Without (26 page)

My escorts weren’t amused by my defiance. A sharp pain shot
up my spine from the rifle butt being slammed into my kidney. I dropped to my
knees as a second blow to the back of my head sent my face into the floor. They
yanked my arms behind me, returning the restraints Rick had them remove a few
moments before.

“I won’t stand for that kind of language in this house of
God,” said Rick, coming down from the pulpit.

“God’s nowhere near this house, asshole” I said.

“Thank you, gentlemen,” said Rick, motioning his goons to
the door before they bashed my head in. “Wait for us outside. We won’t be long.
Gather the people around for the sentencing.”

“The sentencing?” I asked, hearing the door shut behind me.

“Yes,” said Rick. “I’m going to let the people decide your
fate. I made a promise to Kelly I wasn’t going to kill you. So I’m not.”

“But they are,” I said. “Your people are going to kill me.”

“It’s up to them,” said Rick. “And the Lord.”

“Enough, shithead,” I said. “It’s just us here. Drop the
spiritual leader crap. You raped Kelly and River, and you have stacks of bodies
buried in a field behind your house. Not exactly a holy man’s path to
enlightenment and favor of the Lord.”

“Ah, so, you did interrogate Scott,” said Rick. “I thought
maybe you would. It was a gamble taking the women, but I had a feeling he was
going to talk. He always had such a weak mind.”

“I’m not the only one that heard him,” I said. “The entire
town is going to know what you really are.”

“What am I?”

“A fucking lunatic, for starters,” I said.

“In your eyes maybe, but not in theirs,” said Rick, pointing
to the outside. “In their eyes, I’m seated at the right hand of the Father. I
give them food, shelter, and protection. They couldn’t care less what
you
think I am. The only thing that matters is what
they
think I am.”

“They’ll find out as well,” I said. “Eventually you’re going
to be tied up to that post in the courtyard. And if they don’t do it, you can
bet your ass my family will. They will come for you.”

“I know they will,” said Rick. “But they can’t beat me.
There are ten times more of my people than yours. They’d gladly give up their
lives to protect mine. I’m the only hope they have.”

“You’re an arrogant prick,” I said. “I’ll give you that. But
your little world is about to come crashing down around you. Kelly is never
going to be with you. She knows you’re a monster. She knows it was you that
attacked her and the others.”

“So what if she does?” said Rick. “As soon as I’m finished
with you, I’m sending them to kill your uncle and his family and bring Kelly
back to me. I’m going to do horrible, horrible things to her. And when I’m done
playing, I’m going to give her to my men. I don’t care about her. I just enjoy
fucking her and making her suffer. Put that thought in your head.”

“Oh, it’s there,” I said. “Don’t you worry about that. It’s
also what I’m going to be thinking about when I cut your throat.”

“I’d love to sit here and chat all night, but I have a
schedule to keep,” said Rick. “Shall we get started?”

“Let’s.”

We walked through the doors of the church to the front
steps. There had to be close to a hundred people standing quietly, waiting for
us. Half of them were armed.

The sun had set, but the aurora from the light storm
overhead cast a green hue over the courtyard. Unlike the storms of the past,
the light remained steady in its brilliance. There were no waves of color
rolling through the low clouds, and there were no sonic booms. There was no
need for torches or campfires either. It was as if a green sun had risen after
the yellow had set.

Parting like the Red Sea, the crowd cleared a path to the
post. As their modern day Moses held on to my arm, we walked slowly past them.
Most of the faces were angry. Some of them were morose. All of them looked
scared. I imagine the pastor painted a demonic picture of me for them. I was
the devil and he was their archangel, keeping me from eating their children and
stealing their souls while they slept. I was evil personified. I was the reason
why they needed him.

Shit
.
They are going to kill me
.

Two of his men cut off my clothes, leaving me shivering in
the cold air, wearing nothing but my boxers. As they shackled me to the post,
the crowd gathered around. Rick stepped onto the platform beside me ready to
address the mob. As he opened his mouth to speak, we all felt it coming.

Everyone covered their ears, familiar with the vibrating in
their chests. The ground shook as the sonic boom rocked the courtyard. The
great manipulator used it to his advantage.

“‘The adversaries of the lord shall be broken to pieces; out
of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the
earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his
anointed,’” said Rick. “That is the word of the Lord in 1 Samuel 2:10. Fear not
the thunder, my children. For it is the voice of God, standing with you in
judgment of this man’s desecration of our world. He leaves pestilence and
destruction in his wake. He is here to be judged by the righteous and the
believers who stand before him.

“How shall we cleanse our sanctuary of this demon? Who will
be the vessel through which our Lord reveals his fate?”

As if on celestial cue, a blast of wind kicked up the dust
in the courtyard. A wall cloud rose from behind the steeple of the church,
rolling across the green sky. Within the cloud, bolts of heat lightning illuminated
their faces as if they were watching fireworks. They were no longer scared –
they were terrified.

“‘Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be
like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with
thee,’” said Rick, trying to calm their fears of the display overhead. “Ezekiel
38:9, my children. Do not fear God’s wrath against this man. Embrace the power
of his acceptance of what we do here. When this evil is dead, this storm will
pass, leaving us in peace.

Two of Rick’s men standing in front of me whispered to each
other. One of them stepped up to the platform, walking behind me. He wrapped
his arm around my neck, pinning my head to the post. The other pulled a knife.

This is it. This is how I’m going to die.

I felt the skin tearing away from my wrists as I fought
against the shackles. My legs were bound to the post, leaving me defenseless
against the blade. He pressed it into the space between my collar bones,
pulling it down the middle of my chest and into my abdomen. Finishing the
cross, he sliced me open from armpit to armpit. As I felt the blood running
down my body, I knew this injury wasn’t meant to kill me – at least not
quickly.

Smiling, he carved two more crosses into my thighs, and one
on each arm. As if he were an artist painting on a canvas, he stepped back to
admire his work. Cheers and clapping erupted from the crowd, showing their
approval of the branding. When the man behind me released his grip, my head
fell forward. There was already a large pool of blood forming at my feet. I
watched as it inched toward the edge of the platform.

Wanting to join the execution, a man stepped out of the
crowd and walked up to me. After a short prayer he cocked his arm back, landing
a heavy punch to my nose. My head bounced off the post from the momentum, sending
white streaks across my failing vision. One by one, more spectators became
involved in the beating. Listening to the bones cracking in my face and chest,
I waited for the blow that would end this.

A series of thunder blasts from the light storm distracted
them from the task of beating me to death. Even through the excruciating pain
firing through my body, I felt it coming again. When the sonic boom unleashed
its power, every reinforced window in the compound exploded. The steady
illumination of the green hue morphed into a kaleidoscope of colors. Millions
of tiny streaks of light danced through the swirling clouds.

It was beautiful.

Rick used the display to encourage his followers to continue
their efforts. He told them it was God rejoicing at the slow death of the
devil. Through swelling eyes, I could see some of them dancing in the light.
Others were on their knees, praying. Closest to me, working their way back onto
the platform with wide eyes and heavy breathing were the executioners. After
several more punches, I heard one of them begin to scream. “Burn him! Send him
to hell already cookin’!”

All I could think about were the men I set on fire in
Atlanta. I remembered their screams as the flames consumed them. I remembered
the smell of their flesh sticking to my skin and clothes for days after. I
couldn’t think of a more horrific way to die.

Closing my eyes as I felt firewood being thrown at my feet,
I tried to slow my breathing and go somewhere else. I had to remember that if I
wasn’t there, Kelly, River, and Donna would be. It offered enough comfort for
me to drift away from the reality of my death. When I opened my eyes, torches
were being lit and Sam was walking toward me through the crowd.

“Looks like you’ve gotten yourself into quite a mess, baby,”
said Sam, smiling through tears.

“I have, sweetheart,” I said. “I thought I had figured a way
out, but I just ran out of time. Maybe this is my punishment for all the things
I did since you left me. I can’t say I don’t deserve it.”

“No, angel,” said Sam. “This has nothing to do with that.
This has everything to do with you coming home.”

“I’m scared, Sam,” I said. “Will you stay with me until it’s
over?”

“Of course,” said Sam, walking up the platform, standing in
front of me.

“I was hoping you’d find happiness with Kelly,” said Sam. “I
was hoping you’d have a long, peaceful life with her. That’s why we sent you
both here. It’s okay that you love her and that you’re going to miss her. Do
you understand me?”

“She reminds me of you,” I said. “How could I not love her?”

“They’re coming now, baby,” said Sam, losing her smile.
“Don’t fight this. It’ll be over soon.”

“I won’t fight,” I said, breathing faster. “Just stay right
here, okay. Just keep looking at me.”

She reached up for my face, putting her forehead on mine.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see the torches being hurled onto the
pile of wood at my feet. A wave of hot air rolled up my body, cutting through
the cold. I could feel Sam’s grip tighten on my face. As the flames grew,
searing my legs, I couldn’t stop trembling. This time is was fear.

“Sam, please!” I screamed over and over.

I didn’t know what else to say.

“It’s okay, baby,” said Sam, wrapping her arms around me.
“Scream; yell; cry; it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s almost over. It’s almost
over.”

I inhaled deeply, feeling the scorching air fill my lungs.
Pulling at my shackles, I wasn’t trying to escape. I only wanted to put my arms
around her.

A brilliant blue light blinded me as I tried to focus on
Sam’s face. I knew it was death coming to claim its elusive prize. When the
light faded the rain came. The deluge came down as if I were standing in a
waterfall.

All I could do was laugh.

I watched as my blood mixed with the water cascading over
the firewood, dousing their attempt at cooking me before sending me to hell.
Raindrops the size of marbles were being blown in every direction as the wind
started a relentless assault on the crowd. Even through the wall of water and
the dark clouds, the green hue intensified. It showed me how much blood I was
losing when it formed a large pool in the mud. Looking down at my body, my skin
was turning pale.

I saw two shadowy figures standing in the distance as the
confused mob scattered for cover. Between two waves of driving rain, I could
make out the faces of Sam and Earl. He raised his fists to me, letting me know
I wasn’t alone in this fight. I smiled through the hot wounds on my face that
were being cooled by the water.

Beside Sam and Earl, Rick was holding out his arms, trying to
motivate his followers back to the platform. Another round of sonic blasts
followed by a gust of wind pushed some of his congregation to the ground. Rick
stayed on his feet, but he leaned into the gust as if he were on the deck of a
ship during a gale. It was howling over my head.

Rick gave up the attempt at uniting his flock against me,
motioning for his remaining devout goons to march back to the platform. As they
fought against the storm, I kept laughing at them. They looked ridiculous
sloshing through the mud, carrying their guns to fight an unarmed man tied to a
post, dying in the rain.

“You suck at this!” I yelled at Rick, who was crawling up to
the platform. “They’re all watching you fail. I’m still alive, asshole. I’m
still here calling you an asshole. That’s gotta hurt.”

Turning to look behind him, he saw most of his people
cowering under the shelter, fixated on him. I hoped they were watching,
believing that God was proving to them that He was in charge, not Rick. A
lightning strike to one of the towers sent them diving for more secure cover.
Four of the six goons accompanying Rick turned, running for the safety of the
church.

“The only thing they’ll be watching is me driving my knife
into your heart,” said Rick, making it to his feet, pulling the long blade. “I
guess I’m just going to have to break my promise to Kelly. This has been fun!”

As he stepped onto the pile of soaked firewood at my feet,
he raised the blade high over his head. Rick wanted to make sure everyone saw
him killing me. I was staring at his eyes as he stared at the flesh over my
heart, aiming the blow that would finally finish me. When he brought it down,
the slippery pile gave way under his feet.

As the knife plunged into my leg, I winced through my
laughter. He rolled like a cartoon down the front of the platform, landing face
down in the thickening mud. As his men reached down to help, he swung wildly at
them, knocking one to the ground with him. The pain of my wounds eased as I
watched them struggle to get back to their feet. I couldn’t have asked for a
more entertaining death.

A fierce gust pushed the three men backwards, sending them
sliding across the slick ground. Rick had had enough. Through clenched teeth he
ordered the two shooters to bring the show to an end. As they crept forward, I
smiled.

“Thank God!” I screamed. “I can’t take much more of this.
You guys are killing me!”

Coming within twenty yards, they raised their rifles. Even
they couldn’t miss at that range. With nothing left in me, I exhaled,
surrendering to the moment.

I don’t think anyone heard the shot over the storm, but they
all saw it. As blood and brain matter from one shooter covered the face of the
other, he dropped into the mud. Before number two could figure out where the
shot came from, a bullet pierced his neck, severing his spine. He fell on top
of the other.

Making his way through the driving rain to the open shelter,
Rick turned to watch me die. He stood motionless, trying to figure out why his
men were lying on the ground. I was just as confused. Squinting to bring into
focus a face in one of the far towers, it became clear. It was Joey, taking aim
at the men at the gate. With thunder, sonic blasts, lightning, howling wind,
and driving rain, I could only see the bodies hit the ground. I never heard a
shot.

I watched as Joey crouched down, taking fire from the goons
who figured it out the same time I did. As splinters flew from the timbers, I
hoped it wasn’t a solo attempt at my rescue. I turned to see Rick and three men
running from the open shelter towards the church. It looked like they were
moving in slow motion against the wind in their faces.

Even as the roar of the storm grew louder, I was able to
hear a familiar sound. It was the rhythmic huffing and snorting of the steam
tractors. As the blood continued to pour out of me, I felt my head becoming
light. I figured it was the reason I was hearing the impossible – but seeing is
believing. Bruce and Parker had made the impossible happen.

I became a spectator in an arena. I watched as more of
Rick’s men joined in the firefight against Joey. When they understood it was
just one man, shooters came out of the woodwork. There had to be at least
twenty men pounding away at the tower. They became organized, moving several up
at a time as the others laid down covering fire. All eyes were concentrating on
removing the threat, but I could still feel Rick’s on me.

As I turned my heavy head to the left, I saw him taking a
weapon from one of his men. I watched as he loaded a round into the bolt-action
hunting rifle. Wrapping the strap around his hand as he lowered it, I could see
he was once again looking to end this. I shook my head as I watched him try to
steady himself on the steps of the church. I was confident he was going to
miss.

I was wrong.

As I tried to slide around the post, putting it between me
and him, the bullet tore through my left arm above my elbow. I couldn’t see the
new wound, but I could feel my flesh burning. (At least he missed the bone.)
Even through the wailing wind, I heard the second bullet pass inches away from
my right ear. He was trying to take me one piece at a time.

The tower where Joey was making his stand started leaning as
one of the thick posts gave way to the barrage of lead. More men joined the
unfair fight, elevating the number of shooters in the courtyard to thirty. I
ducked as the third round fired by Rick drove into the pole behind my head. As
I tried to slump down, the knife he left sticking out of my leg cut through the
flexing muscle.

My world became a dreamscape as I watched the fighting
unfold around me. More streaks of light in the swirling clouds mixed with the
thunder claps, turning the courtyard into a battlefield. It pained me to think
of Joey absorbing the hundreds of rounds peppering the tower. I hoped he had an
escape plan and that he was already on the ground, running for the cover of the
woods.

When the front gates toppled over, I had to blink several
times to clear the blood from my eyes and confirm what I was seeing. It was as
if two dragons had blown them over into the mud. They were magnificent.

I couldn’t see the faces at the helm of the two lumbering
giant steam tractors, but I knew Bruce and Parker were driving the monsters.
Each was encased in an iron box with small slits on the front to find their
way. A second iron box was perched above and slightly behind them. Through
another slit, the four foot barrels of the massive .50-caliber Browning machine
guns began to spit fire from the dragon’s mouths.

As the huge steel wheels dug trenches through the mud, the devout
followers of the pastor were sitting ducks in the open field. The guns showed
them no mercy as their bodies exploded from the impacts of the relentless
stream of fire. Puffs of red smoke hung in the air above them with each direct
hit. Most were cut down before they could turn and run. It was an impressive
display of brutal and violent firepower.

There was no safety once several of the armed flock made it
to the doors of the large enclosed shelter. Moments after they were closed,
they were shredded off their hinges. The rounds easily penetrated the wooden
frame, sending the roof down on top of the pile of bodies inside.
Systematically, one by one, each building that fired on the tractors was
pulverized by the dragons.

When the only thing moving was the rain and the wind, the
tractors turned their teeth towards the church. At the front gate to Fort God,
a dozen of J.D.’s men from the mountain came through, raising assault rifles
toward the last standing structure. I turned to watch as the men flanking the
pastor dropped their weapons, raising their hands high over their heads. There
were no hesitations by J.D.’s clan behind the triggers, putting several rounds
into each of them. As their bodies rolled down the church steps, Rick became
the last man standing.

Both tractors drove past me on either side of the post. With
exposed backs on the gun turrets, I could see J.D. and Tucker manning the
weapons. They turned to look at me as they went by. I understood why they
couldn’t stop for me. There was still work to be done.

The dragons jerked to a stop at the church stairs on either
side of Rick. With a wall of steam being released from pressure valves, the
doors on the iron boxes enclosing the drivers swung open. Uncle Perry and Kelly
climbed down with Bruce and Parker following. The two old-timers were coming
towards me. Perry and Kelly walked up to Rick.

It took one punch from Perry’s jackhammer of a fist to
crumple Rick to the stairs. Another followed for good measure. I couldn’t tell
if it was the sound of thunder or the bones breaking in the pastor’s skull.

He wrapped his arm around his throat, pulling him up to his
feet. I could see Perry’s mouth moving as he pointed at me. Standing behind
Rick, he picked him up off the stairs, choking him as he walked him down to the
mud. As his feet were kicking at air, Kelly pulled out my knife and stood in
front of him. She raised it over her head with both hands. I heard her scream
in his face as she brought it down, burying it up to the handle in his chest.
She stepped to the side as he fell to his knees. She wanted to make sure I
could see him fall by her hands.

He collapsed onto his face into the mud.

“I told you I’d whoop his ass,” said Parker, reaching me.

“Hold on, son,” said Bruce, unlocking my shackles. “We
gotcha now.”

They didn’t.

The shackles were the only thing holding me up. When I fell
forward, Parker wasn’t strong enough to keep me on my feet. As I hit the pile
of firewood, the knife in my leg tore through more flesh, severing an artery.
What little blood I had left in me was gushing out of the gaping wound.

I could see the fear in Parker’s eyes as he tried to put
pressure on my leg. His white shirt was turning red from the geyser coming out
of me. I looked past him, watching the reaper step onto the platform, laying
his icy hand on my shoulder.

All of the pain left my body as Sam lay down beside me,
wrapping her warm arms around my shoulders. Earl dropped to his knees, putting
his hand over mine. He squeezed, giving me a smile and a nod. As my eyes grew
heavy, the world started to fade into a pale fog. As if I were a mile away, I
heard Bruce screaming for Kelly to hurry.

She was fighting against the wind, rain, and mud to get to
me. With every stride she became more blurry as the pale fog turned brilliant
white. I was glad the last thing I’d ever see was her face. When she reached
me, my white world faded to black.