Sacred Flesh (16 page)

“I’m sure they do,” he says.

They turn and begin walking toward the exit. Suddenly, Cosward and Solor burst through the door with hand guns drawn.

“A deal’s a deal. Why did you follow us?” The One Who Turns shouts.

“Face the wall!” Solor yells.

“You realize I’ve had time to contact my superiors. They’re going to be FBI agents and police all over this place. You’ll never get out of here, killing us just digs you into a deeper hole,” Jill says.

“We can take care of ourselves,” Cosward says.

“You can’t kill all of us.
Elite
s are forbidden to kill other
Elite
s,” the One Who Turns says.

“You! Selling us out, I should kill you right now but as an
Elite
you are entitled to a trail before we hang you,” Solor says.

“Him too,” he says nodding toward Jim.

“Him?” Cosward looks at Jim. “He’s the first one to go, what the hell are you talking about?”

“He’s one of us; He’s from the lost bloodline,” the One Who Turns tells them.

“Bull! You’ve got to be kidding,” Cosward answers.

“No, it’s true He’s a lost
Elite
.”

“Hell of a time to show up lost
Elite
.” Solor says turning to face Jim. “You haven’t done the brotherhood any good causing all this trouble. Why couldn’t you just do the DNA testing? You could have just taken the payment and everyone would have been happy. Now look at what you’ve done, all this trouble is because of you!” Solor says.

“He didn’t know he was one of the lost bloodline. I just told him the other day,” the One Who Turns says.

“Still, he’s as guilty as you are, but as an
Elite
he has the right to a trial too.”

“Listen, there are very good and noble reasons for what we’ve done. Can’t you see that the mission of the
Elite
has been distorted? Don’t you remember the original oath? What’s happen to that? Where did the true message of Christ go? The
Elite
are suppose to follow it, it’s suppose to be the center piece of our existence!” The One Who Turns pleads.

“This isn’t the place for your arguments. This isn’t your trial, save it for then. You and Dunbar will go back with us. You!” Solor points to the Jill, “Face the wall.”

“No, Don’t! Why kill her?” Jim says.

“Because she’s an FBI agent what else am I suppose to do, buy her a sandwich?”

Everyone swiftly turns as the door slams open.

“You’re alive!” Jill yells in disbelief. as Go-man and Mountain Man stand in the doorway with two sawed off shot guns.

“Drop your weapons!” Go-man yells.

Cosward and Solor do so with a look of great bewilderment and defeat upon their faces.

“Knew these would come in handy someday,” Mountain man says smiling.

“How did you know?” Jill says running over to her friend.

“I followed you from the church,” he tells her.

“I thought they killed you,” Jill says.

“He hid out at my place,” Mountain Man says with a smile as she looks over at him with a mix of puzzlement and joy.

“They’ve arrested Cosward and Solor, the others have escaped. The main office and warehouse are empty,” the One Who Turns says as they meet back at the hotel.

“The doctor and the woman?” Jim asks.

“They must be in hiding. We can only assume that they will carry out the impregnation.”

“But not with the Sacred sample.”

“No, though they do believe it is sacred it is only ordinary human flesh.”

“I wish they could have got them all. Now with them in hiding, if they clone the sample they have it will be difficult to reorganize the
Elite
,” the One Who Turns says.

“Yes, but with this arrest won’t they be discredited in the eye of the members?” Jim asks.

“I hope so but it’s too early to tell which way the brotherhood will go.”

“The third sample is destroyed. The
Elite
have the first: what of the second?”

“I went to retrieve it but it’s gone. Maybe they destroyed it or lost it,” the One Who Turns says.

“Why would they destroy it?” Jim asks.

“Doesn’t matter, it was only ordinary human flesh. I’m not worried about that. What I want to do is try and rebuild the
Elite
into what it was originally meant to be: a vehicle serving the message of Christ. No one in their right mind will believe those fools in hiding. No one’s going to buy their story that they’ve have cloned a child from the DNA of Christ. They’ll be seen as nuts and laughed off. We can excommunicate them and begin to reorder the
Elite
mission, one not bent on power and revenge but upon the true compassion of Christ. Join me Jim. After all you are an
Elite
too,” the One Who Turns says.

“I’m a ‘maybe
Elite
’ I don’t know a lot has happened, but you may have a valid point.”

“You’re a smart man Jim Dunbar. Surely, you can see the road placed before you.”

“Yes, I can see it and I’ll help you as much as I can but first there’s some business I must attend to. So much has happened, so much more than I ever intended. All I’ve ever cared about was my work and look where it has gotten me. I just need to call my wife, we have a lot to talk about,” Jim answers.

“They’ve taken me off the case, too close to the action with my sister being the sample woman. But you know I almost don’t even care what happens to her. I’ve tried to save her so many times through the drinking, drugs and her abusive relationships,” Jill says as they stand on the sidewalk outside of a restaurant that Go-man has offered to buy a celebratory dinner for the both of them.

“Some people don’t want to be saved Jill. They just keep falling further and further. They have to hit rock bottom before they look up.”

“I still want to be there when they find her, alive I’m hoping; with mom and dad gone I’m the only family she has,” Jill says.

“I’ve had enough excitement for awhile. I’m not into chasing anyone,” he states.

“I’m not talking about chasing, but about just being around when they bring her in.”

“
If
they bring her in, The
Elite
are like vapors they can disappear pretty good when they want to. Oh, remember that cloth bundle I found?” he asks.

“What about it, what was it?”

“A key there was a key in it,” he says.

“A key to what?”

“Not anything I thought it might be. I told The One Who Turns about it and he took me back to the
Elite
offices. It seems Haggai had a secret liquor cabinet. He kept his booze in there the man liked to drink I guess and then there was something else too.”

“What?”

“A bottle of poison, he kept a bottle of poison in there and we noticed that it was opened, someone used it, maybe Haggai himself, maybe he was mixed up and thought he was taking a shot, maybe that lead to his death I don’t know.”

“Wow, that’s crazy, all those guys are nuts. I’m so sad my sister got involved with them I feel like it’s my fault I should have done more for her. I don’t know I just have to believe they’ll find her that’s all I have going for me right now.”

“You know, we could do this together if you want,” he says looking at her deeply.

“Aren’t you going back home to Europe? What about your inheritance?” she asks.

“That money was always based on lies. I want something that’s real.”

“Real?”

“Yeah,” he says stepping toward her.

“Well, if you’re going to stay in this country there are some things you are going to have to learn.”

“And you could teach me?” he asks.

“There’s a lot I could teach you,” she says with a wide smile.

21 Years Later

“You are the Son of Jesus Christ our Lord and Almighty Savior.”

“What?”

“I’m not kidding Eric. It’s true,” Jerome proceeds to fill him in on the origins of the Sacred Flesh from which he was cloned some twenty one years earlier. Jerome: his guardian protector assigned to him since birth, a combination of big brother and father always there making sure everything goes smoothly. Eric looked up to him throughout the years and how couldn’t he with Jerome a towering figure at six feet five, usually dressed conservatively in a dark suit, never allowing his hair to grow long enough to touch his ears or collar. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference he reminded him: be it a constant look or approach to an issue, never waver, pick yourself a good course and stay true to it no matter what. This he was told over and over as part of his preparation. He took it all in, knowing that the holy plan must continue forward and that as the young leader of the rightful
Elite
church he must be well prepared for his great role. Though over the years the message lost some of its import, why have they chosen me to lead this church? He asked himself repeatedly. What are they not telling me? He often found himself questioning his strange lot in life. He dare not speak it but at times when alone he wished he had more say in this predestined fate.

“Well, that explains a lot,” he says while sitting down in one of the three red leather chairs in Jerome’s office. Looking out the large window his mind is suddenly empty, not sure what to say or think, “I had a feeling something was different, I’ve always had an odd feeling about everything.”

“I know your upbringing has not been what one would call normal,” Jerome says sitting down across from him.

“Yeah,” he shakes his head.

“It had to be this way Eric,” Jerome says lending forward in his leather chair. “The secrecy, the moving around, it was all part of our plan. Please understand you had to be protected at all cost. We couldn’t afford to lose you.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” he says while continuing to stare out the window overlooking the large grassy meadows. These yards were his playground when he was a boy, at least when they weren’t moving him around the country. He played here for hours, mostly by himself, long before he had any idea of what the future held, a future that was carved out for him long before he was born.

“Believe these words. It is true. Your very flesh derives from the DNA of Christ our Lord. You are His son upon this ill and tortured Earth,” Jerome gets up out of his chair and bows down upon one knee. Eric, feeling embarrassed looks down at Jerome then again out the window, “I don’t know about all of this.”

Standing up, Jerome tries to assure him, “As such, you are the leader of the true and rightful church. You will be installed upon your Earthly throne in the official
Elite
ceremony. You must understand that the
Elite
have waited centuries for this glorious day. As the Son of Christ you possess the rightful title as the leader of His people on Earth. No one, especially Rome can dispute this; their power will soon mean nothing. We have the rightful claim!”

“The rightful claim, me? Well, what exactly do I do?” he asks while getting up from the chair and walking around the office.

“Not to worry, we the senior members will guide you upon theological decisions and other matters. It will understandably be a major shock to the world community when we reveal you to the masses. I’m sure there will be a period of great upheaval within the global community. Even those who do not consider themselves Christians will surely turn upon the wise path and follow us. How could they ever dispute the fact that you are the Son of Christ Almighty and as the Son of Christ millions will follow you.”

“Millions? Are you sure about all of this? You really think the world is going to stop and pay attention to this? Is there is proof? And why don’t I feel like the son of Christ, shouldn’t I feel different somehow? I mean right now I’m just debating if I should have chips or fries with my sandwich for lunch.”

“Yes we can quite easily prove it; we have all the test results from twenty one years ago. It’s clear proof. The other two samples were ordinary human flesh. Thus, the sample that you were cloned from was the sacred sample.”

“This all sounds so bizarre, I don’t know what to say. I feel like I should have something great to say but I don’t. I know you have been preparing me for this day but still it’s a lot to take in,” Eric says.

“To say the least, but first there is someone we must remove from the picture.”

“Who?”

“The pretender to your throne.”

“They’re going to be coming for you soon,” she says standing at the doorway of his room.

“I know. I’ve been expecting them,” he says turning toward her.

“Today is an important day Roland, important for everyone, you should be excited. Today you will begin your advanced training in order to assume your holy office. It’s not every day one prepares to become Pope.”

“But Popes are chosen by the conclave upon the death of the current Pope. I don’t understand. Everyone has been preparing me for this time but it still doesn’t feel right. I’m only twenty one years old what do I know about leading The Church?”