The Last Crusade (24 page)

While some of the marchers are shooting up Interstate 40 and others are fighting the police around the Mall, two thousand rush into the residential area of Kingston Pike, where there are many churches and two Jewish Temples; Kingston Pike leads into downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee.

The churches and temples aren’t prepared for the attacks; all are set on fire. The Fire Department isn’t able to reach the fires due to the rioters and every church and temple is burned to the ground. Some of the left-wing students at UT cheer the unruly crowd and try to join the marchers. They’re told only those who believe in Allah may join, others will be killed. The marchers quickly reach fraternity and sorority row. The young men in fraternities are killed when their homes are set on fire, the sorority girls are raped before their homes are torched. Smoke covers most of downtown Knoxville. The police quickly find themselves outmanned and outgunned. Their call for help is answered by armed citizens and three local militias who take up arms against the rioting Muslims.

Running gun battles break out along Kingston Pike. Thousands are wounded, hundreds killed, bodies are left on the road where they fall. Civilians are often caught between the two groups shooting at each other. As the battle rages, additional armed civilians race to the sound of the guns. The Marines drive armed HUMVEES and LAVs North to enter the battle. Alcoa Highway is jammed with people trying to get away from and others running to battles. The HUMVEES drive ahead of the LAVS trying to clear the road so the LAVS can bring their heavy machine guns and auto grenade launchers to bear on the Muslims.

The marchers surprise the Marines and armed civilians when they fire RPGS at the LAVs.  Only a few of the LAVs are still fitted with anti-RPG mesh from the Middle East war. Most have had the mesh removed allowing the RPGs to be very deadly to the Marines inside the lightly armored vehicles.

The battle rages for two hours before the citizens and military claim victory. Muslims are forced to sit with their hands zip-tied behind their backs in rows, the dead are left on the road. Ambulances and EMS take the wounded to the many local hospitals. The UT Medical Center, which is less than two miles away quickly fills up with the wounded. A handful of wounded Muslims try attacking guards at the UT Medical Center, they are quickly shot by armed guards. Some of the medical staff refuse to work on the Muslims, who scream the doctors and nurses are racists. Some of those who do treat them do so without giving them any pain medication.

The news of the battle in Knoxville quickly spreads around the world. The Mahdi smiles, silently giving thanks to Allah for the faithful. The West vows revenge against the Caliphate. Pope Joseph announces he wants another Crusade, one he promises will be the Last Crusade, one that won’t leave a single Muslim alive so they can’t restart the killing of innocents again. Newly elected President Bentley asks the Pope for a personal meeting. The Pope, who is in Switzerland, agrees to the meeting. Bentley says he’ll visit the Pope since America’s new capital is still being built in the location of her first capital, Philadelphia.

The new capital is being built in the poorest area of the city, giving new jobs to millions, while also making them homeless. President Bentley promises that new apartments will be built as part of the construction of the new capital. In the interim, workers are based in the old Army barracks at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The construction crews work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Buses run every five minutes carrying workers to and from Fort Dix. The new capital quickly rises; it's like watching a time-lapse movie. A new White House and Capital are built with deep shelters under them in case nuclear weapons again strike the country.

One of President Bentley’s first moves is to order every city to begin construction of municipal shelters for the city’s people. The shelters are to be stocked with food, water, and first aid supplies. Some cities decide to use their existing subway lines; they build blast doors to close the underground railways. Supplies are stocked in newly built and securely locked supply rooms. Cities without subways decide to use tunnels while others are left trying to figure out how to house people either above or underground in hardened shelters. Due to all of the construction work, rebuilding, building a national security force and rebuilding the military and the military equipment, everyone who wants to work can easily find a job. Billboards advertise for workers.

President Bentley’s second series of Executive Orders is to make the country energy independent within eighteen months. He goes on national television to say,

“My fellow Americans, there’s no reason why we should be funding our enemies. There’s no reason why we should be paying a ransom tax for the right to buy oil from the Caliphate, who uses our own money to fund terror and a military to fight us. We have all of the oil we need under our own soil and water. I want all of us to work together to stop the Caliphate from having anything to use against us. If we’re energy independent, we can’t be blackmailed into supporting evil. The Caliphate wants us either dead or become followers of Allah. They want every religion other religion extinct and every infidel killed. I say, NO! I say they are malevolent, they are followers of Satan. I say we join with the Pope to end the threat of Islam forever. How many more times can they kill millions of us and get away with it?

We made many mistakes in our last attempt to conquer the Caliphate. We underestimated their strength and the level of their evil. We didn’t expect them to arm all of their people, turning them into an Army. I know many of you are tired of endless war, you’re tired of the talk of the evil of the Caliphate. I know many of you just want to be left alone to live your lives and raise your families. To those of you who believe this way, remember Knoxville. Remember the thousands of innocents who died in Knoxville, their only crime being they weren’t Muslims. A long time ago Pearl Harbor was a rallying cry, today I say, remember Knoxville. Remember the slaughter of the innocents, remember them even trying to kill the medical staff working to save them.

The Caliphate won’t rest until we’ve all converted or we’re all dead. I refuse to convert, I believe in the Lord and his son Jesus. I believe in the Bible. I believe every American should be able to pray how they like without outside interference. I’ve tried to hold peace talks with the Mahdi, he said he has one condition for peace talks; that we all convert to Islam. I’ve told him I’ll see him in hell.

I refuse to submit to their evil God who I believe is really Satan. I’m tired of them attacking us at their leisure. I’m tired of them claiming they require special rules and protection of the government. I’m sick of them getting special rights in the workforce. I’m sick of them trying to tell me and all of us how to live. I say enough is enough. I say it’s they who should learn how to live in peace with the rest of the world.

Are you with me? Do you share my beliefs? Do you share my desire for freedom? Do you share my desire to wipe out the evil so we can live in peace?”

Let me know as soon as you can at #freedom. Thank you and may God bless the United States of America.”

Even with the scars from the nuclear weapons and thousands of riots very fresh in their memory, America supports their new President. He reminds the people,

“Remember, don’t trust everything the media tells you, they’ve been lying to you for years, they have their own agenda. Their agenda doesn’t match most of ours. They want to see America turned into a socialist country that supports the Caliphate. They refuse to see the evil the Caliphate represents. Join me in ensuring the Caliphate doesn’t win the final battle which will bring death and enslavement across the world. The ultimate war on women and homosexuals is committed by the Caliphate, who enslave women. Women in the Caliphate have no rights, they can’t drive, they can’t work, they can’t leave their homes alone. They have to be covered from head to toe. If a woman is raped, she needs to have four men testify for her. In the Caliphate, a woman’s vote is equal to one-quarter of a man’s vote. No matter what feminists say, things were never this bad in Europe and here in America. The Caliphate doesn’t allow religious freedom. Every day the Caliphate grows stronger, if we’re going to defeat them, we need to act quickly. We need to replace the weapons we lost in our previous attempt to defeat the Caliphate, we need to attack them with overwhelming force. Mercy can’t be in our vocabulary. To give into them now will mean they will continue to build their military strength until they can’t be defeated. I know the media and many of you think we should find a way to coexist with the Caliphate. No one wants another war, least of all me. I lost my two sons in the last Crusade. I have this last comment; how does anyone coexist peacefully with people who want to kill us?”

President Bentley arrived in Switzerland to meet with Pope Joseph, he’s surprised when he enters the Pope’s inner office to find the President of Russia waiting for him. Pope Joseph welcomes President Bentley into his office.

“I think you already know your Russian counterpart.”

“I’ve not yet had the pleasure to meet him. This is an unexpected surprise, a good surprise. President Putin, It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“And you President Bentley. How was your trip? Any problems?”

“None, my plane was surrounded by an AWACS and six F22s.”

“I know, we tracked your flight. An impressive show of force or were you afraid of the Caliphate?”

The American President laughs,

“To be honest, I was concerned the Caliphate would do everything possible to block my meeting with the Pope.”

“They would have. We learned they planned to attack your flight, I ordered the Russian Air Force to intercept their fighters before they could get within eight hundred miles of your plane.”

“Thank you.”

“You would have done the same for me. Come, let’s discuss how to cut out the cancer from this world.”

The last time we tried it the cancer won, we lost the majority of our armor. I’m sure you know how long it takes to build a tank.”

“I do and I have a new proposal for you, all I ask is you keep an open mind while I explain it to you.”

“Agreed, as they say, I’m all ears.”

Pope Joseph listens to President Putin outline his plan which takes President Bentley by surprise.

Three hours later, President Bentley sips his coffee, he looks at his notes when President Putin asks,

“What do you think of my proposal?”

“I admit you’ve surprised me. Of all the things I expected to hear or was briefed to discuss, this wasn’t on the list. I worried how we’d build the invasion force quickly enough before the Caliphate grew too powerful. Off-hand, I think it’s workable and I believe I can sell it to both my military and Congress. Would you be willing to visit America with your military aides to explain the details, I’m sure the military will have questions I won’t be able to answer.”

Pope Joseph smiles,

“Mr. President, I have two more surprises for you, we’re going to be joined this evening by two additional dinner guests.”

“If I had a guess, I’d say you’ve arranged for the Egyptian and Israeli leaders to join us for dinner.”

“President Putin, I told you even though he’s from America’s south, he’s smart.”

Putin laughs,

“Yes, he is. I believe we may be able to complete our holy task this time.”

Pope Joseph smiles patting President Bentley on the back, I have a question for you,

“Your Holiness?”

Mr. Presidents if you don’t object, I’d like to attend the meeting too.”

“Your Holiness, it would be my pleasure. I’m sure you’ll be welcomed with open arms.”

“Excellent, let us welcome our two guests who are being escorted to the executive dining room.”

The five leaders smile sitting at a round table enjoying dinner together, they plan the next Crusade during dinner. President Putin explains his plan which takes the Israeli and Egyptian leaders by surprise. All four national leaders agree to return home to discuss the proposals with their military leaders.

President Bentley excuses himself after dinner to return home. Air Force One is surrounded by F22s, a tanker, and an AWACS to search the skies around the President’s plane. On the flight home, the President places a secure call to General Green.