The Last Stand (Book 3) (The Repentant Demon Trilogy) (2 page)

BOOK: The Last Stand (Book 3) (The Repentant Demon Trilogy)
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A make-shift toilet
,
thought Cal.
 
What could that possibly be?

 

“Military complexes
,” Agent Foley continued, “
are located in secret bunkers throughout the mountain ranges from Colorado up through Montana and into Canada.  There could be intense fighting.  That is why we need you to stay put after December 24.  And we need you to stay silent about all this until then.”

 

“This is so wrong,” exclaimed Abigail, “You should be warning people so they could escape or set up shelters for survival.  Like we have here.  Why are we the lucky ones?”

 

“We don't know which cities are the targets,” he said.  “You can't evacuate half of the country.  Or in the amount of time we have.  The chaos would cause even more death.” 

 

“Oh, and there won't be any chaotic situations when it hits, I suppose?” she disagreed vehemently.  “And how will you tell people where they should go when communications networks will be gone?”

 

“We have ways,” he said, “Trust me, there are evacuation plans in every city.  They will be guided by local law enforcement agencies with the help of the National Guard.”

 

“And what if people come right to our gates?” asked Cal. “Are we going to let them in?”

 

“Of course, all will be admitted once they've been identified by the guards,” he said, realizing he'd slipped up and revealed too much.  “That's our purpose here—to save lives.”

 

“Identified?  How can they be identified?” said Cal, remembering his own ID's were fake.

 

“Because we already have facial recognition software for every man, woman, and child in the United States, legal or illegal.  It's not science fiction.  It's real,” he stated firmly, hoping that would be the end of
the discussion which was getting testy.

 

“Look,” he added, “we can have a nice philosophical discussion about the ethics and morals of this practice some other time.  It's out there, it's done, whether you like it or not.  I'm telling you that our intention is to protect people, not to snoop around for the fun of it.”

 

“And the owners of this place… are they going to be kept in the dark until December 24?  Or, will you just wait
for
all hell to break loose?” asked Abigail.  “Will you tell them the day before?  Five minutes before?”

 

“Maybe all hell won't break loose,” he said in reply.

 

“Oh, it's breaking loose all right,” stated Cal, with a knowing tone. 
This is what the angel Ashriel said would happen.

 

“We tried to buy the place from the McFarlands,” Foley blurted out, “but they wouldn't make a deal for the price we offered.  They
were
asking way above what the market
will allow
, since their loan is under water. 
They wanted
thirteen million.  Besides, they're better off here than wherever they would have gone if the sale had
closed.
  We had to confiscate it from them by right of eminent domain.  This is a national security issue, and it couldn't be done any other way.  Needless to say, they're pissed.”

 

“Imagine that, not liking the government taking your property and setting up a war zone on it,” said Abigail snidely.

 

“I'd be careful talking to them,” warned Foley, “because they're assuming you people are agents, too.  There isn't any other explanation for you guys moving in here.”

 

“Explanation?  Why not just tell them the truth?” complained Abigail.  “Maybe if they knew what was going to happen...  Oh, I get it, they
don’t
need
to know.  Well I think they have a right.”

 

“No they don't have a right,” shouted Agent Foley, losing his patience with Abigail's attitude, no matter how well he understood it.  “The only right any of you have is a right to life, as far as I'm concerned.  And if I can
manage somehow
to save your
asses,
then maybe you can have a
shot at
liberty and the pursuit of happiness along with it.  But
right to know
, that's not even in the Constitution.  Look it up, while we've still got an Internet.”

 

“Well maybe now would be the time to
inform
you that we've already told someone the whole story, and he's headed here shortly with his whole family,” said Abigail, defiantly.

 

“Oh, you must mean Officer Mike Edwards?” Foley
spat
back at her.  “You really think you are capable of pulling one over on U.S. Military Intelligence?  That’s what I was before Homeland Security came into existence.”

 

Abigail and Cal stared at him in shock and disbelief, and
perhaps more than
a little fear.  They had only discussed this in their apartment, which he
claimed
had not been bugged, and in the outdoor market area of the Delmar Loop where they often met with their police friend whom they loved dearly.  He had been with them from the beginning.  He knew of Cal's miraculous rebirth in the alley from that of a repentant demon to one of being fully human.  He had been the witness at their private wedding with Father Andrews in the church rectory. 
He
had
accepted the role
as Cal's baptismal sponsor on that same day,
essentially becoming his godfather.
  They had no desire to build a new world without Officer Mike in it.

 

“You forget that Mike Edwards was
an old
buddy of mine,” said Foley, a little calmer.  “How do you think it was that he called me when you confided in him about the terrorist plot you overheard in the library that day?  He told me about your plan to save him and his two adult children along with their families. 
Mike's
a good guy, and I personally gave him directions how to get here.  So you won't need to text him as you had undoubtedly planned.  He and his family are
arriving shortly
in two mobile homes and a smaller travel trailer.  They will
become
your
new
neighbors.”

 

As if to signal the end of their conversation, a government
van drove up pulling a small enclosed cargo trailer hitched to the back. It carried all of Cal and Abigail's personal belongings.  They had sold or donated their furniture.  With Abigail's car
on a dolly
behind it all, they must have looked like a small caravan
driving
along the highway.  The two drivers helped them carry in the neatly taped boxes, and in less than one hour they had unloaded everything into a big pile in
their
living room.

 

The men left the van behind for their personal use, going back to wherever they came from in Agent Foley's black SUV. 
Abigail and Cal didn't ask where they specifically went, assuming that they didn’t have a need to know.
  They just waved good-bye, as Cal held Angel in his arms.

 

While Abigail unpacked the dishes, pots and pans, packaged foods, and other boxes, Cal checked out the refrigerator and pantry they had been told were stocked with food.  It was all
government issued
canned goods and dehydrated meals.  Survival foods and lots of bottled water.  None of it was very appealing, but it would
provide
them survival.

 

“Abby, I don't see any fresh foods in here,” he mentioned.  “I know this will be fine once the hard times begin, but there's plenty of room in the freezer for meat and some bags of frozen vegetables.  Maybe even some pizza or ice cream.”

 

“I was thinking we should go into town to stock up on dog food,” she answered.  “Angel doesn't eat much, and she could probably live on just our scraps, but I'd feel better about her nutrition if she stayed with the same brand we've been feeding her.”

 

They decided to take the government van, just in case they found some sales.  The car she had inherited from Doug when he died was great on gas mileage, but a little small for stocking-up shopping expeditions.  Abigail wondered if they should buy baby supplies.  Their hope was to return home to Saint Louis well before July, but the way Rick Foley talked, they shouldn't count on it.  She bought a ton of diapers, dozens of sleepers, undershirts, and some baby blankets—blue ones.

 

“You know, I could feel guilty about spending taxpayer money for all this stuff,” Abigail half-way joked, “but we'll need
all
this if we’re stuck her until the baby comes.”

 

“Honey, we
are
going to be here,” said Cal, “you know that based on what the angel Ashriel told us.  We need to prepare long term.  If by some miracle it's all over before the baby
is born,
then
we can feel guilty
about living off the government’s dime.
  Right now
, I’m thinking
we should
go ahead and get a crib
.”
Then
he added, “Most of this other stuff… I don't even know what
it’s for
.”  Saying this, he held up a Boppy with a curious expression on his face.

 

“That's a pillow to use
while
breastfeeding,” she said.  “And I need it.  A blue one, of course.  And I guess we should buy a car seat too, although who knows whether or not we'll be able to go anywhere, much less
if
anyone will be
around to enforce
the child safety laws?” she considered. 

 

Soon they had two shopping carts full of stuff, and Cal decided to buy a fishing rod, becoming suddenly determined to
try his hand at the sport.  He considered buying a book called
“Fishing for Dummies”
but decided Mike’s family could show him how. 

 

“We should buy a gun,” said Cal,
before they had reached the end of the sporting aisle.

 

“We can't,” answered Abigail. “You need a permit to buy one.  And I'm sure Agent Foley will provide us with something when the time comes, if we need it.”

 

Cal eyed the display of rifles with anticipation in his eyes.  He looked like a boy checking out the new bicycles as his birthday approached.  Ready for battle, he was feeling every bit of
those
inherent instincts for war that had been
a part
of him throughout eons of his previous existence as a rebellious angel
in
Satan's
regime
.  This had somehow transferred over with his rebirth into a human being.

 

“Are you thinking you'd like to try hunting?” asked Abigail, watching him.

 

“I have no desire to kill little animals,” he said, “or big ones either, although I'm not
quite
ready to become a vegetarian, either.  I'm wondering about protection for us against the predators in the woods.  The ones Agent Foley mentioned.”

 

“We're not going to wander very far from the cabin,” she said. “I guess it is possible that a bear or something could find its way
into
our area.  But the military can probably provide you with something better than you could get here.”

 

Alco was Pinedale's answer to Wal-Mart.  It was a big superstore that included a large grocery section where Abigail and Cal stocked up on meats, vegetables, and some treats they knew they would appreciate once certain things became scarce; like pizza, cheesecake, Hershey bars, ice cream, and six bags of high protein dog chow.

 

“That should last Angel about three years,” laughed Abigail, pulling their third shopping cart to the checkout.  “
Good thing we took the van.
  I don't think all of this would have fit inside my car.”

 

They splurged and enjoyed an evening meal at a local eatery known for buffalo burgers, a first for both of them.  As if they
had done something to deserve
some type of instant karma, on the highway going home they faced an immense bison on the road.  It blocked their lane completely and snorted angrily at them.

 

“Do you think he knows we just ate one of his cousins?” joked Abigail, sitting patiently behind the wheel waiting for the creature to move. 
The creature
stared at her right through the windshield, glaring at her eye-to-eye.  She honked her horn, which was a mistake, but no one had warned her not to do so.  The animal charged powerfully into the front end of the vehicle, jolting them forward hard enough to frighten them.

BOOK: The Last Stand (Book 3) (The Repentant Demon Trilogy)
13.86Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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