The Survivors: Book One (71 page)

The slyest of presidential defenders since Nixon’s well-used man - Pat Michaels, former Press Secretary - was useless, forgotten in the chaos, and not even sure he should be here. His family had been in New Jersey... Someone had been with him when he got the news, had brought him along when they had evacuated from the Las Vegas convention-hall, although he wasn’t sure who it had been. Amanda, the kids! How would he go on? How would anyone?

Panic was rampant. Voices barked orders, people scrambled to get information, papers floated through the humid air, and satellite phones rang continuously, annoyingly. Thanks to an EMP and a lucky shot from a disgruntled citizen with a grenade launcher, the Vice President was dead. The Speaker of the House was now the legal recipient of the highest seat in the land, but she wasn’t here and neither was the new Secretary of State. No one had discovered where they had been evacuated to, or even if they were still alive. Those jobs were no longer in demand, and the result was chaos, fear in control. Maybe that would change later… if they survived the missile headed for Montana.

Deep and sturdy, this complex had been built secretly during the 1990’s and was not only untested, it was less than one hundred miles from what was about to be a direct hit. Pat shuddered. They would probably feel it.

Lurking near the back wall of air vents and panels, the Press Secretary broke out into a light sweat as one of the remaining clocks on the cold, sterile walls around him neared, and then passed, the five minute mark.

Washington, New York, and most of the East Coast had already been destroyed. Of the seven warheads that the long-denied Star Wars program hadn’t been able to shoot down, three were definitely going to find more U.S. targets and maybe two others that they had lost radar on as well. Their own warheads had decimated countries around the globe. Now, America would pay the price.

The huge, multi-picture screen in the front of the crowded room changed when the next clock hit four minutes, flashing to a satellite view of the incoming missile careening towards the Sunshine State, and Pat found he couldn’t look away.

Why, in God’s name, had the former President done this? And who had given the technology-challenged man the disk that would allow him such unforgiving control? Surely this was a bad dream? If not, millions more were going to die in only:

03:45 

03:44

03:43

The computer went to full alert, alarms all over the vast compound warning of the impending arrival. The Press Secretary’s stomach churned as the ceiling lights began to flicker a hazy red.

America was in the same panicky state as this room, thanks to the convoys of soldiers taking all males, ages 10-60. Told to get a full truck of warm bodies any way they had to and be back within eight hours, gunfire was filling town after town. They had reports of it in nearly every major city across the country, soldiers and civilian wars over their sons and husbands and over remaining food and weapons. The end was close… and everyone felt it.

02:50

02:49

02:48

Would mankind survive? Had they really blown themselves up? How much of this new hell was he personally responsible for? Millions of lives were already gone… so many cultures, and their history!

01:20

01:19

01:18

Pat cringed at a freshly braying siren from the front of the loud, crowded, tactical room. They'd destroyed the world. Was that the red stain on his hands that refused to wash off?

00:40

00:39

00:38

When was my last orgasm?
he wondered suddenly, too scared to recall what it had felt like or what the intern’s name had been. Greg? Gary?

00:25

00:24

00:23

When was my last confession?
Pat struggled to remember, heart thumping wildly, stomach lurching.
Did I mean it? Is it too late?

00:15

00:14

00:13

He closed his eyes and began the comforting, useless litany from his seat, still unable to make himself get on his knees even though the true hour of judgment had come.

“Please forgive me, Father, for I have sinned…”

00:02

00:01

00:00

“I did it for my country...”

Deleted Scene 2

“Everyone shooting must sign in. Only people that have passed the gun class can enter. Shooters will stay in front of the gate, everyone else behind. Sign in folks and let’s get started.” 

Jeremy was the MC tonight, Neil’s second Eagle, and as Adrian stepped by, he again caught a whiff of perfume he now recognized as Cynthia’s, but said nothing. He wasn’t worried the Eagle would slip with anything he shouldn’t. Before the war, Jeremy had been a devout Catholic, quiet and observant. He knew the meaning of secrecy and he’d found his place here, something the church had been unable to provide. The guard would be careful with it.

There was standing-room-only in the bleachers, and a large crowd lined the gate as the shooters signed in, and checked their weapons. Adrian was glad to see no real fear, no desperation in the faces of his people. The watching crowd talked loudly, betting on their favorites as they sat in chairs in the sand or on thick blankets, and the men shooting waited behind the gate, eager to start.

“Okay. We have 29 shooters tonight,” Jeremy announced.

Adrian stepped over to the clipboard on the bales of hay. “Make that 30.”

The crowd cheered loudly and the other shooters groaned.

“First, Kenn Harrison.”

The sun was gone now, the night dark and gritty, but the moon’s outline, while not clear, gave some light and made people feel better just to be able to look up and finally find it in the sky. It was something they hadn’t seen much of for almost a hundred days. The area was still dim, but huge spotlights on top of the trucks lit up the ball field and roller-bound targets.

The ones set at 25 and 50 feet were hardly a challenge to the men watching his XO get set, but the ones at 100 and 125 were, and all the contestants knew they would likely be gone before round seven. He and Kenn had dueled it out last time, easily leaving everyone else behind. When they were shooting, no one else stood a chance.

“As many direct hits as you can, any target. On your mark.”

The Marine grinned, holding the gun steady against the gusty wind, accounting for it, and then he was firing smoothly.

The crowd cheered when the call came and the guards on the perimeter stayed alert, knowing the noise would carry.

“Eight bulls eyes! Next, Adrian Mitchell.”

The leader checked his weapon, and then put it back into his holster, letting his hand hang loosely like an Old-West gunslinger.

The newer people, who hadn’t yet seen him shoot, watched nervously, sure he would miss and prove he was as fallible as the rest of those who had tried to lead.

Adrian’s hand was a blur as he drew and fired, fired, fired. He twirled the black 9 mm a single time and slid it neatly into the holster on his hip.

“Eight bulls-eyes!”

The crowd roared and Jeremy had to shout to be heard as Adrian grinned, stepped over to Kenn.

“Next, Kyle Reece.”

No one missed a shot until the end of the round. Mary and Heather, two females he’d sent to the class for match-making purposes, didn’t get any bulls-eyes, but Adrian was pleased that they had hit anything at all. For the women here, that was definite progress.

The third woman, Lexa, was a gun shop owner from Los Angeles. Short, with a big chest and a long, brown ponytail, she hit half the targets, making Adrian wish he could add her to his list for the next Level One Eagles. Her draw was beautiful, almost a perfect copy of his, and with a little instruction, it would become as natural to her as breathing.

Adrian wondered if he would ever get his Eagles to accept women on the teams. He needed one of these shell-shocked females to be a warrior in disguise that could hold her own among his army and make the rest of the camp accept it too. For now though, it looked like Lexa was eliminated.

“Last shooter. Rebecca Ann Kelly.” 

The cute teenager moved toward the line and Adrian frowned as the crowd cheered and catcalled. Had she made it through the gun class somehow without him knowing it? There was always a wait because he hand-filled over half the seats.

Adrian was almost certain she hadn’t, but instead of immediately calling her on it, the leader let her have one try, thinking again of how much he needed one of these timid homemakers to really be Xena, the warrior Princess.

Becky was innocent, sexy, playful, and many of his men were watching the slender girl, waiting for her sixteenth birthday in October, when it would be legal to ask her out. That included Kenn, but Adrian thought she had a thing for one of his other top guards. Either way, the girl would be something here. What, was up to her.

Rebecca’s reddish blond hair was wild with frizzy curls and she brushed it back impatiently as she took her place, knowing she would only have this one chance to get noticed, to show these men she was useful too. She’d almost swallowed her tongue when Adrian signed in, sure he’d see her name and single her out…

“Anytime you’re ready, shooter,” Jeremy encouraged, eager to get the next round started, and the nervous girl nodded. She was ready now and she wanted them to know, needed
Adrian
to know.

Feeling the magic, the confidence of holding a gun she knew she could use, Becky pulled the trigger gently, lovingly. The light recoil was well controlled and she was smiling as she aimed and pulled, lined it up and pulled again.

The bullets dug into the targets, and she turned her eyes to the frowning blond man moving her way, while the crowd waited for the call.

“Eight Hits, 5 bulls-eyes!”

They were as loud for her as they had been for Kenn, and she was grinning in satisfaction as the leader stopped next to her, eyes impressed and displeased at the same time.

“That’s some impressive shooting, Miss Kelly.”

She grinned, face lighting up at his words, and then she dropped her head, remorseful. She hadn’t broken his rules lightly. Now she would pay the price.

“I’m sorry.” She moved toward Jeremy without waiting to be told. “I have to withdraw.”

The Level Two Eagle frowned as the crowd muttered, and those who knew she hadn’t taken the class waited to see if Adrian would let her ruin her own chances here by owning up to it. If she admitted she cheated, it would be a label she’d carry forever.

“Why?”

 “Because I…”

“She forgot she has a shift with the Vet. Right now, we’ll move onto the next round since we’re losing a shooter.”

Adrian’s calm words weren’t doubted and his men were pleased. If Becky had ruined herself tonight, they couldn’t show any interest in her, not without losing their place by Adrian, and that was now something most of these men would never jeopardize.

“Rebecca is eliminated. Kenn will start round two.”

Becky smiled gratefully at Adrian as she left, very thankful he’d chosen to stop her admission. His men weren’t the only ones who were aware of all she’d risked to be noticed.

“Three shots this time and only those beyond 25 feet count. Bottom two will be eliminated.” Jeremy looked at Kenn. “You ready?”

The Marine opened fire in answer.

DOC Article

NY & USA Today News

December 21, 2012

Betrayal and Lies are the Foundation of American Politics!

The Gospel of Mary was discovered in Southern France last month and has now been proven genuine by experts secretly asked to test the parchments. In them, is a tale of murder, extortion, kidnapping, and forced reproduction that scientists claim have kept secret the descendants of Jesus Christ. The list of powerful families around the globe being accused is staggering…

This story began more than a thousand years ago, with a huge secret that millions have now died to keep. If proven true, it is a deception so big, it might have changed the world.

The Knights Templar was officially sanctioned in 1190 by the Roman Catholic Church… but what if they existed long before that? What if they escorted Mary Magdalene out of Gaul, and settled her somewhere safe? We’ve heard the speculation that her offspring became Kings through the Merovingian line, but what if they were also the descendants of Christ? Reports tell of a young girl named Sarah that traveled with Mary after the crucifixion. The daughter of Jesus?

The Gospel of Mary implies the wealthy intentionally repressed all such knowledge, creating a secret sect to help hide the truth. Most of these men, according to the new parchment, believed they were protecting these special females. They took them to the Cathars, a religious order in Southern France that was also under control of the Catholic Church, content to leave them there. The Church certainly didn’t expect trouble from one woman, but within a few years, the Cathars turned against the Church and created a new religion based on love of God without control or wealth. Terrified of the world finding out, of having to give up all their power and decadent ways of living, the church began the Albigensian crusade and eradicated them.

So, what happened to the descendants that the Cathars died to protect? According to the Gospel of Mary, many escaped and walk among us, even now, in the form of their offspring. Most of the Knights were for the truth coming out, were beginning to turn against the Church, as well. They were wiped out the same way the Cathars were, but stories abound of a few brave souls being able to save the precious remaining descendants, ensuring the bloodline of Jesus Christ. With the church hunting them down, these groups of saviors went into hiding with their wards. When they finally emerged, they called themselves the Freemasons… and they were powerful.

If this new Gospel is to be believed, none of them exposed the truth. Various groups of Templar’s, in unnamed places around the world, and the secret held - because of power and greed. Mary Magdalene’s offspring were now Merovingian rulers and the temptation was too much to resist. Instead of being the defenders, they had become the attackers. According to the Gospel of Mary, found during an archeological dig at an unnamed location, these descendants of Christ were forced to reproduce with the Knights throughout history. Only the special offspring were kept, and the parchment even suggests that inbreeding was one of the common experiments in hopes of making the kids more gifted.