Chapter Two

     A week later most of the guys on the ranch had a day off and decided to spend it downtown. Will Elliott had been given special concessionary tickets for the game between the Ozark Colts and the Mountain Lions. He would treat his dad and his dad's buddy, George, along with Carl, Charley and his own reporter friend Brent, to the best baseball game in the South as he claimed.

     Sam Junior said he would 'hold the fort' back at the ranch along with Byron one of the two stable foremen, so as the others could get to the game.

     It was a warm Thursday evening and a pleasant breeze was blowing and the strange phenomenon of the previous week had all but been forgotten. The media had reported it as a sign of global warming and freak weather and also, as being due to unusual solar flares.

     They were all in a jovial mood as they set off on foot through the town towards the stadium and it seemed as if they hadn't a care in the world.

     The town was alive with activity. Many people were out walking in the public park, as the night was so beautiful and calm. Birds sang and crickets chirped in the pleasant breeze.

     In the park some youngsters threw Frisbees and yet another group was playing with a football. Some were courting and others disco danced to music from a live group that was playing at the bandstand near the lake in the park.

     Fort Wayne seemed to the world like any other normal small southern town but despite all this seeming normality, there was something sinister and uncanny hanging over the town. Sam and Young Will and the others felt this eerie atmosphere but as they were all baseball fanatics they were determined to put it to the back of their minds and enjoy themselves.

     Sam had always tried to live according to Christian principles and live his life in keeping with the Holy Scriptures. He had brought up his seven sons and two nephews to do the same. Sam knew that these were strange and unique times that they were living in and his pastor Steve Tyler had told them to get ready for the Lord's 'second coming.' Pastor Steve had spoken about the need to be ready to go when the rapture came.

     The pastor thought that the things that had been taking place recently were definite signs that the Lord was coming for the church any day and had told everyone to be vigilant, as things were starting to happen here on earth. Sam had misgivings about the rapture but kept these thoughts to himself.

     There were many other signs of the coming tribulation, birds migrating at the wrong time of the year and buds ripening in various plants when they shouldn't, to name but a few. There was unprecedented unrest in the world especially in the Middle East and a war was looming with China and Russia. There was also unusual seismic activity in some of the west coast volcanoes, and volcanoes through out the world that were long thought to be asleep for good. The unprecedented darkening of the sky the previous week had spooked many people and some had seen it as a mini warning of the things to come.

     Sam's folks had always believed in the rapture and he'd heard about it all of his life. They had always held the belief that the church would escape the tribulation and reign of the anti-Christ and that they would be taken away. caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds and would miss it all. Sam was unsure of this but knew that they all needed to make a strong commitment to Jesus.

     Sam had had a difficult life and had lost his wife Lisa in a car accident seven years previously, leaving him with young children to raise on his own. Next his brother Rick and sister in law Yvette died in a car smash leaving two young sons that Sam immediately adopted as his own. It had been tough but he was getting there and his sons and nephews were turning out to be really fine young men.

     Things had been changing recently though and new laws and legislations had been passed almost over night. A new peoples' hero had arrived on the world scene recently and was being idolized and worshipped as the new savior of the world.

     He had taken the world by storm and appeared to have all the answers to the world's ills and problems.

     Everywhere there were stickers and posters, magazines and tapes about the so-called new messiah, a very strange and sinister person referred to simply as the 'guru'. He had been taking the world by storm with his apparent words of wisdom. His writings and teachings were everywhere and were being eagerly sought after by his large following of old and young alike. He was however seen by others as just another fad and new age preacher and would soon pass like all other fads.

     Pastor Steve however was totally against the guru and preached against his teachings from the pulpit. He was at first reluctant to believe that the guru was anything else other than a false prophet as he thought the church would not be around when the anti-Christ made his appearance.

     The mayors of Fort Wayne and Silver Creek had come on television and told everyone that Fort Wayne and its twin town of Silver Creek had been chosen to try out the biochip the new identification system.

     Mayor Towers of Fort Wayne sang the benefits of the biochip and urged everyone to have it inserted without delay. They proudly showed everyone the sites on the inside of their right hands where they had theirs' implanted. Both assured everyone that the chip could not be felt in anyway. It was safe, painless and totally hypoallergenic and was so tiny that it could not be detected once implanted except by the use of a special scanner. The benefits would be untold and it was as they both said, 'the way forward and a sensible choice'. All of the city workers and all public workers in the two towns had been urged to receive this biochip or biomark. Special bonuses and perks had been promised to those who complied.

     Most people didn't care about anything else except their own materialistic pursuits and interests and went their own ways and remained far from God.

     The guru seemed to have an immediate answer to all of the world's problems and he wowed almost everybody. Posters of the guru were springing up everywhere and all the mainstream magazines had snippets of his writings and teachings in all their editions. Most newspapers also carried stories about the guru and printed interviews and favorable information about him in every detail.

     Sam's buddy Randy, who also happened to be the editor of the Fort Wayne Gazette, was also a committed Christian. He had totally refused to have the guru, his writings and teachings or anything about him whatsoever, near his newspaper. Randy was quite adamant about this and refused to have any truck with the so-called guru.

     As Sam and his friends approached the gates to go into the park they saw Old Ron the elderly street evangelist who was a well-known figure in the town. He suffered from MS but the disease had been in remission for some time according to his pastor son.

     The old man stood at his usual haunt on the corner of the street just before the entrance to the public park. He had a microphone and was singing some spiritual song with the aid of some lovely background music. It lilted through the evening air and sounded soothing and pretty. Ron stopped singing as Sam's group approached.

     Charley went up to him a huge grin on his face.

     "Howdy Ron! Y'all getting ready for the rapture?" Joked Charley.

     Sam shushed Charley at this comment.

     Ron ignored Charley and bowed his head in silent prayer but looked up as the boys were almost past him.

     "Evening Mr. Jeffries." Said Sam.

     Ron strained his eyes for a better look and smiled as he recognized Sam.

     "Evening Mister Elliott."

     "How are you doing Ron?" Sam asked.

     "Do you see this building?" Ron asked as he pointed to a building that was still under construction.

     "Y'all know what this building is for?"

     "Here we go," Laughed Charley.

     Ron gave him a severe look and Charley felt Ron's eyes bore through him.

     "We were kind of wondering ourselves what it was." Sam replied.

     "It's where cops go to have brain transplants." Joked Charley.

     "It's for to do the work of the beast and lure those that are far from the Lord into the abyss." Ron stated with authority as he handed out tracts to the boys.

     "Could start with Old Willard down at the Precinct." Continued Charley laughing.

     "Shhh Charley! Don't wind the old guy up." Whispered Sam.

     "Prepare ye the way of the Lord!" Old Ron started shouting to the other passers by as he handed out Gospel tracts.

     He stopped and gave Charley another severe look.

     "You mister! It's time you accepted the Lord and got yourself saved." Declared Ron.

     "Sure Ron. I'll look into it!" Exclaimed Charley folding his arms and grinning.

     Charley nudged Will and listened amusedly to what Ron was saying.

     "The days of the tribulation are upon us. The beast is in our midst!"

     "Oh heck! Here we go again." Whispered Charley amusedly.

     "Who is in our midst Ron?" Asked Sam.

     "The anti-Christ foretold of in Holy Scriptures is here captivating the hearts of our people. They listen to his tapes and watch videos of him and wear his symbols. They worship both this man of perdition and his image! Look at them as they meet in his name in the park and display and promote his teachings. This very building here is to be used as a chip implementation center. The scene has been set for 'his time' and the chips are in place ready to be deployed." He told them.

     "It will all happen quickly and most people will be taken unaware." Ron continued.

     "Who is the anti-Christ?" Carl asked him curiously.

     "Are you stupid or just plain stubborn?" Thundered Ron.

     "The guru is the anti-Christ and the great persecution is upon us." Continued Ron.

     "How do you know that?" Asked Carl.

     "Because the Lord told me. How do you think?" He replied.

     There was something in Ron's statement that precluded mockery or amusement.

     Sam was interested in all Old Ron had to say and questioned him further.

     "Ron what makes you think that he is the beast?" Sam asked him.

     "Believe me brother. He is the man of perdition foretold of in the Book of Daniel and throughout Holy Scriptures and very soon you are going to see bloody persecution. This country will be taken over because of its many sins and particularly because of its many abortions and sins of the flesh. Many will take the martyr's crown. Prepare to flee as soon as he makes his declaration, as there will be no time to sit on the sidelines anymore. Time is short so make yourselves ready." Warned Ron.

     "I thought the church was to be raptured before he made an appearance." Asked Carl.

     "We will see the man of perdition believe me." Ron told him.

     "Everyone living will experience the tribulation but those who hold out to the end and win through without taking the mark of the beast or worshiping him or his image will receive their reward. The Lord will end the tribulation with a fiery comet and then those who persevered in their belief in Him will be caught up to meet the Lord as He ends the tribulation and renews the earth, heralding in the era of peace."

     The guys were silent even Charley. Sam knew that underneath Charley's entire tough guy image there was a good guy who was seeking the Lord and his joking was just a cover.

     "You boys are all needed to do the Lord's work. You must all accept Jesus now without question. He has plans for all of you. Even you moonshine boy!" He said pointing to Charley.

     "You need to take your wife's good lead and follow her example and get baptized. Your half baked pretend commitment is no use." He told Charley.

     "You burned crosses long enough now you must follow the road of the cross. You need to listen to your wife and get baptized. The Lord needs you." Ron told a stunned Charley.

     Then he turned to Carl and addressed him severely.

     "Time you turned to the Lord! You have many icons of idolatry in your life and these will lead you to perdition and eternal darkness. The swastika isn't going to attain salvation for you, so put aside your hatred and accept Jesus. The whole of mankind without exception are the sons and daughters of God our loving father. He loves every one of them, even you with your hatred of some of his children. Find the Lord now, as time is short. There is someone that awaits you to help you, and both you and the hooch maker there need to accept baptism from him. Someone you both persecuted at one time because of your sinful racist pasts will set you in the right path. Ask the Lord to enlighten you, for if you continue on the path that you are on you will fall into the clutches of the anti-Christ and Sam there who has protected you for so long will be powerless to help you." Ron said.

     Sam had taken Carl away from a life of crime and given him a job and tried to get him away from his ingrained neo-nazi beliefs. He also had tried to keep Charley away from crime.

     Carl said nothing but was as much taken aback as Charley had been.

     Ron then turned to Sam and George.

     "Sam one of your young men is planning to betray you to the beast regime. He is ready to turn all of you over to the cohorts of the new world regime. Even now he is in their pay and has their ear. Look at his new and inexplicable affluence and that will be a sign to you that what I say is revelation and truth. He is reporting back on you and yours. Be careful! Trust only in Jesus Christ and no other. Be ready to go whenever the anti-Christ makes his proclamation. Things are happening under your noses." Ron told him.

     Ron then turned to George.

     "Engineer! Watch your dam! Check it as soon as you can and watch your confidants. The Lord's wrath is going to hit this town and you need to be vigilant." Ron declared.

     "Sam! Yes you suffered more than you tell people but that will stand in your good in your resistance of the anti-Christ. You will be a light to others but you must keep close to the Lord. The regime that is coming will be many times worse than the communists. You fought against them and you will be greatly needed in the coming tribulation."

     Sam said nothing but was obviously stunned. Ron turned away from them and started preaching loudly again.

     "Prepare yourselves for the wrath that is to come. Even now they plot and they scheme to claim your very souls! Stand and be counted before it is too late. Watch for more signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and watch out for the Lord's great sign in the sky a symbol of the tribulation. They have glossed over these things as being the result of global warming and said that it is all due to freak weather conditions worldwide." Ron yelled.

     "That is what they want you to think. Don't listen to them! We know the truth! It has started! Even now the world military police force is poised ready for martial law to be declared. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place. All these are the beginning of the labor pains. Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another." He roared.

     "Be vigilant and decide for Jesus now before it is too late."

     Charley listened without laughing this time and the others thought deeply and were profoundly disturbed at what Ron had told them.

     They walked on through the town along the main street and saw yet another stall set up in support of the guru. A young man with a loud hailer and decked in guru paraphernalia was about to speak when they started to pass. Another guru supporter approached Will and tried to put a guru hat on Will's head. Will very politely brushed him aside and continued to walk on.

     "Are you brushing aside the guru?" The young man asked in shocked disbelief.

     "You bet I am." Answered Will.

     "But why? He is the fountain of total enlightenment."

     "Oh we don't think so." Will replied.

     "We'll soon do away with your kind." Shouted the man with the loud hailer.

     "This is our time now! This is the new age of the guru!" Retorted the aggressive young man.

     "This is the guru's time now. No other beliefs are necessary." He declared.

     Carl approached and got in between the aggressive young man and Will.

     "What about you brother?" The young man inquired.

     "I'm not interested thank you. I have my own beliefs."

     "There are no other beliefs!" Yelled the guy with the loud hailer.

     He tried to stick the hat on Carl's head this time. Carl raised his hand and blocked the young guys action.

     "Come on guys let's get out of here." Sam ordered.

     "I find this whole thing objectionable and Godless smacking of new age beliefs."

     "We don't need God we have the guru." A girl snarled at Sam.

     Sam looked at her.

     "You'll learn. C'mon guys! Let's head for the game. I want a hot dog!" He said.

     They turned and walked off in the opposite direction and exited the park.

     They had to walk past Old Ron again and they noticed that a police patrol car had slowed down and one of the officers had rolled down the window and was shouting something to the old man. The guys approached.

     "Gee that's Joe Willard." Charley observed.

     "What is that degenerate wanting with the old guy?"

     As they got nearer they heard Willard, an unpopular police sergeant, telling Ron to move.

     "If you are still here when I come back up Old Man then we'll run you in for disturbing the peace." He rasped as he pointed his riot stick at Old Ron.

     "Am I hearing right? Is he threatening that old guy?" Sam asked the others.

     "Sounds like it." Said George.

     "Willard would threaten his mother!" Laughed Charley.

     "Sue tells me that Willard and his teacher wife Myra hate all religion viciously."

     Willard and his partner Jack Dixon didn't see Sam and his group at first and continue to harangue the elderly evangelist.

     Ron stopped praying and looked Willard straight in the eye.

     "Anyone who worships the beast or its image, or accepts its mark on forehead or hand, will also drink the wine of God's fury, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath, and will be tormented in burning sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb. The smoke of the fire that torments them will rise forever and ever, and there will be no relief day or night for those who worship the beast or its image or accept the mark of its name." Thundered Ron with renewed authority.

     "Wrap it old man!" Sneered Willard.

     Ron pointed his finger at Willard.

     "Without God and without hope!" He shouted with renewed strength.

     "You are in their pay! You have taken the mark of the beast!" Ron accused.

     "He is the beast. He don't need no mark!" Charley chortled silently to Sam.

     Willard knew that Charley was laughing at him.

     "You Jackson. Your days are numbered mister!" He told Charley.

     Charley laughed and folded his arms and grinned defiantly at Willard.

     "And you old man! We'll soon put folk like you where y'all belong in the first lunatic asylum we can find. In fact we'll create special places for religious nuts like you."

     Sam spoke up in utter outrage. Willard spun round at Sam's voice.

     "As far as I know we still have freedom of religion and expression in this country! At least we did when I got up this morning Sergeant!" Sam declared.

     "Hey! Leave him alone Willard!" Shouted Charley.

     "Go look for some real crooks." He added.

     "Y'all want me to run you in instead of him Jackson?" Snarled Willard.

     "Wouldn't be the first time." Laughed Charley.

     "Leave him alone and go chase some tax men." Laughed Charley.

     "Someday Jackson! Someday!" He snarled.

     "Yeah and someday I'll feed you to the biggest gator I can find down at Sherman Swamp!" Answered Charley.

     Sam got in front of Charley pushing him away from Willard lest Charley said anymore and was arrested.

     "This man is not doing anything wrong Officer Willard. You have no right to harangue him in any way." Sam told him heatedly.

     Joe Willard didn't answer Sam but spat out of the window. He turned to his partner and muttered something, then slowly rolled up his window, started up the patrol car and drove off up the high street. He was wary of Sam and his standing in the community and he knew Sam was a friend of the mayor and the chief of police and of a few other police officers. He was also a member of the town council and had a brother who was a police sergeant.

     Sam turned to Old Ron.

     "Are you alright Ron?" He asked.

     "Yes Mister Elliott. He is a bad man and has already given himself over to the service of the beast. He and his wife and many others have already taken the mark in secret and are under the control of the beast regime. He is working for Satan now Mr. Elliott."

     "He won't bother you now." Sam said stuffing some dollar bills into Ron's top pocket.

     "Ron! Go and have a meal on us. I know you don't eat as you should." Sam said gently.

     "Mister Elliott I will be fine. You don't need to do that."

     "Go and have a nice meal and by that time Willard will be off duty."

     "You are a good man Sam. You and your brothers and your sons and nephews are pleasing to the Lord Jesus. Watch out Sam! They will come soon and order everyone to take the mark of the beast. It is being done in secret right now. Your own policeman brother will have to be careful at the precinct. Terrible times are upon us. The people of this country are going to lose their freedoms because of their many sins of abortion and their greed and materialism and their many, many sins of the flesh and violence. The abuse of children and the abuse of drugs are going to bring judgment on us all. Get ready to go. You will need to flee to the hills as the bloody persecution will come upon us like a raging, roaring torrent." Ron told them.

     "I believe all that Ron and I know these times are very near."

     "They are here not near!" Ron corrected him.

     Just at that they were all distracted by a commotion among the crowd. A convoy of military vehicles was coming up the main street. Everyone stopped to watch.

     "What is this?" Sam said curiously.

     "Ain't our lot anyway" Said George referring to the Marine Corps.

     Don't look like the army either!" Carl remarked.

     These three ex military men turned round to look at the military convoy and try to identify them.

     "The Russians have invaded!" Will joked.

     "Think they are UN troops." George said.

     "Must be on an exercise. There was something about that in the papers."

     "Not in our paper." Commented Brent.

     "Definitely the Russians." Will joked further.

     "These troops have been duped into becoming the army of the anti-Christ!" Ron told them.

     "Watch out over the next few weeks and you will see them take over all civic responsibilities and even the police force and the FBI. God help us." Retorted Ron.

     The guys said nothing but continued to look at the convoy. They saw some guru supporters run out to some of the vehicles and throw flowers at them. Some of the drivers slowed their vehicles down so as they could receive the flowers personally. The guru supporters cheered wildly.

     The boys particularly noticed Joe Willard and his partner Jack Dixon standing back grinning at this spectacle. They were further perturbed to see some of the military vehicles displaying rosettes and stickers of the guru.

     The guys stared after them with disquiet in their hearts. They had to go. as they needed to get to the stadium and so took their leave of the old evangelist and started to walk away. Charley turned to Ron and stuffed some money into his pocket also.

     "Hey Ron! We got to go but if Old Willard touches you I'll beat him senseless and feed him to the gators down at Sherman Swamp!" Charley said grinning.

     Ron caught him by the sleeve and dragged him back.

     "Thank you brother but you are going to be needing all your money very soon to do the Lord's work. You are to go now and stock up all those stills and dens of yours and turn them from dens of iniquity to remnant refuges. You will need food, clothes, medical supplies and sleeping bags, camp beds and fuel, candles and blankets and anything else you can get a hold of. Go and get ready as the tribulation is upon us and there isn't much time. Oh and except Jesus totally! Again I tell you that your partial commitment is no use any more. You need to accept baptism and it will be offered to you. Now get busy before it is too late. The Lord had designs upon you and has need of you. The wolves are at the door and the man of perdition is here in person, crouched and waiting! Oh how you will have to shelter and hide when the bad times come but the Lord Jesus will be your help. Now get ready it is nearly time. Be careful and don't trust anyone with the mark even relatives and friends."

     Charley stared at him in disbelief at the mention of stills and dens. "Stills? Dens? How did you...?" Charley did not get finishing his question.

     "Your late mother's prayers have helped you more than you know. Now get busy boy!"

     Charley stared wide-eyed at Ron totally stunned at what Ron had said to him.

     Nobody except maybe four close friends knew about his stills or his dens. Most people knew that he had one still but thought it was just a mash barrel in the forest and did not know about the three sophisticated distillation buildings he had hidden in the hills.

     Only three people knew about his dens, which were a throw back to the days before he met his wife, when he was definitely always on the wrong side of the law. Charley's mother had died when he was six. Old Ron could not have known all this without some sort of prophetic wisdom.

     At this Ron turned his back on the group and started proclaiming the word of God aloud.

     "Make straight your paths before the wrath of the Lord comes How much more do you expect our loving Father to take?" He yelled Charley and the others walked off in the direction of the stadium

     Sam was disturbed as he was beginning to think the guru might be the anti-Christ after all. He was making his appearance and the church hadn't yet been raptured.

     "How'd he know about me?" Charley asked Sam.

     "It is said that lie has the gifts of prophecy and revelations." Sam replied.

     "He told George to watch out for his dam and seemed to know about Carl's violent past and that I was in danger of being betrayed. He couldn't know that George was the chief engineer at the power plant and dam over looking the town." Continued Sam.

     George spoke up.

     "Pastor Steve said that Ron has the gifts of discernment, prophecy and revelation. He is filled with the Holy Spirit." George continued. When they reached the stadium they got hot dogs, beer and popcorn and took their seats.

     Despite Old Ron's prophecies and dire words they were in jovial moods. Charley had noticed the Chief of Detectives Gene Washington among the spectators. He nudged Sam and grinned amusedly over at Washington. Gene glared at Charley and looked away. Charley was a thorn in the flesh for the sophisticated detective and try as he may, he could never manage to pin moonshining charges on Charley nor find any of his stills. Charley always outwitted him.

     The boys got more beer and settled down to enjoy the game. They were avid baseball fans and regulars at the baseball ground. They waited in anticipation for the game to begin. There was a roll of drums and they all stood for the National Anthem.

     Instead of the National Anthem a strange mantra was chanted by whole sections of the crowd. People started looking around in disbelief gazing at each other and asking what was going on.

     "What in God's name is going on here?" Demanded Sam in a very loud voice.

     "It is the grand invocation of the guru the chant of wisdom and harmony." Explained an elated guru supporter who happened to be near Sam.

     "What about the dogonne National Anthem?" Sam yelled irately.

     "Oh we don't need that now! We don't need national anthems anymore and we don't need national flags either." The guy answered.

     "You want me to come over there and teach you some manners?' Sam roared.

     The man backed off. The guys all looked at each other. Other people among the spectators were looking perplexed and bewildered. A murmur went up in the crowd.

     "Are we going to stand here like tailors dummies and let them get away with this?'' Yelled Sam.

     "I agree with you Mister." Said a youth.

     "Me too." Said another.

     Sam noticed that Gene Washington was taking the whole thing in but didn't appear to take any sides as far as Sam could make out.

     "We fought for this country and for that flag." Voiced a guy about Sam's age that was standing near.

     "Me too." Sam replied.

     "So did my buddy here." Sam informed them all pointing to George.

     "My dad here got wounded twice." Will told them about Sam.

     "We are with you." Said a lady and her husband.

     "Ok then ladies and gentlemen let us stand for our National Anthem." Announced Sam.

     A whole section of the crowd stood up with them and looked to Sam's group for inspiration and direction.

     "Ok Brent! You are the musician." Sam said with a grin. Charley chortled.

     "Ok here goes." Brent shrugged, squared his shoulders and raised his head. He didn't wait for anyone else but launched right into the song.

     "Oh ...say can you see by the dawn's early light... what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming!" Brent started to sing in his clear concise tenor voice.

     Some of the people who had sat back down immediately shot to their feet on hearing Brent's voice. They also joined in the song and soon a whole section of the crowd in the stadium was singing it as well. Others joined in until most of the crowd was singing the National Anthem. Gene Washington looked around and he then stood up and joined in. Again Charley grinned over at him mischievously. Gene tried to ignore him but was irritated by Charley's presence.

     It was then that Sam spotted what looked like plain clothes police filming him and his friends. He wondered who these photographers might be and it disturbed him immensely.

     The game started and everyone became engrossed in the game. The Ozark Colts won and that was the result that Sam and his group had expected and hoped for. Afterwards the friends all headed out of the sports ground and exited through the north gate.

     Gene Washington came down behind them, totally ignored Charley's greeting of "Hi Detective," and hurried to his flashy big car, got in and drove off. He was angry, as Charley had made him look silly in court in front of the judge and reporters. On the way out of the stadium a guru supporter approached the group.

     "Those days are over brother!" He told George.

     "This is the guru's time and that flag up there will soon be replaced by the guru's flag and the symbol of the new regime." He rasped.

     "And on that day 'brother' my buddies and I will come and bum down this stadium and throw you over that dogonne wall! I served my country under that flag and many of my countrymen died for it!" George said in a menacing tone.

     The supporter backed away but the guys became aware that they were being filmed further and walked on, all except Charley. He quietly sidled over to one of the men that were doing the filming.

     "Hey! If y'all don't stop pointing that thing at us 1 am going to wrap it around your neck! Then 1 will take you brother and personally feed you bit by bit to the gators down at Sherman Swamp." Warned Charley still smiling.

     The guy stopped filming immediately and walked away but Sam and Carl saw him nod to another man that was watching the whole scene, from a spot near them.

     Sam phoned home and asked for Jenny and Sue to come pick them up.

     The sky was overcast and Sam thought they might be in for a storm. The light started to go and a stiff cool breeze begun to get up. They all shivered as they were out in their t-shirts and jeans. Sam wondered about this unusual cold breeze. They were in the south and summer was approaching.

     It started to get unusually dark and the boys decided to head for home. They would walk down the high street to the car park and get picked up by the ladies. They walked past the huge superstore that had recently opened looking at the eye-catching display of men's outfits in the enormous windows. As they were doing this there was a deep grating noise that seemed to come from far beneath them along with a deafening boom, followed by a severe crashing and rumbling.

     The guys stopped in their tracks and looked at each other. The rumbling became a steady violent shaking that increased in its intensity until it reached a deafening crescendo.

     Sam was first to realize what was happening.

     "Earthquake! Get away from this glass!" He yelled.

     Immediately they got away from the glass and sheltered in the store's main doorway. They weren't a moment too soon as the windows disintegrated and fragments of glass flew everywhere. There was immediate chaos in the town and the boys could hear screams and shouts. People were running frantically to and fro and some of the buildings in the street started to crack, split and crumble. In the midst of all the clamor Sam and the others could hear Old Ron unwavering and unafraid quoting from the Book of Revelations.

     A huge crack appeared up the center of Main Street causing many drivers to screech to a halt and swerve to avoid falling into it. The main tower on City Hall had been damaged and various other buildings sustained earthquake damage in this non-earthquake zone.

     The rumbling continued and George worried about the dam. He was chief engineer at the power plant and Old Ron had told him to watch out for his dam. He would need to get up to the power plant as soon as possible. He got out his cell phone and started to call his deputy and duty manager. He would be there as soon as he could he told them.

     Brent ever the reporter started to call into his paper and report the details as they happened.

     Sam dialed home to his kids and satisfied himself that they were ok and that Sam Junior his eldest son was there.

     Will worried about the girls and started to call his wife Jenny on his cell phone. She assured him she and Sue were fine and that the car park they were waiting in was untouched. Will told them to sit tight and he and the others would be with them as soon as possible.

     Sam saw that his friends were all ok and then started calling on the Lord for help.

     "Protect us all Father in Heaven. Come to our aid in this time of our need. Keep our families safe and save us from further damage and aftershocks. Help us oh Lord.

     My help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth." He said.

     Then joining hands with the others they said the Lord's Prayer together.

     Then as suddenly as it had struck the earthquake stopped.

     The air was alive with people crying and screaming as many had been injured.

     Soon the noise of emergency vehicles was heard and expert help was on the way.

     Sam caught sight of four women running to help the passers by. One was a nun and the other three were the women who had been standing with her giving out pro-life leaflets before the quake struck. They all joined in with helping the injured. Sam and the boys went along to where they were ministering to the shocked, injured and the terrified.

     "Are you ladies ok?" He yelled.

     "Yes thank you boys." Said the sister taking emergency medical dressings from her bag.

     "Are you all ok yourselves?" She inquired.

     "Just shaken!" Answered Charley.

     They all looked around. There was some structural damage and some people were still sobbing and crying. Others were shocked, or badly shaken, some were silent and some were sitting on the ground.

     The nun and the other three women set about tending to as many people that needed help as they could. They used anything they had to stop bleeding and gave comforting hugs to those that needed them.

     The emergency services were quickly out in force and there didn't appear to be any serious injuries apart from cuts and scratches and hysteria. A whole lot of people were in shock.

     "An earthquake here?" Said Carl in shocked disbelief.

     "Oh it is only Himself letting everyone know that He is not too pleased about the state of things in this town and in the world." Announced the sister in a soft Irish accent as she helped a man that had been cut on the face with flying glass.

     Sam recognized another lady helping passers by, as Cynthia Washington the elementary school principal and wife of the town's chief of detectives. Sam liked Cynthia and held her in high regard. She had been exceptionally good to both himself and his sons after Lisa had been killed. Cynthia was one really good woman and a good principal.

     "Oh Mr. Elliott. Sam. It is you. Are you alright?" Cynthia asked.

     "Yeah ma'am I am fine. Are you all right? That flying glass didn't hit y'all?" He asked noticing that Cynthia was covered in blood.

     "No it isn't mine. I was helping a young man that had been cut with a piece of metal sheeting." She replied.

     "You didn't by any chance see my husband in your travels?" She asked.

     "Oh yes ma'am he was at the game that we have just come from." Sam told her.

     "He got into his car Mrs. Washington and drove towards the Hill area." Charley added.

     "Thank you Charley." Cynthia replied smiling.

     Cynthia had a soft spot for Charley, as she had known him all her life. She had been in his class at school and his wife Sue worked at her school as a teacher's helper.

     "Heck! He'll be ok. Ma'am." Charley added.

     "Take more than an earthquake to ruffle the detective." He added.

     Just at that the heavily overcast clouds appeared to chum and boil in the sky and an eerie light shone from behind them. Everyone stared up in disbelief. The moon was huge and clear but unlike any they had ever seen. There was a strange silence, as all eyes seemed to be riveted on the heavens. A myriad of colors seemed to explode into an unparalleled aura. Everyone wondered what was coming next.

     At first it seemed as if the sun was about to come back out. People stared in awe as this manifestation of God's power unfolded. The clouds parted to reveal a unique astronomical phenomenon. It was a spectacle that brought fear to all that saw it and caused a deafening silence among the townsfolk!