Apocalypse Burning (27 page)

Shadows moved in the church as the wind blew the branches outside.

“Do you know why men and women are tested?” Josiah Harte’s voice rose up from Delroy’s memory and filled the church around him. “I ask y’all, brothers and sisters, do y’all know why the Lord God Almighty allows Satan to tempt y’all with earthly things like money and big fine cars like y’all see some folks driving?”

The deacons in the church had answered, “No, Reverend.”

In his mind’s eye, Delroy saw the church as it had been then: the wood floor polished, the pews set in exact rows with Bibles and hymnals stacked neatly. His father had paced in front of the choir as he always did. Josiah Harte had never been a man to stand still.

“Y’all know what a lot of people think, don’t y’all?” Josiah had demanded. “They think God wants us tested because He wants to know what’s in our hearts. Let me ask y’all that. How many think that’s why God allows that old devil to tempt so many of us? So that God will know what’s in your hearts?”

Several of the parishioners had raised their hands. Delroy had raised his right along with them.

“Oh and look at y’all!” Josiah had exclaimed. “Ain’t none of y’all been listenin’ to what I been preachin’ all these years.” He smacked his Bible in his hands and looked skyward as he spread his arms to his sides. “Lord God, I ask that You show mercy on these people because they’ve come a long way, but it’s evident they got a ways to go. But be patient with them, because I think You and me can get ‘em there before we’re done.”

A great embarrassed silence had fallen over the church the way it always did when the congregation knew they’d been found wanting by their fiery pastor.

“God Almighty, I ask that You give me patience too, because I know that You know I ain’t a patient man when it comes to muleheadedness. I lead them to Your Word, Lord, but I cain’t make ‘em drink. No, sir, I cain’t make ‘em drink not one drop.”

At nine years old, Delroy had sat silent and chastised on the front row where the minister’s family always sat. He wished he’d never lifted his hand, but he’d felt certain that he’d been answering correctly. Satan was at the root of all evil; that Delroy had known for certain.

“Y’all listen,” Josiah had roared. He’d pointed people out and called them by name. “I know y’all got a heaviness on your hearts. Some have told me about your troubles, and some I’ve seen in trouble even though y’all ain’t admittin’ it even to yourownselves. Y’all got troubles, and want to blame God for gettin’ y’all in the pickle y’all’s in. Y’all want to blame the devil ‘cause all evil in the world is his. But do y’all know why God in all His infinite wisdom allows y’all to be tempted, brothers and sisters?”

The silence that had followed was uncomfortable.

“I’ll tell y’all why we’re allowed to be tempted,” Josiah had yelled, slamming his fist on the pulpit so hard that Delroy had thought the top would split. “It’s so y’all can know for yourownselves how strong y’all are in the ways of the Lord. So y’all can all triumph over Satan and his evil ways.”

“Amen,” the deacons said.

“An’ here y’all sit, choosin’ to be afraid of God an’ what He might do to y’all when the worst thing that can be done is what y’all’s doin’ to yourownselves.”

Quiet had rung out over the congregation.

“It ain’t temptation that y’all gotta worry about the most, though,” Josiah had roared. “Ol’ Satan thinks he’s almighty sly about that, but that’s not his real trick. Y’all know what his real trick is?”

No one had dared to answer.

“Satan’s real trick is gettin’ y’all to believe y’all got something to fear from the Lord. If the devil can get y’all afraid of God, why then he’s got y’all in the worst trap possible. Turn from God an’ y’all are lost.”

“Amen,” the deacons said.

“But y’all ain’t gotta be afraid of God. Satan don’t want y’all to remember that, though. Satan don’t want y’all to ever learn that in the first place.” Josiah had marched across the front of the church, then down the main aisle looking at his congregation with the fiery-eyed determination of a battlefield general. “God already knows where y’all are strong and where y’all are weak. Don’t y’all know that God already knows all our secrets? If y’all do, y’all only got fools for company, brothers and sisters.” He hurled the word out among them. “Fools!”

The congregation hung their heads, not daring meet their pastor’s gaze.

“All the things y’all want to hide from ever’body God knows. He even knows the things y’all hide from yourownselves.” Then Josiah had paused long enough till the last echo of his voice had died away. When he continued, it had been in a softer voice. “But know what, brothers and sisters? Know what the biggest surprise of all is? I’ll tell y’all: Satan knows how strong y’all are, too.”

That thought had scared Delroy as a child. Just thinking that Satan was on such familiar terms with him was almost too much. That Sunday morning, Delroy had almost been able to feel the devil sitting at his shoulder.

“Satan knows how strong y’all are,” Josiah repeated. “He knows how strong y’all are, an’ he knows how weak y’all are. But it’s y’all’s strength that Satan fears. Do y’all know what Satan’s hopin’ as he sets there temptin’ y’all with pride an’ jealousy an’ greed?”

“No, Reverend,” the deacons had answered.

“Satan’s hopin’ that y’all don’t know how strong y’all are in your faith an’ devotion to the Lord God Almighty. ‘Cause if y’all ever learn how strong y’all can be through God’s Holy Word, if y’all ever believe in the strength God gives when y’all cain’t fend for yourownselves ‘cause y’all got a period of weakness comin’ on an’ have to call on Him for succor, why there ain’t nothing Satan can do. Let Satan tempt away. Y’all will be invincible warriors in the service of God Almighty! Can I get an amen?”

“Amen!” the deacons had shouted, and the body of the church had joined them till Delroy had thought the rafters were going to blow straight through the roof.

When the furor died away, Josiah had continued. “We grow stronger with each temptation we turn away from. Satan cain’t help that. There that ol’ serpent is, a-tryin’ to lead us down the wrong path to ever’thin’ that’s unholy, a-tryin’ to lead us away from the Lord an’ His love for us, an’ Satan cain’t help but make us stronger ever’ time he fails. An’ he cain’t stop hisself from tryin’ an’ temptin’ neither. I tell you, brothers and sisters, the devil’s gotta be the most frustrated creature in this here world because his job’s so hard.”

The congregation had laughed a little at that, sensing that their pastor was once more proud of them.

“Ain’t none of y’all perfect, brothers and sisters. Ain’t a perfect person out there.”

“Amen
,
” the deacons had said.

“An’ I’m here to tell y’all just in case y’all’s wonderin’,” Josiah continued, “there ain’t no perfect man standin’ up here today either. I got my own strengths an’ weaknesses. An’ I been tempted. My hand on a stack of Bibles, I’ve been tempted. We’ve all been tempted. An’ some have fallen today, some yesterday, an’ some the day before that. Y’all know when y’all give in to the devil’s temptations an’ answer the callin’ of evil what’s in this world. That’s between y’all an’ God. But don’t be foolin’ yourownselves that God don’t know.”

The congregation had grown quiet again.

“Ain’t a sparrow what falls from the loneliest tree in the forest that His eye ain’t on it to mark its passin’.”

“Amen,” the deacons said.

“But y’all know what?” Josiah had paused. “God loves us all. An’ no matter what Satan does or says, he cain’t take that away from us. Satan cain’t take God’s love. What y’all gotta do is remember that. Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, no matter what goes on in y’all’s lives, trust in the Lord God Almighty. An’ if y’all slip an’ stumble from the path, ain’t gonna take but one step to head back in the right direction. Just that one step, brothers and sisters, an’ God makes for certain that y’all don’t gotta take that step alone. ‘Cause he steps with y’all.”

“One step,” Delroy remembered, coming back from the memory and looking around at the church with new eyes. He felt strengthened a little. He had forgotten his daddy’s sermon on temptation and Satan’s place in the world.

“One step,” a mocking voice asked. “Do you really think that’s all it takes, Preacher? One step? One step out of a mile leaves another five thousand, two hundred and seventy-something feet to go. I wouldn’t feel like one step accomplishes all that.”

Whirling, recognizing the voice at once, Delroy faced the back of the church and saw the creature standing in the open doorway.

United States of America
Fort Benning, Georgia
Local Time 1005 Hours

While Megan stood speechless, the captain strode into the room and stopped near the podium beside her. He picked up the book about the end times she and the teens had been studying and dropped it back down.

“Religion, Mrs. Gander?” the captain sneered. “As a counselor for this post, that’s not exactly your purview, is it?”

“Captain—” Megan glanced at his name tag—“Stashower, as counselor, I speak on a number of issues concerning the youth of the base. Religion is definitely one of them.” But she knew she was stretching her actual responsibilities. She could talk about religion if those issues came up but not initiate them. And she was supposed to refer serious problems regarding faith and questions of faith to the chaplain’s office.

“Mrs. Gander,” Stashower said, “I’ve been sent here to shut down your little dog-and-pony show before it becomes an embarrassment to this post.”

Anger overrode some of Megan’s insecurity at being confronted by a Ranger captain and a squad of armed MPs. “An embarrassment, Captain? I resent that remark.”

“Resent it all you want to,” Stashower advised. “As of 0800 hours, in an attempt to lessen public-relations problems with the city of Columbus, the gates to this post were opened to admit outside personnel. Those personnel include media people.”

Megan remembered that. There had been a memo in her morning e-mails. “I fail to see what that has to do with what I’m doing in this classroom, Captain Stashower.”

Stashower glared at her. “General Braddock has given me orders to send you packing. Now, I can either send you home or I can remand you to the provost marshal’s office till the matter gets settled through Joint Services. You’re going to cease and desist.”

Disbelief swept through Megan, but anger was hot on its heels. “Captain, I’m trying to help these kids understand what is happening to them and what they are going to go through during the next seven years.”

“By telling them that Jesus Christ Himself is going to return and lead them to heaven?” The captain looked apoplectic. “No, ma’am. Not on my watch. These kids have been through enough without you traumatizing them further.”

“Captain—”

Stashower wheeled on Megan, shoving his face into her space and causing her to back up involuntarily.

“No, ma’am,” Stashower said in a loud voice. “Another thing, Mrs. Gander, if it had been me on shift the other night when you talked the Hollister girl into shooting herself—”

“I didn’t talk her into—”

“I’d have had you locked down,” Stashower finished, raising his voice to talk over her. “You’re a menace to these kids. You’ve got no business talking to them. And that’s going to be in my report.”

The teens stood and tried to defend Megan.

“Corporal,” Stashower growled without turning from Megan.

“Yes, sir.”

“If those young men and women cause a problem, I want them arrested and charged.” Stashower glared at Megan. “Ma’am, if you have any control over these kids, I suggest you use it now.”

Without breaking eye contact with the captain, Megan called for the teens’ attention. “Do what Captain Stashower says. I don’t want anyone getting into trouble this morning. That’s not what we’re here for.”

“They can’t just make us leave like this,” Geri protested. She jerked her arm away from one of the MPs.

“I can and I am,” Stashower declared. “And that’s happening right now.”

“Go,” Megan said in a firm voice. “If any of you get into trouble, we might not be able to do this again.”

Silently, the teens allowed the MPs to herd them out into the halls. As Shawn passed by Megan, he mouthed the words,
See? War.

The suggestion jolted Megan. Was that what was happening here? Had some malevolent force somehow sensed they were gathering, that people were going to be educated to the truth? to God’s truth? Even as she thought that, she disregarded it. That was impossible. There had to be another reason, another way Stashower had known they were here.