Revealing Revelations (19 page)

She looks me in my eye and then over my shoulder and says, “Doesn’t the Bible says a kind word lifts a lowly heart, Auron?” I look behind me and Auron nods his head in confirmation. “He was there for me, so and the same thing he told me I told him in return,” she said still with glossy eyes. I left it at that and she goes to catch up with Shane.

“I can only imagine how he feels,” Bazz says to us all as we stare into the darkness. “Sometimes it’s not about feeling for others, sharing pain is the best way to heal others,” Auron says.

Confused I ask, “What do you mean by that?”

“In some cases, the ones best suited to help though certain situations are the ones who in some ways went through similar situations.” He explains looking at Dana.

“I think I know what you’re getting at, Auron. Julie and I can understand better what it’s like to see your hometown destroyed and ruined. I’ll go see about him, too,” Dana says catching on to Auron’s persuasive statement he aimed at her indirectly. She walks away and the remaining few of us huddle closer together and stare into the dreadful negative void. The ground craters for a mighty long and wide distance. There is crumbled wood, brick and stone in the open just to be openly observed. We all stand here in a state of awe until we hear a mysterious voice from behind us say, “It’s like an endless night, isn’t it?”

We all turn around and see her, the woman we found laid out cold in the flipped van last night. She stands there wrapped in the same gray blanket that Shane had grabbed in the van to wrap around her.

“Hello, Thomas.”

It was her, it’s been years and hard to remember her, but now I knew for certain it was her. “Sparks!” I shout as I walk towards her.

“Good, you recognize me,” she says.  She hugs me tightly and I returned the hug just as tight. “I’m sorry it’s just been so long since I ran into anyone that wasn’t …” She pauses and looks past me. “We need to go, it’s not safe here,” she tells me.

Looking behind me, all I see are the others. “They’re with me, they’re good. I wouldn’t have them around me if they meant any harm.” I reassure her about the company I keep.

“No, it’s not them,” she says, shaking her head side to side as she slowly backs away. “It’s that!” She points into that abyss behind me.

“What is it, why is it so dark?” I asked her.

“They’re called Black Zones,” she answered. “Get your friends and let’s get out of here, we’re threatening radiation poisoning,” Sparks says.

“Excuse me. Did she just say radiation poisoning?” Jefferey asked me, overhearing what Sparks said.

“Yes, that’s what I was running from. We have to get out of here.” She explains to us as she rushes back to the vehicles.

“Who is this girl?” Bazz asks.

I look at Sparks then back to him. “Isn’t that a question you can save for later?” I ask him as I jog back to the vehicles, following her lead. “Come with me!” I yell to her as we rush to the S.W.A.T. truck. Swinging the driver’s side door open I see the twins beside me. I help them climb up as I hear Sparks get in on the passenger side. “Jessie, James, you two sit in the middle.” I tell them as I get in and close the door behind me.

The Tahoe pulls off, kicking up dust and debris as it does a U-turn. I try to hot wire it as quickly as possible while sparks fly everywhere.

Vrrrmmmm!
“There we go!” I shout as the truck starts up.

“Thomas...Thomas!” Jefferey shouts impatiently through the radio. I grab the radio off the dashboard.

“YEAH!” I shout as I do a U-turn.

“Who’s your friend?” Jefferey asks.

“Sparks, I went to basic training with her back in ‘05.”  I told them.

“Well, ask her what she knows, there’s obviously something’s that your friend knows that we need to be brought up to speed on,” Jefferey says with the same impatient tone. I hand her the radio and put both hands back on the steering wheel.

“This is Sparks, I’m going to tell what I know so listen up cause I’m going to only say this once.” She tells them as they now wait patiently for her update as to what’ actually going on. “A few days ago the Croatoan incident took place resulting in a global epidemic,” she says.

“Yeah, we already know that,” Jefferey tells Sparks.

“Look all I know is I was called in early off leave and debriefed in Ft. Bliss about the Black Zones,” Sparks tells me.

“You mean the areas where the hydrogen bombs blew?” Jefferey asks. “We saw one go off in Washington all the way in Miami,” Jefferey says.

“A Hell Bomb?” Sparks asks in an awkward tone.

“Hmph! No, it wasn’t that, I worked ammo my whole military career. Never have I seen or even heard of anything having the same effect as what we’re seeing. Think about it, what explosion do you think you would be able to see several states away?”

“What about the Black Zones you mentioned earlier?” I ask her.

She looks at me then directs her attention back into the radio. “The Black zones are the demolished radiation areas that remain night twenty-four hours a day. We were briefed to avoid them at all costs due to the heavy radiation threat it presents.” Sparks explained. “Any more questions?” she asks. There’s a brief silence in the channels.

“I do have one,” Auron says in that funny accent. “Sigh!” Sparks exhales and leans her head back. It was clear she was still exhausted and straining to deal with the heat in her condition wasn’t making things any easier.

“Shoot, cowboy!” she says giving him the green light.

“If you were recently briefed by your command, why are you alone?” Auron asked her.

Her eyes bucked as I look at her. “As far as I know you only get briefed when you are tasked out or prepared for mission’s.” Auron continued on. She’s quiet and her silence told it all.

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.” I warn her.

Sparks put the radio back on the dash, refusing to answer that last question. “Hello… Hello…” Auron calls though the radio. I look at her once more and see her head turned as she looks out the window, but I know it isn’t the scenery that’s on her mind. Auron hit a sensitive situation dead on the nail and he knew it, but why? It isn’t hard to see that she was afraid of everything that was going on and couldn’t take it. There was no doubt in my mind Sparks went A.W.O.L. all the training in the world couldn’t prepare any soldier for what happened or what’s expected to come. But, I let the silence build because sometimes it’s better to have easing thoughts than a touchy conversation.

We’ve driven a few hours and head northwest around Texas, then southwest. Communication between the radios are still quiet, conversation in the cab of this S.W.A.T. truck wasn’t any different. I try hard as possible to keep my eyes on these same grassy fields, and off the Black Zone that continues to taunt me in the distance of my left side. No matter what, it’s like, it’s just right there as an overwhelming reminder.

“Thomas, are we going to Nevada?” James asks me out of the clear blue.

“What makes you say that?” I ask him curious as to why he chose that city out of any other. 

“I heard Auron say it to Bazz before,” he replies.

“Well, I guess so. We just made our way into Arizona.” I tell him as we pass state line and I see the road sign read, “Welcome to Arizona.”

“We need gas, Thomas. I ain’t tryna be out here pushing no S.W.A.T. truck down the highway.” Jessie interjects with a negative attitude. I look at the fuel gauge and it is getting low and there isn’t any fuel left in the ten gallon fuel cans. I guess I was just thinking too much about what’s going on to pay any attention to the fuel level. I grab the radio off the dash and try to get the other’s attention.

Squeezing the side button I radio in, “This is Thomas, over!” I wait for a response and get none. “This is Thomas, over!” I curiously look at the radio and see if the switch is on and it is, but the green light indicator is off.

“The battery’s dead?” Sparks asks.

“Yeah, hold on,” I reply while I press the accelerator to the floor in an attempt to pull up alongside them and get their attention. They are about fifty yards ahead and I’m gaining on them. Finally pulling up alongside them, they begin to slow down and pull to the side of the road yet again. I throw the truck in park in the middle of the highway and leave the engine running; quickly hopping out just to keep me awoke a little longer. Walking up to the Tahoe, I see Dana behind the wheel. I wave my hands in an up and down motion signaling her to lower the windows. I see her look down and search the panel on the door for the window button. The rear window cracks then rises. Finally, she pushes the right button lowering her driver window.

“Why did you park in the middle of the road?” an almost frustrated Dana asks.

I look at her stunned at the question she asked me. I look left then right down the highway only seeing open road and a few abandoned cars scattered in the distance. Looking back at her I say, “Didn’t think I was holding up traffic.” She then dawns a salty expression. I place my hands on the top of the driver’s door, and shift my weight on my left leg. I peer into the vehicle and see Auron sitting beside Dana. Bazz and Julie sit on the sides of Jefferey and I see Shane lying down in the third seat with his arm wrapped over his head, making it impossible to know if he was asleep or not. “We need gas in the truck and here,” I say as I reach behind me and unclip the radio from my waist and hand it over to Dana. “It’s dead.” I tell her.

“Well, the charger pack is in the back of the S.W.A.T. truck,” Auron says stretching his arms in front of him. The Tahoe is crowded and we’ve been on the road for so long, so I understand his discomfort. “And we won’t be able to charge it until we find a source of electricity, now will we?” he asks in sarcasm.

“We need to stop here and bed down for the night,” Jefferey says.

“I’m with you, Birdman. Finally, someone sees things my way,” I say ecstatically, happy to hear someone felt the same way.

“I’ll say amen to that,” Dana says, turning to Auron with a humorous smile. But her smile quickly dissolves once she sees his bland expression disapproves of her humor.

“Alright, but not here. There’s an exit a few miles from here we can use its resources to replenish our needs and bed down at a gas station,” Auron says.

I couldn’t believe he said we’ll sleep inside a gas station, but it’s better to lay cots out in a gas station than to sit in that miserable truck. So, I just get back in the truck and follow them to the nearest exit.

We finally arrive at a Texaco gas station in a small town in Arizona. There’s a total of six pumps under an overhead structure that seems to prevent rain from falling on individuals as they fueled up. We pull in beside the pump on the right side of the vehicle along with the gas tank. Looking at the black and orange colored bricks that are about three feet high which four side-by-side 5’x 3’ windows are mounted into, in the front of the store. The lights are off so it’s dark inside, but I can see that there are plenty of shelves and stands stocked with food. And cooler’s to the left where beverages are stored and all the way to the right is a cash register.  The Tahoe is parked on the opposite side of pump from where we are. Jefferey gets out of the Tahoe and runs around to my side of the S.W.A.T. truck. I see him in my side mirror with two M-4’s slung over his shoulder. I open my door as he points to the ammo box on the floorboard in front of the twins.

“Grab two out of there, one for me and one for you,” Jefferey says un-slinging one of the rifles and extending it out to me.

“Let me guess, gotta clear the building, huh?” I ask him reaching in the green tin ammo box for a magazine.

“Between soldiers, me and you are the only reasonable ones to get it done, Bazz was a chaplain never really fired a weapon, Shane is still dealing with the Texas thing so we’re the only ones that know what to do,” he replies to me. As tired as I am now I was almost tempted to suggest Sparks, because I’m pretty sure she’s been trained how to clear a building, if not been deployed herself. But I keep quiet and exchange one magazine for the rifle.

I quickly perform a functions check on the weapon then insert a full magazine of 5.56 rounds and pull the charger handle back allowing a round to load into the chamber as I switch the locking mechanism on the left side that doesn’t allow the bolt to go forward until I pull the trigger, if I have to pull it. I push the charger handle forward and then slowly climb down out of the truck. And I get low and lead Jefferey all the way around the building to check the perimeter just to end up right back in front of the store on the right side where the double glass doors are. At this point, we’re ducked low using the three feet of brick as our cover. Normally, I would kick the door in or open it and just rush in, but these are glass doors we’re dealing with, so the best move is to see if they’re open and slowly move in. I wait for the signal. He squeezes my left shoulder which indicates he’s ready. I go for the door handle and pull it open. We remain low and move through the doors silently. Soon as I get through the door, I notice a wooden door directly in front of me as we separate.

Jefferey checks behind the counter to the right and I turn left going down the aisle with my weapon at the ready. It’s dark inside but the light from outdoors shines through the windows. Walking to the end of the aisle, I hear my shoe squeak against the white tile as I make a right turn. I walk along four coolers in the rear of the store passing the middle aisle Jeffery should’ve cleared on his way behind the counter. I get to the last aisle, making a right. I see Jefferey already waiting for me at a closed door that goes to the back room. I drop my weapon to the low ready for weapon awareness since he stood in front of me.

Now that I’m at one side of the door and him on the other, he looks at me and nods. I nod back and now he slowly reaches for the door knob that’s on his side of the door. My job now is to wait for him to swing the door open and clear the entire right side of the unknown room. I re-grip my hands around the heat shields that cover the barrel as his hand slowly gets closer to doorknob. Seeing that his hand is now on the door knob preparing to turn, I readjust the butt-stock into the crevice between my shoulder and chest. My heart is pumping and I can feel the blood flow throughout my body.

Swoosh!
I hear a door swing open, but Jefferey’s hand is still on the knob. The lights come on suddenly. I turn and look at the front door, it’s Auron with all the others who aren’t far behind. My heart feels as though it stops pumping completely at this point.

“Put your weapons down,” he instructs us. “Is there no faith in your hearts at all?” asks an infuriated Auron as he walks in quickly through the front door. He walks straight to us, losing no momentum as he turns the knob Jefferey once was supposed to turn and opens it. Turning on the light in the rear room, he finally stops in his tracks.

Jefferey peeks in to see what made him stop so abruptly. “My God,” Jefferey says with his jaw slightly dropped, but with more of a look of disgust as an expression.

I ground my weapon and stand behind, looking over Auron’s shoulder into the room.

The room was an ordinary room, but it reeked with the smell of death. A person wouldn’t expect to see anything different in a manager’s office in a gas station; a messy desk in the center of the room facing the door, a small file cabinet on the left wall where he likely filed past records, and a safe that I could partially see behind the left side of the desk. I couldn’t see what was so surprising to Auron and Jefferey. I switch to the other side of Auron where Jefferey still crouched with dropped jaw. And that’s where I saw what was so shocking to their eye. It was a man wearing a black dirty rag of a shirt and heavily dingy black cargo shorts.

His head hangs in agony as he sits in the corner. But what’s so outrageous is the sight of the man. His skin was severely burned with a purple and dark maroon discoloration. A closer look reveals it to be peeling and shedding. The burns cover his entire body even disfiguring his face. He’s a lot skinnier than an average male and has patches of hair here and there on his head. His eyes are dilated and his lip lining has retreated, showing the majority of his front teeth.

“Mmmmwwaaaahhh!!” The man throws up on his self effortlessly right before our eyes.

“He’s come in contact with radiation,” Sparks says standing behind me. “It’s killing him. There’s nothing we can do for him,” she continues telling Auron. Looking into Auron’s face I can see how he looks at the man. We look at this man with sorrow asking ourselves what could a person have done to receive this punishment.

I began to feel a sense of compassion in my heart for him, but a pain in my stomach. Not a physical pain, more of a dreadful sadness. It hurts me to see a man like this. In combat I’ve seen countless bodies lay lifeless, even in worse conditions than this, but this man is different, he’s still alive. Looking at him would ordinarily make me agree with Sparks’ diagnosis of the situation. All I can say under my breath is, “Jesus, please heal him.” But as I look at him, I begin to lose focus of what my eyes are showing me and start paying more attention to the feelings that are growing inside me. Feelings of a warm compassion and aching sadness whirlwind inside me, taking me away from my conscience state to a place where I can’t see nor hear anything. I can only feel, and oddly what I feel are words. Two simple, yet gentle words come from deep down inside me. The words I feel are, “Do it.” No other words are felt, no further instructions are given, just those two words. Feeling purpose driven I go out on a wing. I slightly nudge Auron to make way. Walking pass Auron into the room Sparks quickly reaches around Auron and tries to grab my shirt, but I break free from her grasp. “Do it.” I keep feeling these words pulse through my body with every step, every beat of my heart. “Do it.”

“Thomas!” Sparks call out to me. I look back at her but Auron extends his arms across the doorway denying access for anyone to get through. I turn back around and I find myself standing before the decayed man. Urged and overwhelmed I quickly reach down and grab his hand. And one last time I feel those two words surge through my body. “Do it.” Afterwards, I begin talking to the decayed man in a room full of others as if it’s just him and me. “As Jesus the Savior lives in heaven, He lives in me. And as the Lord God reigns from above and over the world, He reigns over me. I am one of begotten children, giving me the overall power over the enemy. So I bind up the spirit of infirmity and affliction I demand you to be clean, I demand you be made free, I demand you be healed.” The words that come out are mine but they come out with such a power, but yet they come out with the ease of a graceful flow.

I hear gasps and remarks of amazement from the others, as right before my eyes, this man is healing. His skin pigmentation and body weight returns. His eyes begin to focus and his breathing becomes normal. I turn and look at Auron who still stands at the forefront of the crowd of others. As if to say, I couldn’t believe anymore than the others. I turn back around to see everything that began to heal on the man, now begins to retreat back to its previous decayed form and I can’t understand why.