THE WARNING A Novel of America in the Last Days (The End of America Series Book 2) (3 page)

DALLAS,
TEXAS

        
Pastor Jack Madison was worried. As a pastor and a Christian
he knew that he shouldn’t worry. He’d even given a sermon last year that he
entitled ‘
Is Worry Actually Atheism?’
.
He knew that the Lord had everything under control and that no weapon formed
against him could prevail long term. He also knew that sometimes it was His
divine plan that His children endure persecution for a myriad of reasons. He
also knew that His Word confirmed that persecution ultimately brought about
positive things in God’s children and would all be worked together for good.

        
Nevertheless, he thought, knowing all that, being fully
convinced of these truths, he was
still
worried. His wife, Allison, who knew him better than any human, had
double–kissed him this morning as he left for the church, saying “Jack,
I can tell
you’re concerned about being
indicted for hate speech. It’ll be okay. If they come after you, they’re really
attacking our Lord, and He’ll protect you….
even
if you’re in jail.”

        
As soon as Jack said, “Thanks
a lot
, Allie, for the encouragement. I’ve visited a federal prison,
remember, it’s not a pleasant place”, he regretted his response as not being
very Godly or loving. He needed to call and apologize, but maybe he’d let her
simmer down a little. He’d hurt her and he needed to make it right….in just a
few minutes. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury of the extra time, as his
assistant buzzed his phone with the message he didn’t want to hear.

        
“Pastor, I have three federal agents here to see you. Two
from the FBI and one from the Department of Homeland Security. Is this a good
time for you to see them?”

        
A
good
time for me
to see them? Was there ever a
good
time? Jack had been expecting this, ever since the thirty or so green-shirted
Civilian Conservation Corps Conservators visited his Sunday morning worship
services about a month before. In his sermon he strongly defended the
traditional Biblical view of marriage, as an institution created by God. The
local Dallas newspaper printed an article the prior week claiming that an
inside source at the Department of Justice confirmed that Pastor Jack Madison
was about to be indicted for hate speech. Not a good sign. Now that the feds
were at his door early on a Monday morning, he knew there was no doubt what was
about to happen. He was about to feel cold metal or plastic flexi-cuffs on his
wrists.

        
As Jack stood to greet his three somber-faced, dark-suited
visitors, he couldn’t help but recall the last time his office was graced by
FBI agents. While his dad was still in prison two agents had called on Jack and
tried to get him to pressure his father to take a plea agreement, admit his
guilt for his words aimed at the President in the campaign and hopefully get a
reduced sentence. Neither Jack nor his father succumbed to the pressure, which
Jack was now thinking was probably ‘a God thing’. If his father had ‘copped a
plea’ he would still be in prison, instead of his current status as a free man
in Tyler, Texas. He had to chuckle to himself as he sat back down at his desk
after greeting his official visitors. He was recalling when the Department of
Justice dropped charges against his dad after a jury panel ridiculed the
government’s case during preliminary jury questioning.
Sometimes
the good guys win, he thought.

        
“Gentlemen, what can I do for you,” Jack asked, still
smiling slightly from his memory of how his dad’s case was dismissed.

        
The lead agent, Andy Feltman, flipping his ID credentials
back in his pocket, was not amused. “Well, it may seem
humorous
to you, Pastor Madison, but I can
assure
you that we are
not
here on a laughing matter.”

        
“Oh, I’m
sure
that’s true, officer. My obvious enjoyment of the moment has nothing to do with
your visit, as I’m sure I’m about to learn. I was just remembering the last
visit to this office by federal agents. They tried to push me to
pressure
my dad into a plea bargain. To
get him to admit something he didn’t do, so that, in the words of one of your
agents, he would someday get to spend time with my children, his grandchildren.
I think you all know how that worked out. Remembering that federal fiasco was
what brought a smile to my lips. Sorry….Please get on with your….your
duties
.”

        
“To use your word, Pastor, it’s our
duty
today to inform you that you are to appear at the federal
court house, on Commerce Street in Dallas, three days from now, on Thursday
morning at 9 AM. At that time you will be charged with various federal crimes.
You will be arrested and booked at that time as a federal criminal defendant.
We’re here today to give you your Miranda rights and to make arrangements for
you to surrender peacefully on Thursday morning. Do you have any questions?”

        
“Well….yes, in fact….I
do
.
My attorney guessed that you would come to this office, the media in tow,
arrest me, handcuff me and ‘
perp walk’
me out of my church, taking me to jail. Why are you giving me the option to
just
show up
at the federal
building?”

        
“Your attorney’s guess very nearly happened, as I understand
it, Pastor. But, sir, just to be frank, somebody in the government, at some
level, I don’t have any details on who or what level, decided that it might not
look so good for a Pastor to be perp walked out of a church, so the plans were
changed at the last minute. Off the record, our regional office much prefers
this approach. We know you’re not a flight threat.”

        
“Gentlemen, I appreciate your kindness. I
do
. My lawyer and I will be at the
federal building Thursday at 9 AM, the Lord willing.”

        
“
Whoa
, wait a
minute, Pastor….what does
that
mean?
The Lord
what
? Is that some kind of
code
? Are you showing up or….”

        
“Agent Feltman, Christians use that phrase routinely when we
talk about the future. My plan is to be at the federal building in three days,
just as you requested; or demanded or whatever. The phrase, ‘the Lord willing’
simply means I know that I can make all the plans I want to make, but as
scripture says,
the Lord
directs my
steps.”

        
“So you’re not saying you may later get some
divine inspiration
to fly to Mexico or
Belize or…..”

        
“Of
course
not.
We’ll be there Thursday.” What Jack Madison didn’t know when he made his
promise was that someone in the federal government, upon learning that no
pastor perp walk was going to take place, changed the plan.

17
W. 16
^th
St., Manhattan

New
York City

         
The Margaret Sanger Birth Control
Clinical Research Bureau operated out of a three-story brick townhouse located
at 17 West 16
^th
Street in New York City for forty years, until 1973.
Twenty years later, in 1993, Congress designated it a national historic site.
Margaret Sanger advocated the use of birth control, in part, in order to
control the number of children born to racial groups she considered inferior or
“unfit.” She was an early supporter of Eugenics, a policy under which
African-Americans and others considered “unfit” or “feeble-minded” were
encouraged to abort their children. It was this location at which the President
announced his new policy on mandated abortion coverage under the nation’s
health care laws. He was joined on the stage erected in front of the Manhattan
townhouse by leaders of several women’s reproductive rights organizations, as
well as four female United States Senators known for their outspoken support of
the abortion movement.

        
“Ladies and gentlemen, and my fellow Americans, we are
gathered at this historic site today, not only to honor Margaret Sanger for her
pioneering work on behalf of women’s health, but also to announce a new
breakthrough in women’s health coverage in America. Today I am pleased to
announce that I will sign an Executive Order, here at this hallowed location,
reversing an Executive Order which many construed as being against women’s
health, an Executive Order that was compelled by the House, as many will
recall. As we all know, our Supreme Court has now upheld the right of the
federal government to require all employers to provide contraception coverage
to America’s women. The obvious next step is to ensure that America’s women
will now be provided full abortion coverage for unwanted pregnancies or for any
other reason. That coverage, following the Supreme Court’s precedent, and under
my new regulation announced here today, will be provided by
all
of our nation’s employers
, including
its religious employers and
their insurance providers, by federal mandate.

        
“When the initial contraception coverage mandate was issued,
there were some in the religious community, including many Catholic Bishops,
and others, who opposed my efforts to protect women who needed contraception
coverage. That is now
settled law
.
Based on that past history of political partisanship, which has
no
place
in the Church, I might add, I expect
more
of the same opposition by religious organizations against this new policy,
this expanded right for women to be able to control their
own
bodies.

        
“Let me just say this to America about the religious
organizations which I expect to assail our policy. We should not forget that
domestic policy in this country is set by the people who elect those of us who
hold public office, not by appointed religious leaders. In America we have the
right to worship
inside
the church,
mosque or synagogue, but we don’t have the right to tell others what to do
outside
of those religious buildings.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is out of step with this Administration and we
won’t abide such thinking. Not on
my
watch.”
 

        
Within forty-eight hours, several lawsuits had been filed
challenging the President’s newly announced abortion coverage mandate. None of
the law firms preparing and filing their briefs, however, gave their clients
any hope that the Supreme Court would reverse the President’s mandate requiring
religious institutions to provide abortion coverage to their employees. Thus,
America entered a new era of denial of religious rights, promulgated by the
executive branch, ignored by the legislative branch and affirmed by the
judicial branch; all very legal and all very wrong.

Home
of John and Debbie Madison

Tyler,
Texas

        
It was now three weeks since John Madison’s announcement as a
candidate for Governor of the Republic of Texas. The early response to the
announcement was overwhelming. The Madisons’ family room table was buried under
newspaper and magazine articles sent to them from friends and supporters across
the nation, even from around the world. John’s promise to remove Texas from the
union captured widespread attention. Their favorite was an article from a
newspaper in Japan sent to them by Debbie’s niece who was a missionary outside
Tokyo. The paper featured a color front page picture of the couple making their
Austin announcement, though the words were in Japanese.

        
John and Debbie had just finished dinner when the phone call
came from Chuck Webster, John’s long-time friend and attorney who had helped
him make it through his testimony before the Committee on the Judiciary of the
United States Senate. Chuck asked if John and Debbie were available for him to
drop over and “chat”. They were. Both liked and admired Chuck, not only for his
legal knowledge, but his courage in taking on institutions that abused
Christians in the workplace.

        
Once Chuck Webster had arrived at the Madisons’ home, he
wasted no time in telling them why he had dropped by to chat. “Debbie. John. I
take
no
pleasure in what I’m about to
share with you….”

        
“
Oh
,” Debbie
asked, “is everything alright
at home
?
With Dianna?”

        
“No, it’s
nothing
like that. I’m here to talk about
the two
of you
…..You probably don’t know it, but I’m quite close to a federal agent
with whom I attended college. We played soccer together. He was best man at our
wedding. A good guy.”

        
John inquired, “Do you mind if I ask
which
agency?”

        
“I wish I could say, but, as you’ll soon understand, I just
can’t divulge where he’s currently working. His offices are in DC. He’s close
to the top of his division within his agency. One of only a small handful of
law enforcement types at his level in the federal government. That’s really
about
all
I can say. Sorry.”

        
“
Wow,
Chuck,
you’re making this sound
serious
.
What’s up?”

        
“Serious is an
understatement
.
My friend was in a room in DC last week when you and your candidacy came up and
both were
extensively discussed
.”

        
“Got their
attention
,
huh? It’s about time. They certainly got
my
attention when they arrested me here at my home and then locked me up in a
federal pen in Oregon. Hours away from Debbie.”

        
“Technically, John it wasn’t a penitentiary, it was a
minimum security facility. But, we’re digressing. You
were
mistreated. No question, John, but what the government has in
mind for you now is
significantly worse
than what you were put through then.”

        
“
Worse than arrest and
imprisonment
? How could that be, Chuck?”

        
“Try
death
, John.”

        
Debbie cried out, “Chuck,
what
are you
saying
?”

 
       
“Here’s
what I learned. My friend has told me that not only were you discussed and your
candidacy extensively evaluated, but a solution was agreed to for what they
called the Madison Problem.”

        
“Chuck,” John asked, “Exactly what is
the Madison Problem.?
”

        
“The agency’s polling in Texas shows that you will likely
win
the GOP nomination and be
elected Governor
of Texas. They also
believe that you will be able to persuade both Houses of the Texas Legislature,
a majority of the 150 members of the House and the 31 members of the Texas
Senate. The agency is certain, within a reasonable degree of political
certainty, that is, that Texas, under your leadership, will actively seek to
withdraw from the union
.”

        
“So, that’s
great
news….right, Debbie?….They even know in Washington that I can
win this race
.”

        
“John….
Stop
….You
need to hear the rest before you raise your hand to take the oath of office.
The people in the room, at the meeting that my friend attended, arrived at a
decision. Seceding from the union has a bit of a taint to it, especially in the
capital city of that union. South Carolina in December, 1860 withdrew formally
from the union, beginning a trend that ended in the Civil War. They’re
not
going
to allow you
to lead Texas to
secede
from the union.”

        
“Well, then, let them run a candidate for Governor who runs
on a platform to
keep
Texas in the
union….then….we’ll see who
wins
.”

        
“John. John. Don’t you
get
it
yet? They can’t take a chance of Texas seceding, or even getting close
to it, because it will almost certainly lead to a bloody war. Think of a second
Civil War. The government in Washington
must
defend
the union, as did Lincoln, and it will do it with
all
of its massive military resources.
The Texas National Guard, John, is no match for….”

        
“I get that, Chuck, but this
isn’t
the 1860’s, after all. It’s….”

        
“John….the agency decided that to keep you from even coming
close to leading Texas towards secession that
you will be taken out
. Their view? The choice is one death….
yours
….or maybe
hundreds of thousands
. Look how many died in the Civil War.”

        
John Madison was quiet, contemplative; then scared; then
angry, livid even. “Chuck, I assume that you were sent here by the un-named
agency where your buddy works, to try and
intimidate
me, to
scare
me. The scared part
worked, briefly, but
I’m not intimidated
….You
can tell your friend that I said to tell them to….”

        
“Wait, John, you haven’t heard it
all
. I was told that if you’re still a candidate in thirty days,
you,
and Debbie
, will be killed in
such a way that it appears to be an accident. These people are
good
at what they do, John. They know
how to remove people from the earth. Did I mention that they are
very good
at what they do?”

        
“
Debbie? Why Debbie
?
I’ll fight them forever,
but Debbie?
I can’t belie….”

        
“Don’t you think they know that you’ve got
more guts
than the average gutty guy?
I’ve thought about what I was told. I’m sure that the threat to take Debbie’s
life was developed because they concluded that
without it
you would continue as a candidate. They would rather see
you withdraw from the race than to have to kill the two of you, but my friend
assures me that the decision has been made.
It
will happen
, unless you bow out of the race. You pick the date and the
withdrawal words,
as long as
you do
it within
the next month
.”

        
Debbie, reaching over and holding John’s hand, said, “Chuck,
we
value
your friendship. We know you
came to us to try and
save us
from
harm. Thanks
so much
, Chuck….Is there
anything else you haven’t told us?

        
“One more thing….Kind of important….My friend was
indescribably upset
to learn that his
government, the institution he has served for over twenty five years, planned
to kill Americans
. No charges. No judge.
No jury. Just
death
. Next month,
about the time you withdraw as a candidate, which
I’m
sure
you
will do
, he’s going to take
early retirement
. He
won’t
be a part of any government that
plans to take out its own people. So, there are still some good people in DC, I
just don’t know
how many
, any more.”