprised to see her mother inside waiting for her.
The driver closed the door and Katherine happily reached over to hug her daughter. “Oh, my dear girl! I am so happy to see you!”
“Mom...” Danielle smiled as she returned the embrace.
“Did Andrew send you packing?” her mother asked as she sat back to watch her daughter.
Danielle hesitated. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“He did, didn’t he? I always suspected that he would, you know. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Mom, it wasn’t like that.” She explained everything that had happened to her from the time her husband demanded her to leave up to when Director Fuller had arranged for a flight home for her.
At the mention of the name Darren Fuller, Katherine let out a chuckle. Then, she laughed.
Startled, Danielle could only stare. When her mother showed no signs of stopping, Danielle began to worry. “Mom, what’s so funny?”
Katherine made herself stop, but it took some effort. “Oh, dear girl.” She shook her head. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but I do suppose it’s rather poetic when you think about it.”
“Tell me what?”
“Darren Fuller...” Katherine began carefully, “is your father.”
Danielle stared. “What?”
“It’s true.”
She swallowed. My mother is out of her mind! she thought. “You told me he was dead.” She glared at her mother.
Katherine regarded her daughter. “Oh, dear girl, please don’t get so upset over this.”
“Don’t get upset?! How can I not get upset? You told me my father died in a plane crash, and then you tell me that he’s not only alive, but I actually met him! Why would you do this?”
“I did this because I care for you and I didn’t want you to get attached to someone who would never be around.”
Danielle took a deep breath. “Well, maybe he’s never around because you pushed him away!”
Katherine avoided eye contact.
“That’s it, isn’t it? You did push him away.”
“This is none of your concern.”
“Mom...are you telling me you pushed him away because he didn’t have money?”
Katherine remained silent.
Danielle shook her head. “You turned him away because you wanted to find someone with more money. Even though you loved him.”
“Oh, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Danielle leaned back in her seat. “Please tell me you don’t have any other surprises.”
Katherine smiled coyly. “Actually, there are two more surprises.” She paused for affect. “I’m getting married.”
Danielle stared at her. “Not again.”
“Yes, again, and I would appreciate it if you would show some happiness for me. I assure you, the man I am to marry is someone you will love. He’s very sweet and he will treat you as a father should.”
“I’ve heard this all before, mother.”
“Oh, dear one, I realize you must be exhausted from your trip. But I promise you, when you meet him, you will love him.”
The limo arrived at the Dozois estate. Danielle had almost forgotten about it, but as they drove through the large black gates and up the long driveway, memories she didn’t enjoy came back to haunt her. The estate had always been too big for her.
It still was too big.
The driver let them each out, and Katherine took her daughter’s hand. Unable to contain her excitement, she led her up the steps to the large double doors that led into the mansion.
“I can’t wait for you to meet him!” Katherine exclaimed.
Danielle sighed. “You mean, he’s here?”
Katherine was unaware or indifferent of her daughter’s misgivings. She led her down a corridor where they stopped at a door. Danielle knew it was the den that was on the other side of the door.
“My future husband is inside the den,” Katherine told her. She smiled at Danielle. “Your future step father. We are to be married soon. We also have the blessings of the man he works for. A great man. A man who will reshape this world and make it better than it has ever been.”
Danielle froze as fear gripped her. She slowly turned her head to look at her mother. “What?” She swallowed. “Mother, please...don‘t tell me these men are who I think they are.”
Katherine didn’t hear her. She pulled open the door, guided Danielle in and closed the door behind them.
Danielle’s fear rose.
There in the den were two men. One was seated at a desk, jotting down something in a notebook. The other man stood at the window, looking outside in thoughtful contemplation. This man looked like someone very important. Very regal.
“Judas,” Katherine replied, “please, I wish for you to meet my daughter, Danielle.”
Judas Hannah rose from the desk, a wide smile on his face. He approached Danielle and wrapped his arms around her before she could do anything. As he hugged her, she remained perfectly still and tense. It wasn’t Hannah she feared, but something else.
And she knew what that something else was.
“Danielle, I want you to meet a great man,” Katherine said. She took a hold of her daughters arm and almost dragged her up to the man at the window. “This is the man who single handedly ceased war in the Middle East. This is Tristian Salvadori, the Advocate.”
Salvadori turned from the window to bring his predatory gaze upon Danielle. When his eyes bored right into hers, Danielle knew that she was standing in the presence of evil.
Coming Soon...
Episode #10 - Crosses
Lenox teams up with Detectives
Groh and Yorke to find a killer.
A murder mystery during the End Times.
_______ _______ _______
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