Red
“Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3
90 Days to Jacksonite Apocalypse
Sitting at the small kitchen table, I twirl a pencil in one hand. The rest of my comrades are starting to arrive. A little over a year ago, Rescue Team Nine officially found our home station in Mayberry, Mississippi, at a place called Wayward Ranch. I glance over at the four other men who comprise the unit I’m in. Eric “Bear” Anderson is already writing notes for the mission before we know about it. Smiling, I shake my head. Bear’s a serious man and a natural leader, and I suspect one day he will earn the title of Captain. Chance “Dice” Sanders has one leg propped out in front of him and is studying a cute blonde out the window of the bunkhouse we call home.
“I guess you men already know this meeting has been called to alert you we’ve been activated. I’m just going to be blunt. This rescue is going to be tricky.”
Captain Jonathan Black stands at the head of the table, holding a pile of folders in his hands.
“Tricky my ass. When there’s that many folders involved, it’s never a good sign.”
No one flinches. Everyone knows Brody “Gunner” Winchester for his sarcasm. He stays in trouble, but I suspect the Captain respects Gunner’s straightforward personality.
“I’m guessing this won’t be a short deployment.”
Guy “Striker” Arteaga is already eyeing the files suspiciously while Captain Black places them on the table and begins handing them out. Bear picks one up and reads the front.
“This has Rescue Team One’s name on it.”
“I know.”
Opening the file in front of me, several headshots fall out.
“So, this is an extraction? Did they hit some trouble?”
“Yes and no.”
The room goes silent as we leaf through all the paperwork. From one photograph, a man wearing a white and gray robe stares back at me. His long, black, and gray hair looks like it needs a good wash. A beard graces his face.
“Meet Todd Jackson, deranged cult leader of the Jackson Compound,” says Captain Black from behind me.
“As in Branch Davidian, Heaven’s Gate, Peoples Temple?”
Unfortunately, I’m familiar with a lot of them.
“I’m afraid so. Except in this case, it’s the Jacksonite Church of God.”
I’m not impressed. “Real original name there.”
Making his way back to the head of the table, Captain Black confronts us.
“Here’s the deal. A year ago, Todd Jackson founded the Jacksonite Church of God, proclaiming that he was called to preach about the end of days. He’s used all the terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and economic failures in his testimonies. That, and he’s extremely well-versed. They say he has a golden tongue. He’s a servant of God, he proclaims.”
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. Revelation 1:1,” I mutter under my breath.
While I leaf through photographs and printed information, it takes me a minute to realize that the entire table is focused on me.
“What?”
“Did someone forget to tell me we’re at Sunday school?”
Ignoring Gunner’s question, I shrug. I might as well roll with it. “We are all God’s servants. He’s just turning passages around to make him look like God’s informant. No wonder he’s considered a dangerous man. It’s easy to play with people’s minds these days.”
Swirling a pencil in one hand while absently reading some of the church’s introductory messages, I realize after a minute that the guys are still scrutinizing me. This isn’t good.
Captain Black’s the first to break the silence. “Well, here I was worrying over my decision, and you just made it for me.”
My eyes narrow. “What decision?”
“The one who selects one of you to go undercover. We have to plant an operative on the inside.”
I jump up. “Oh, hell no. There’s a reason I left home, Captain, and this would be it.”
I’m not saying I’m not a religious man—quite the opposite. I know my ass hasn’t stayed alive this long without the leading man upstairs watching my back, but that doesn’t mean I want to dive back into a life I worked damn hard to escape. There’s a reason I joined the Air Force; I not only joined but excelled at it. I’m one hell of a pilot, and my skill in the cockpit has earned me my position with Rescue Team Nine.
Captain Black’s expression turns serious. “A month ago, we had two operatives from Rescue Team One go in as new followers. To date, they have never come out, and somehow, communication between the two men has ceased. It was a glitch, or maybe the two men were swayed by Todd Jackson’s beliefs. Let me elaborate on how good this man is. The man has never lost a follower in the last year, and now there’s an even bigger problem.”
“This isn’t happening,” I mutter because I already know what the Captain’s about to say. Typical fucking scenario every fucking time.
“He’s convinced the people that the apocalypse is here. Before we lost contact with the head of Rescue Team One, we discovered he’s already scheduled a mass suicide three months from now.”
“Why is the world so obsessed with killing themselves?” Striker groans.
“Now, if that’s not bad enough, his number of followers is huge. There will be a lot of people dying that day.”
I sit back down in defeat. There’s only one way this is going to go. “How many are we talking about?”
“The last count was almost three thousand people.”
Gunner whistles. “I’d be impressed if it weren’t so sickening.”
“Not only does your background help in this situation, Red, but it appears you’re well versed. Todd Jackson is getting careful. He’s not just letting anyone in anymore. It will take God’s grace to get you inside that facility.”
“I don’t like it.” Bear leans forward. “I don’t like that he’s going in without a partner for backup.”
Captain Black sighs. “Neither do I, Bear, but we are out of options. If I’m banking right on this, he should have backup when he arrives. I don’t believe the two men from Rescue Team One were swayed. I think that someone cut off their communication in a different way. We must determine why and how. A lot of new, undetectable equipment is out there. We’ll send that in with Red to be planted so we can keep in constant contact.”
Gunner crosses his arms. “Why not put Bear’s sniper skills to the test and just take out the bastard?”
Bear nods in agreement, and I won’t argue with Gunner’s assessment. It’s a sure bet. I don’t know a man alive with as sure an aim as Bear.
Captain Black moves the chair at the head of the table and sits. “Trust me, that was my first thought. But Todd Jackson has already thought of that. He has the place surrounded by some of the best surveillance systems around. He even has followers on standby to take people out if there’s any show of attack from the outside.”
Perusing the man’s file, I whistle. His background is astounding. “He sounds like he’s been well-trained. Former military or some other governmental position, perhaps?”
“And that assumption would be right on the money.”
The captain places one final folder on the table. It’s by far the thickest of them all. “He worked in intelligence and as a military chaplain. I think the chaplain position was a cover for the type of intelligence he gathered, but of course, that’s all restricted information.”
I can feel a headache coming on. “Of course it is.”
From the beginning, keeping my mouth shut would have been a sane, thoughtful thing to do. My knowledge of the Bible has just landed me in my worst nightmare. With that realization, I have only one question left. “Okay, so when do I leave?”
