Times of Tribulation: Christian End Times Thriller (The End Times Saga, #7) Read online

  As far as any of them could tell, the landscape around them hadn’t been seriously harmed, but they did see dark clouds on the horizon, west and south of them. Before too long, Dale Larson, one of the men who kept the ham radio operating, found his way to Pete, and said, “According to reports, Yellowstone blew up, causing fault lines and once dormant volcanoes across the former United States to activate. A great majority of the continent has been destroyed, hundreds of millions are dead, while leaving a few areas where it’s still habitable, mostly in the extreme southern portions of the former United States,”

  “Do you know if the internet is still up? Maybe we could go online to see what’s going on,” asked Pete.

  “Right now, we have no internet, possibly because the main networks are down, but I don’t know for sure. Really, the only tool we have to find out what’s going on in the outside world is the ham radio, Pete,”

  “All right. Well, try to find out everything that’s goin’ on and we’ll do our best to plan around the information.”

  “Okay, I’ll get right on that.”

  Pete ran his fingers through his hair and whistled, knowing that whatever happened, he and his people were going to have work to do. He figured the work would consist of trying to keep out of sight of the Union of United Earth, because the government would probably try to evaluate all the viable land that hadn’t been hit hard by the earthquakes and volcanoes, so the land could be put to good use. This included where his Prepper group was, if the government looked hard enough, that is. Then Pete figured the government would probably make the survivors clean up the mess, and he had no intention of being made a slave to the government.

  “All right, everyone, let’s get back to our hole in the ground, and let’s make sure all traces of our being here are as minimized as possible. Come on, hurry it up!” Pete ordered, as everyone went to work.

  Chapter 6

  In the headquarters of the Union of United Earth, Wayne found people headed in every direction as he made his way to Karimi's office. The news that his homeland had been hit with a devastating disaster worried him and he hoped he could help with the recovery. Wayne finally came to the outer office of Karimi's office where the Patriarch's secretary was.

  “Hi, how can I help you?”

  “I'd like to talk to Patriarch Karimi about a job with his administration, possibly with the new North American region,”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No, but I'm sure he'll see me once he finds out I'm here,”

  “Who are you?”

  “I'm Wayne Davis, former mayor of Dallas.”

  “Okay, let me see if the Patriarch's available.”

  The secretary went into the office to speak to the Patriarch. Less than five minutes later, the secretary came back out, and said to Wayne, “The Patriarch will see you now.”

  “Thanks.”

  Wayne walked into Karimi's office, not sure what he should expect. He saw an office that was nicer than anything he'd ever seen, with a bookshelf along one wall, a window lining the wall behind the desk, and the impression of power the office itself portrayed.

  The Patriarch stood up, went around the desk, and extended his hand to Wayne. “Welcome, Mr. Davis. I’m sorry about what happened to your homeland,”

  Wayne took the Patriarch’s hand and shook it. “Thank you, sir. I’m sorry to have heard about that happening too,”

  “So, what can I help you with?”

  “Well, to come to the point, I'd like a job within your administration, if there's one available, preferably with the North American region, maybe helping with the recovery or wherever I’m needed.”

  Karimi liked Wayne already. He liked people who took initiative, which was rare these days. “While you know the position for North American administrator is filled, I can offer you a position that oversees how Powell and his people use their resources. It would also involve paying attention to anything that might come up that Powell and his people may ignore or overlook. How does that sound to you, Mr. Davis?”

  “I think I'd like the position you're offering, sir. I will have no problem accepting it. Thank you.”

  “You're very welcome, Mr. Davis. I'll set you up with an office and you’ll get the details of what I'd like for you to do within the day. Leave a phone number with my secretary and we'll call you when your job is ready to begin. I look forward to working with you.” Karimi extended his hand for a handshake and Wayne took it. Wayne left the office, eager to start his new job.

  The next day, Wayne received a PDF in his email that elaborated on his new job, which was everything Karimi told him he would be doing. Wayne printed out his job description, which came to fifteen pages. The email also said that his office would be ready by the end of the week. Sitting down on his sofa with the PDF in hand, Wayne set to work on learning all he could about his newest job.

  A few days later, Wayne got the call to report to his new office the next Monday so he could start work. The previous day he watched the news from North America with morbid fascination as they showed the destruction the volcanoes and earthquakes had caused. The great cities of the continent, at least those nearest the eruptions and major fault lines, collapsed, killing millions in minutes, and looking like an atomic bomb had gone off. Other cities further away from the major catastrophes had suffered damage from the ash and other dangerous elements from the volcanoes, earthquakes from smaller fault lines that activated from the shockwaves from the major faults, and even major flooding from rivers, lakes, and ocean water flooding the cities closest to those bodies of water.

  Most of the footage of the disaster had come from drones, which were remotely controlled from the North American headquarters in Puerto Rico. Powell’s people had discovered that less than one hundred thousand people survived the disaster, mostly from south Texas all the way to the whole state of Florida, so attempts were currently being made to help the survivors and to figure out how to start using what was left of the viable land so everyone that was left in the North American region could eat. Patriarch Karimi wasn’t one of those leaders who would expend the resources of other regions to help the others, they had to figure it out on their own. Wayne felt he was fortunate to work for a man like Karimi.

  Reporting to work on Monday, Wayne found that he liked his new office. The desk chair was comfortable, the lighting in the office was perfect, and it had a generally relaxed atmosphere. He turned on his computer to access the daily reports, which mostly consisted of the emails from those people who worked for Powell and were supposed to give a daily report on what they were doing and how they accomplished each goal they set out to do. Powell was supposed to submit what he spent on resources and how close he was to accomplishing a goal that Karimi had set for all the regions. So far, Powell hadn’t submitted anything of note. Maybe he’s just busy, they did just have a disaster after all. Davis thought as he began perusing the emails.

  Wayne came upon an email, from a General Juan Calderon of Cuba. The General had a complaint:

  To: Head Office of North America

  CC: Union of United Earth Security

  From: General Juan Calderon, Cuba Militia

  To Whom It May Concern,

  I’m writing this email today to issue a formal complaint about the head of this region, Steve Powell. Mr. Powell is not doing what I believe the Patriarch sent him to do, and that is reorganize this region under the banner of the Union of United Earth.

  I believe Mr. Powell is going rogue by trying to run this region his own way. He has reactivated an old Mint left by the United States in Puerto Rico and is trying to re-establish the dollar for all of North America. He has suspended the program that will have people getting the mark of commerce, even though I know the program is strictly voluntary at the moment. The list of violations Mr. Powell commits is increasing with each passing week.

  I hope you do something about this before it is too late. Thank you and I hope the Patriarch blesses all of us during this tr
ansition to peace, harmony, and unity.

  Sincerely,

  Juan Calderon

  Wayne read the email twice more, not entirely knowing what he should do next. He knew that the U.E.’s security office would take something like this very seriously, and they probably had an agent tasked to monitor the situation. Wayne figured he should stick to his assigned task and not get in the way of an official investigation into Powell’s missteps. Saving the email, Wayne continued on to the next email, which was from the Haitian governor, detailing what resources they used during the rescue operations of the North American mainland.

  After reading the reports from everyone in charge of something in the North American region, Wayne understood why Powell wanted to begin printing money, but he felt that the way the administrator went about it was all wrong. Powell should’ve had the full permission of the Patriarch before activating the Mint, and now, Powell was a target because of this unsanctioned activity. Wayne knew that if he was in charge, everything he did would be done with the approval of the Patriarch in mind. If the Patriarch disapproved, Wayne would do his best to follow the Patriarch’s wishes. So far, Powell hadn’t done that. Wayne decided to think about how he could turn this to his advantage.

  Before too long, rumors about replacing Powell were circulating around the Union of United Earth’s headquarters and Wayne made sure to follow what was going on. The head of security for the U.E., Ahmed Sayeed, launched an official investigation into Administrator Powell’s leadership capabilities. Less than three weeks later, Sayeed went to the Patriarch to tell him what was going on with the North American administrator. Before Wayne could find out the latest about the situation, he was called to the Patriarch’s office.

  Wayne rushed to the Patriarch’s office, and as he walked in, he tried not to appear too eager for whatever the leader of the world wanted from him. “You called for me, Patriarch?”

  “Yes, I did, Mr. Davis. Soon, there’s going to be a change in leadership in the North America region and I’d like you to become the Administrator for the region. How would you like that?”

  “I think I’d like that very much, Your Excellency. When would you like me to take over the position?”

  “There’s a military operation about to be under way that will arrest Powell and his subordinates, and I want you to be there to witness the operation. Once Powell is out of the way, you have permission to take over. If you have any ideas about trying to do things your own way, you can bury those thoughts right now, because you will be treated exactly the same as Mr. Powell. Do I make myself clear?”

  “I understand, you can count on me.”

  “Good. You have less than an hour to gather your things and then you’ll report to the helipad, where my personal helicopter will take you to the lead ship of the fleet headed to the Caribbean.” Karimi sat down behind his desk and started working on whatever was on his desk, making it perfectly clear to Wayne that the conversation was over.

  Wayne went to his apartment, gathered a few of the personal items he’d brought with him to Babylon, and then hurried to the helipad. The helicopter was primed and ready to leave as Wayne climbed on board, and it took off before he was finished strapping himself in. Fifteen minutes later, the helicopter landed on the lead aircraft carrier and Wayne was immediately escorted to the bridge.

  “What about my belongings?” he asked one of the naval personnel on the way to the bridge.

  “We’ll take care of it, sir.”

  “All right.”

  On the bridge, Wayne was greeted by Sayeed, who was also the head of the Union’s Special Forces. “Welcome, Mr. Davis, I’m sure you’re eager to get this mission under way. Correct?”

  “Of course. So, what’s the plan?”

  “This fleet will be blockading the transition from the Caribbean to the Atlantic to prevent any of their ships, if they have any, from trying to run. Once Admiral Halani is sure everything’s secure, we’ll go in and arrest Powell and his underlings, probably in the middle of the night to prevent any possible screw-ups. The Patriarch wants what’s coming to them to be quick and decisive. Once they’re taken care of, you can move in and become the new North American administrator. Do you have any questions?”

  “What do you mean by what’s coming to them?”

  “They’ve disobeyed their ruler, so under our new laws, there are no three strikes and you’re out. Powell and the others will be beheaded almost as soon as we round them up and it’ll be televised to the masses. Do you have a problem with the plan, Mr. Davis?”

  “Of course not, I’d like to know what’s going on, so I can be better informed. Can I assist you or your men?”

  “Do you have any special ops training?”

  “No.”

  “Then, there’s your answer.”

  The fleet arrived under the cover of darkness, which was helped by the ash that continued to cover the sky from the volcanoes that were slowly beginning to stop erupting. No stars or moon could be seen. The security forces scrambled into V-22 Osprey’s, which were equipped for silent running. Wayne would arrive on land once the operation was over with and he would witness the executions in person once they were ready to begin. Then, Sayeed would appear on camera to introduce Wayne to North America as its new administrator.

  The operation to round up Powell and the others lasted a little over three hours. Sayeed informed Wayne that Powell was now ready to be executed, so the North American administrator was escorted to a helicopter and was flown to Puerto Rico. Once he landed, Wayne was driven directly to the execution site.

  Deciding to stay in the shadows, Wayne watched as Powell was forced to watch as two of his underlings were put into a guillotine. The two men sounded like they were praying in Spanish, which angered Sayeed, “Enough! Let loose the blade!”

  The beheading was quick as the blades of the two guillotine’s slid through the two men’s necks with no trouble at all. As Powell was strapped in, Sayeed asked Powell, “Are you sure you don’t want to declare loyalty to the Patriarch? You may get to live,”

  “I won’t accept your offer, so you can kill me now.”

  “If that’s what you wish, we’ll accommodate you.”

  Wayne watched with bloodthirsty interest as the blade was let loose and slid through Powell’s neck, separating his head from his body. Sayeed faced the television camera from the United Earth Television Network, which was the only network currently available in North America, and said, “You have seen what disobedience to your Patriarch leads to. If you know what’s best for you, you will follow all the laws laid out by the Patriarch. Now, I introduce to you your new administrator, Wayne Davis.”

  Wayne came out of the shadows, faced the camera with a smile, and said, “Greetings. I’m Wayne Davis, your new administrator. What you’ve seen here today is an example of the power and the reach your Patriarch has over this planet. You get out of line, he will know it. I’m sure the people of North America will behave like the good people they are and the Patriarch won’t have to discipline us again.

  “I’m honored to accept this position and I’m sure everyone’s thrilled to have an administrator who follows the Patriarch wherever he may go. In the coming days, weeks, months, and years, we will get to know each other quite well, and I hope that we turn out to be the best region on Earth.

  “As I begin my new job, I suggest that you be on the lookout for new policies that will be implemented by order of the Patriarch. Soon, High Priest Josten will also be issuing new guidelines as he melds the world’s religions together in peace and harmony. Any resistance to these new policies will be met with the swiftest of punishments, so it’s in your best interests to follow all the laws put forth by your leader. Thank you for watching and I wish peace and blessings upon all of my friends in North America. Good day.”

  As he began to reorganize North America properly, Wayne received a phone call from High Priest Josten. “Hello, this is Administrator Davis, how can I help you?”

  “
Davis, this is Kevin Josten, it’s been a long time since we last spoke, my friend,”

  “Hey, Kevin, nice to hear from you. Congrats on getting the High Priest of the Union job. I know the Patriarch has a lot of faith in you to put you into that position. So, what can I help you with today?”

  “Ah, straight to the point as always. Are you aware of the program I’m putting into place where all those who follow the world religion will have to have a mark of loyalty stamped on their foreheads?”

  “I’ve read something about it in the daily memos,”

  “Good, good. Well, I’m calling you today to ask you if we could use your region as a test bed for the mandatory implementation of the mark. Right now, it’s voluntary, so many have accepted the mark without hesitation. However, there will come a time when the more reluctant will have to take the mark because it’s been ordered or they’ll face the consequences if they don’t. Since your region’s the smallest, due to the loss of population, we want to see what happens when we make the mark mandatory, see how the people react. Would you be willing to subject your people to this experiment?”

  Wayne thought about it for a moment before answering, “I think it would be a good idea, I have no objections. When would you like to start?”

  “Right now, the mark is being designed and the equipment to stamp each individual is being built. I’d say within the month, give or take a few days. I’ll let you know when we will begin the program,”

  “Great, I look forward to it. Thanks for calling and peace and blessings on you, High Priest Josten.”

  “Peace and blessings on you too, Administrator. Goodbye.”

  Chapter 7

  Earlier, when Powell was still in control, his people used drones to search for those who managed to survive the volcanoes and earthquakes, along with investigating to see if land was still viable to use after the earthquakes and after some ash had covered parts of the areas in the search pattern. Dave Abbott was on his way back to the church after snagging yet another large wild boar to feed to the now increasing group of sick and injured that had gathered at the church over the last several days when he suddenly heard a mechanical buzzing sound. Looking up, he saw that it was a small drone. Not knowing what to do, Dave decided to wave at it, since there was probably someone looking at him through the camera he saw that was mounted on top of the drone. Then, someone spoke to him through the drone’s speakers, “Uh.... hello, this is the administrator of North America, Steve Powell. I’m speaking to you from Puerto Rico. Are you all right, sir?”