Operation Dark Angel: The Rise of Nicolaitanes (Apocalypse Series Book 1) Page 10

  Richard sat there thinking about what he said.

  “Are you ready to do so, my son?”

  Richard quickly stood up.

  “I….I...I don’t know.”

  Richard quickly headed towards the door.

  “Wait.”

  Richard turned around and Pastor Henry handed him a Bible.

  “I hope this helps you to decide. You are welcome at any time.”

  “Thank you.”

  Richard took the Bible. Wow. The guy didn’t try to push me into it or hound me about it. That was usual. Most Christians try to shove it down my throat whenever I had tried to find out things before. Doesn’t he care what I do? He walked back out to his car. Richard did not know why yet, but he knew he’d be back.

  Richard drove back to the parking lot of the hotel. He was so confused. He wasn’t exactly sure what he should do so he just sat there in the van. Then for the first time in his adult life, Richard opened his Bible and began to read. He started reading the book of John. He read for what seemed like hours—he was devouring the words. He couldn’t seem to get enough. He was feeding his soul for the first time in his life. Richard realized then that he should just leave and head back home to his wife. He should never have come here. They had some things to discuss. Like how did he become found for starters? What the Pastor had said just seemed too simple to him; there had to be more to it than that.

  He sat there thinking about God, what little he remembered about Him from his childhood, his visit to the church and what he had just read. He started the vehicle back up. Richard decided that he wanted to be found, to have God in his life. Should he just drive back to the church to do this? No, he decided not to wait.

  “God, it’s me, Richard Smith. I know that I haven’t really talked to you before, but I hope You will still listen to what I have to say. I know that I am lost, but I desperately want to be found. I really want You to be a part of my life. I know that I have done a lot of bad things in my life and I’m truly sorry. I hope You can forgive me. I want Jesus to be a part of my life too. I accept Him as my Lord and Savior. Show me the way to go and I’ll go. Whatever you want me to do, I will do. Here I am, God. Lead me and I will follow. I admit that I don’t know much, but I am willing to learn. Here I am seeking your face. I am coming to You as humbly as I know how. Thank You for listening to me. I’m all yours,” Richard prayed humbly.

  Richard started to drive out of the parking lot.

  “Richard, just where do you think that you are going? Did I not tell you to check into a hotel and wait? I also told you not to contact anyone, but you called your wife,” the voice said.

  The voice frightened Richard. He knew now what he wanted to do; that was to get as far away from that voice and go home. But is this what God wants me to do?

  “Richard, are you listening to me? Go back to the hotel, check in, stay there and do not use that phone! You do not want to cross me! Have you forgotten your promise?”

  “No, I understand.”

  Richard felt a strong urge to remain in Georgia. He didn’t know if it was God who wanted him to stay or if he were doing it out of fear of the voice. God if this is from you, then I will stay and do your will. I do not want to do this because that voice terrifies me. However, not my will but Yours be done. Despite how he was feeling, he decided to stick around for a while. It was going to be very dangerous, he just didn’t know how much. He had just figured out that the voice could no longer hear his thoughts. He was going to use that to his advantage somehow. He knew now what God wanted him to do.

  Richard grabbed his bag off the front seat and checked back into the hotel. He knew God was going to use him in this somehow, but he didn’t exactly know how. Whatever it was, he was willing to do it. He was extremely tired now. Richard was finally able to lie down and sleep peacefully.

  The sun started shining into Richard’s room early the next morning. There were a couple of mockingbirds sitting on the ledge outside of his window singing their little hearts out. Richard smiled in his sleep.

  “Richard, wake up,” the voice said loudly.

  Richard sat up and rubbed his eyes.

  “I’m awake.”

  “I want you to drive to Fort Stewart, Georgia now. When you get to the gate, tell them that you are there to see General Ludlow.”

  “General who?”

  “General Alexander Ludlow. When you meet with him you will be told what to do next. Do you understand?”

  “I do.”

  Richard slowly got dressed. He walked down to the lobby for the continental breakfast before checking out of the hotel.

  Before starting up his vehicle, Richard decided to pull out the Bible the pastor had given him the day before. He sat in his van reading a couple of verses of scripture. He didn’t know why, but he felt as though he was going to need it. The words gave him strength and courage somehow. He was still trying to figure everything out. As this was all still very new to him. He started the van up and drove towards Fort Stewart.

  “I guess this is it, Lord. Please protect me and use me to do your will. Amen,” Richard prayed.

  He still wasn’t sure what it was that he was supposed to do, but for now, he’d just play along. Maybe he would be able to help somebody.

  CHAPTER twenty-six

  Half an hour later, as Richard drove down General Stewart Way toward the main gate of Fort Stewart, he recognized much of the scenery. He felt as though he had truly been here before, except he had only been there in a dream.

  Fort Stewart which was normally an open post had recently become a closed post. They were on the highest alert. The guards stopped Richard at the gate when they noticed that he did not have a military sticker on his vehicle. One of the guards walked over to the driver side window armed with an M16A2 assault rifle.

  “I’m sorry sir, but this is a closed post. I cannot let you pass. If you would please just turn your vehicle around over there and be on your way,” he said.

  “Excuse me, but I am here to see General Alexander Ludlow. My name is Richard Smith. He is expecting me.”

  The guard looked at him suspiciously. “Wait here, sir,” the guard replied walking over to the booth.

  “Keep a close eye on him, I need to make a phone call,” the guard ordered. Another guard walked over to the car watching Richard carefully.

  The first guard walked into the guard building to make the call. He stared out of the window watching Richard and the other guard as he waited for the call to go through.

  “General Ludlow, sir? This is Specialist Paulson out on the front gate. I am sorry to bother you, but there’s a Richard Smith out here asking for you.”

  “Yes, Specialist Paulson. Have him park his car, search him and I will send my driver over to pick him up.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  General Ludlow paced nervously in front of his window. And so it begins. He had Maya send Robert up to the gate to collect his first guest.

  CHAPTER twenty-seven

  After what seemed liked like hours later, Maya Gillespie buzzed the General’s office announcing the arrival of the rest of his guests.

  “Tell them that I will be right there, Maya,” General Ludlow said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I may as well get this over with. General Ludlow went out to meet his guests. Although the General did not exactly refer to them as guests—he had not invited them here. I wonder why they chose this particular military base anyway. I’m sure there were plenty of others that would have been more suited for this mission. They more or less had invited themselves. General Ludlow wondered if these were the same people who attended the virtual meetings. He did not know as he had never seen them. He did not even know who these people were, but they obviously had some pull if they could demand an audience with the General like this. He still was not sure if he was going to like this. This whole situation gave the General the creeps. He got up and headed toward the conference room.

  ****

  Robe
rt Meyers led the six men and five women upstairs to the conference room for the meeting. I hope these people don’t stay here too long. They really creep me out, especially that elderly woman. I wonder why they are here in the first place. They do not exactly look like military personnel. Oh well, I guess that it is not really any of my business.

  “Please choose any seat around the table except the red mahogany chair, as that seat is reserved for the General,” said Robert.

  “What is your name son?” asked the elderly woman in the brown tweed suit.

  “Robert Meyers, ma’am.”

  “Surely you know who we are and I for one do not take orders from you, young man! I shall sit wherever I please. Do you have a problem with that?”

  She sat down in the General’s chair.

  “Yes, ma’am. I mean no ma’am.”

  Robert hurried out of the room to meet the General.

  “I am glad that I do not have to put up with that arrogant woman. I do not see how the General can stand it; she acts as if how dare I speak to her or any of them,” Robert mumbled to himself.

  CHAPTER twenty-eight

  Charlie Andrews was wandering the hallways. He was stretching his legs—taking a break from his work. He wanted to clear his head; hours and hours of being in the clean room could get to a person. It was just too quiet down there. Sometimes Charlie felt so claustrophobic.

  He grabbed a cup of coffee and was leaning against the wall looking out one of the windows. This place truly does have a spectacular view. Twenty minutes later, he figured that he had probably been gone too long so he decided to head back to the lab.

  As he was walking down a hallway, he could hear voices. Charlie’s curiosity was peaked so he headed toward where the voices were coming from. He came across a room with eleven people in it. He wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but it seemed to be a pretty intense meeting. He glanced into the room as he walked by. Wait a minute. Isn’t that Nicolaitanes Balac? What’s he doing here? He casually strolled past the room again.

  “Yep, I thought that was him. I wonder what he’s doing here,” Charlie mumbled.

  Charlie’s curiosity won the better of him. He stayed just out of sight, at least, he thought he was, and listened to what was going on in the room. I really should not be eavesdropping. Besides, I really should be getting back to the lab. But I really want to know why Nicolaitanes is here.

  Charlie leaned closer to the doorway straining to hear. Surely he wasn’t hearing this. This can’t really be taking place. Charlie looked back into the room, what he had just heard was terrifying to him. But what he now saw was even worse. For a moment, Charlie thought he was seeing things. One moment Nicolaitanes was standing there speaking to the men and women in the room, the next moment Charlie could have sworn that he saw a beast standing where Nicolaitanes was only a moment ago. It looked like a leopard but had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. As Charlie watched, the beast started to devour what looked like men and women of God. The beast smiled at Charlie. Charlie rubbed his eyes. He looked back into the room. The image was gone. Nicolaitanes caught Charlie’s eye and smiled evilly. Charlie backed away from the room. He was scared to death.

  “Oh God, what have I done? What have I become a part of?” Charlie cried out. He turned and ran back to the lab.

  CHAPTER twenty-nine

  Robert met up with General Ludlow halfway to his office. “General Ludlow, sir? I have come to report the situation with the members as you requested,” said Robert.

  “Good then. Are they all here? Is everyone seated in the conference room?”

  “Yes, sir. They are all seated and accounted for. They are waiting for you in the conference room. Also, the elderly woman is sitting in your chair; I told her it was reserved for you, but she pretty much told me where I could go. Sorry about that sir.”

  General Ludlow looked livid.

  “What is your gut feeling about our esteemed guests, Robert? I want you to be honest.”

  “Well, sir. My first impression is that they give me the creeps. They make my skin crawl. There is just something about them sir. Watch out for that elderly lady in the brown tweed suit. She’s a pretty mean one. They also seem kind of snooty to me, not like the other people you normally meet with sir. Why are you meeting with them anyway, sir?”

  Robert hoped that he had not said too much, he liked driving the General around.

  “I see. Robert, please do not disrespect our esteemed guests. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, sir. I understand.”

  Robert was a little miffed. If he did not want my opinion, why did he ask for it? I wonder why he cares what I think about those people anyway. He asked me for my honest opinion, I gave him the truth. It is not as if they were his family or even friends of his. Besides, I am sure that I heard him say he detested meeting with those people. But what do I care? It has nothing to do with me.

  Robert walked down the hallway. He went back outside to take care of the silver Towne car. He hoped it would be a long meeting so that he could enjoy the day. Robert enjoyed washing and waxing the car by hand and pretending the car belonged to him instead of just being the driver. He especially enjoyed being outside on beautiful days, like today. He was a nature lover at heart, but he would never let anyone know.

  Robert liked having time to himself, like now as it gave him time to think about things. He had a lot on his mind lately. He missed his wife, Amy, even though she was acting kind of weird lately. He could not wait to get back home to Washington D.C. so that he could spend some time with her. She had refused to move down here so that they could be together; she constantly changed the subject every time he brought it up. He wondered why that was.

  Robert waxed the car as he enjoyed the weather and the birds. Little did Robert Meyers know just how much that meeting would affect him and the rest of the world?

  “I wonder how much longer they will be,” sighed Robert.

  He was sitting on the hood of the car watching some birds on the lawn. He didn’t want his day to be ruined. He was kind of daydreaming as he watched the mocking bird chase the blue jay away from its nest.

  In his daydream, he was spending some time alone with his wife on a romantic getaway vacation. He could almost smell the clean, fresh air and hear the waves slapping against the shore.

  They were walking hand in hand down the most beautiful, white sand beach that he had ever seen. The water was clear and a beautiful shade of blue. It was a warm day, perfect almost. Not too hot and not too cold—perfect temperature with a cool gentle breeze blowing occasionally. The only sounds that could be heard were all made by nature: the surf, the birds, dragon flies zipping by, et cetera. They stopped and sat on the edge of the water allowing the surf to run over their feet.

  Robert felt incredibly happy. Amy looked over at her husband, “I am so glad that you brought me here. It’s so beautiful and peaceful. We really needed something like this.”

  He kissed his wife gently as they sat there quietly enjoying the tranquility, something they didn’t have in the DC area.

  “How would you feel about us starting a family when we get back?” Robert asked.

  “How would you feel about being left here to rot in a ditch?”

  “What!”

  Appalled, Robert dropped his wife’s hand. He looked over at her only to discover that she was no longer sitting there. She was gone. He looked up and down the beach, but he was alone.

  “I asked you how you would feel if you were left here to rot in a ditch, Robert?” the voice asked again.

  “Who? Who’s there?” Robert called out.

  “Does it really matter, Robert?”

  The voice cackled with hideous laughter.

  “Robert, I would just love to start a family with the likes of you.”

  The voice laughed some more.

  “Do you really think your wife has truly forgiven you, Robert? Oh, she may have told you that she does, but has she really? It’s pretty hard for a
woman to not only forgive, but forget that you fathered a child with another woman. You let her down, Robert! You didn’t honor your precious wedding vows.”

  Robert looked down at his feet. The voice was right, who was he kidding? It wasn’t bad enough that he had cheated on his wife and gotten another woman pregnant, but on top of it, his wife had found out later that she was unable to have any children. This had hurt her deeply.

  “What do you want from me?”

  “I want you to stop wasting all this time and go and do as you were told. It is time now. And remember Robert? Don’t speak to anyone and don’t let anyone know what it is that you are doing. Just get it done!”

  Robert stood there meekly. His tranquility was shattered. Why had the voice interrupted him here and now? He stood there disgusted and turned to walk down the beach. As he walked down the pristine beach, it turned back into the roadway near the General’s car. For only a moment he thought that he was still dreaming. If only?

  Robert paused for a moment completely puzzled by what had just transpired. But that was not what puzzled him the most. He had been walking down the street quickly with no idea of where he was going or what it was that he was supposed to be doing. He was also carrying a large package.

  “Strange. Where did this come from? I wonder what’s inside the package,” Robert said out loud to no one. He turned the package over in his hands looking at the wrapping. It was unmarked and plain.

  As he continued walking, he wondered why he was walking instead of driving. Wouldn’t that have been quicker? Besides, he hardly ever walked anywhere. This is certainly very strange behavior for me. Where in the world am I going? He wasn’t quite sure. Stranger still.