The Sabbath Read online

  He leaned closer. “Son, I need you to listen to what I’m about to tell you now. Don’t just hear me, I need you to listen. The truth should be taken in doses, so I’m only going to give you a piece of it, and if you want more - well, you know where to find me.”

  Cory was engaged. He sat forward with one hand on the table and the other pulling on his chin, clinging to every word that came from the old man’s mouth. Cory had never realized how powerful that voice was. His tone was piquing, yet mysterious. The man spoke with a confidence and mannerism that could move mountains.

  “Son, what religion are you?” he asked.

  Cory was taken back. Although his mother was Catholic, he didn’t view himself as a religious person. The times he went to church were when his mother forced him to. Plus, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d cracked open a Bible.

  “I’m Catholic, but what does that have to do with anything?” he replied.

  “Go get your Bible,” the old man ordered.

  Cory stared at him with protruding eyes. What’s with this guy? he thought, rising from his seat and heading to his mother’s room. Mom always kept a Bible on her nightstand; no one had touched anything in that room since she left, so it should still be there.

  To his surprise, the Bible was not there. He searched through all the drawers in the room, but came up empty handed. Cory stood still with a puzzled look on his face.

  “Maybe one of them took it,” he said to himself, heading downstairs. “Hey, Lana, did you move my mom’s Bible?”

  “Nope,” Lana barked back.

  Next, he went to Isabel’s room. Isabel was still sick and he regretted waking her, but he had to know.

  “Hey, Isabel, did you take Mom’s Bible off her night stand?”

  “No, but I should have one somewhere in my dresser,” Isabel replied.

  Cory checked his sister’s dresser and found nothing.

  “It’s not there, Bell.”

  “Well, it should be,” Isabel snapped. “Cory, please. Let me rest.”

  Cory gave up his search and walked back into the dining room.

  “I’ll just download it to my cell phone,” he said to the old man, who sat back, folded his arms, and nodded.

  Pulling out his phone, he searched for Bible apps and then his phone displayed the message, “No Apps Available.”

  “You won’t find it anywhere, son. Have a seat.”

  Cory sat and put his head down, trying to figure out a logical explanation as to why he couldn’t find or get a hold of a Bible.

  “Son, I’m gonna be straight with you…yo momma was kidnapped by the Government because she was religious,” the old man explained.

  “What are you talking about?” Cory interrupted.

  “Now, let me say my piece before you interrupt…okay? You must understand that this is bigger than yo momma. It’s not just Christianity. It’s every religion. The Government are the ones responsible for ATHENS. I’m clueless as to how they did it, but they came up with some sort of a chemical compound that knocked us out for twenty-four hours, and during that time they took away everybody who was religious, including their books and congregations. The meteorites you saw were really just missiles.”

  “Why?” Lana burst out.

  The old man chuckled, “There are three different types of people in this world. One - there’re the ones who believe that the state is supreme; two - there’re the ones who believe that religion is the supreme ruler, and three, there’re the ones that believe that no one can rule them but themselves.

  “Now for a very long time, religion was a tool used by conquerors to oppress others. Religion got so big that in some countries, it was put ahead of the state. Every once in a while, in today’s society, religion will pop up and challenge the state - resulting in religious wars, terrorist groups, or a whole new regime altogether. Religion is the main threat to state’s power. Now, the governments have been looking, just waiting for an opportunity where they can become the supreme ruler again – and it looks like they finally got it.”

  “But aren’t people going to ask questions when they go to a church or mosque or something, and they see that no one’s there?” Lana interrupted.

  “Darling, the ones that are left still haven’t even noticed that their Bibles are missing. The Government took the majority of people that actually cared about their religion, so the few who are left might care for a week or two, then they’ll get so caught up in trying to survive that they will forget to follow up on their questions. Over time, religion will fail to exist, and the Government will have no one to answer to,” the old man responded.

  Cory sat still in his chair, trying to make sense of the startling information being given to him, “Okay, so they get rid of religion, then what?” he asked.

  “Then, they will use the basic human necessities to create chaos. Can you imagine how painful it is to die from starvation? Uh-huh, didn’t think so. Now imagine that pain to someone who can’t die. There’s chaos out there, and it’s getting worse by the minute.

  “The Government is sitting back and letting the people think they rule over themselves while they’re the ones who control who eats or drinks. Things will get so bad that the people will literally beg them to intervene. That’s when they become the true ruler. But it doesn’t stop there. Something big is coming. I’m not sure what - but I will find out.”

  “So, are you saying there’s a cure? And what do you think they’ve done to my mother?” Cory asked.

  “Well, there’s got to be a cure,” the old man answered. “They had to have something to keep them awake while everybody else was knocked out. And as for your mom? Son, I have no clue. But if we find her and the rest, we find the answer.”

  “You seem to know your stuff. Why aren’t you missing as well?” Lana questioned.

  “Well, I don’t believe in God or anything of that nature. You have to understand that religion is more political than it is spiritual. It’s all politics! I have spent years studying every religion on the face of the earth, and its ability to give power and take away power cannot be questioned. But that’s enough for the day; I’ll let this sink in. Thanks for the water.” The old man got up and headed toward the door while Cory followed him out.

  “Hey, why do you still preach on the corner?”

  “I’m recruiting, son, there’s a new world order coming, and it’s best that we be prepared for it.”

  “What’s your name, and how do you know so much?” Cory asked.

  “In due time, son. In due time. Oh, and one more thing, son, whatever you did to that woman, you’d better fix it. He who finds a wife, findeth a good thing.”

  “She’s not my— “

  “Til next time, son. Remember, something big is coming. Don’t listen to them,” the old man said as he walked back to his corner.

  Closing the door, Cory stood still and processed everything the old man had said. One thing was certain - he needed to talk to Lana. It was embarrassing that even the old man could sense their tension.

  Lana still sat on the couch furthest away from the table. She heard Cory’s footsteps and turned her back. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

  Cory froze and took a deep breath, bracing himself for another fight, but he hoped that it wouldn’t come to that. He sat next to her.

  Lana shifted away from him, but it made no difference - unless she got off the couch altogether, and she saw no point in doing that. Besides, as much as she tried to ignore him, she wanted him to apologize for being an asshole.

  “Lana, I-, uh I, I…” Cory stuttered.

  Lana rolled her eyes and shuffled on the couch. She realized Cory struggled with expressing his emotions, but she was done sympathizing with him. Can you act like an adult for once and be accountable for your actions? she thought, her frustration growing by the minute.

  “Cory, if you have something to say, then say it. Otherwise, you can move and give me some personal space, okay?” Lana snarled.
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br />   Cory was trying to be sincere, but she wasn’t making it easy for him. She’s still mad. Clearly, she is not ready to hear me out, Cory noted. But he had another way to win Lana over.

  “We may need to go on another raid. We’re running low on some maintenance stuff, and we need to amp up the surveillance. Oh, and medicine for Isabel - it seems like she’s getting worse,” he said, trying to remain nonchalant and ignore Lana’s bad attitude and bitchy expression.

  “Okay,” she murmured.

  Lana tried not to show her excitement. It had been months since their last raid. She wanted more gadgets to play with, of course, but this trip would be different now that the old man seemed to have gotten through to Cory. Perhaps, he would be more open-minded on this raid and search for things other than just supplies. Lana was almost giddy! Now they could try to get to the bottom of what was going on in the world, and what the Government was up to.

  “I’ll give Doug a call and tell him to expect us tonight,” Lana added, trying to maintain her prior disdain.

  At last, some peace - even if it had just been for a little while! In that moment in time, she forgot her fury for Cory and her need for his apology. Cory let out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t fixed things, but it was a start.

  9

  Cory and Lana sat in the car, waiting for Doug’s text. They had parked behind some bushes near the highway, which was a perfect hiding spot with a clear view of the highway and the exit. They sat in complete silence behind the tinted windows of their unmarked, all-black Audi A5. They used the Audi for raids because of its speed. Otherwise, the car remained in their garage.

  Cory wore black jeans and a black sweater with black combat boots that matched his breathable leather gloves, black watch and black baseball cap with the logo ripped off. For protection, he wore a bulletproof vest and a holster underneath that hid both of his guns - a 9mm and a Glock.

  Lana wore the same attire, except she had two 9mm pistols tucked under her shirt and a sniper rifle at her feet. Weapons were something they needed. Before the modification to their home, guns they’d gotten from the raids were all they had for protection.

  Cory made sure the household knew how to handle a gun. It took several months of training, but after a while, they each became skilled enough to handle their own in any gunfight. Cory wanted Lana and Isabel to avoid close combat, so he had them train with a sniper rifle.

  Lana rose to the challenge, and gained impeccable aim and even better precision - and when it came down to it, Cory always felt at ease knowing she was always within safe distance, watching his back.

  Lana’s phone rested on the dashboard of the car as they waited for Doug to contact them. He was taking longer than usual.

  As they waited, Cory and Lana saw the first wave of raiders emerge from hiding when the first trailer truck exited the highway. There was only a driver, with no one in the passenger seat. Lana guessed it was carrying food, and there would be another serviceman in the back, protecting the cargo from raiders.

  More often than not, food convoys didn’t have many men protecting them – making them easy targets. When the truck stopped at a red light, five cars emerged and followed behind it. Once the light turned green, five more cars emerged, coming in from the front of the truck, creating unexpected traffic for the truck driver as he turned left. Lana followed with her eyes until they drove out of sight.

  That was the most organized I’ve ever seen the raiders, Lana thought. They surrounded that truck like they were working as a team - but that won’t last long. The truck won’t last ten minutes down the road before the first car attacks. Then, they will all turn into savages and attack each other. Only two will come back if they even take down the truck. Stupid! Idiots! I hope their brains get put back together for scientists to play with. Exactly what they deserve!

  Lana was still scolding the first set of raiders when the second truck of the night emerged from the highway. Convoys had different destinations. This route saw at least five trucks per night. Some trucks contained food while others had water. Sometimes they were carrying government documents, other times weapons and if they were lucky, medicine or devices and appliances.

  The second truck had three people in the front cab, including the driver. Each armed with shotgun rifles. Lana knew right away that the truck was carrying water because of the armory. Water was more precious than food due to the contamination and the Government refusing to maintain the plumbing systems.

  I really hope Doug is smart enough to get us some water since Cory thinks it’s okay to invite guests to drink what we risk our lives getting.

  Lana knew there were at least two more men in the back of the truck protecting the precious water. This made attacking the cargo all but impossible. Even if the raiders slowed down or even stopped the truck, once the armed men in the truck felt threatened, they attacked.

  As the second truck pulled up to the red light, two raggedy cars drove up beside it. They must have realized something valuable was inside because they didn’t wait for the light like before. Three men hopped out carrying weapons, big pliers, and a homemade torch. To Lana’s surprise, the truck didn’t move - although it was an ambush.

  The raider holding the torch turned it on and set it to work on the back doors of the truck, while the other two kept watch on the driver’s and passenger’s doors to see if the servicemen would get out. None of them thought to look up.

  They should have.

  A serviceman on the roof shot twice at the raider with the torch. His fingers flew off his hand like little pieces of crumbs falling off crackers. The man wailed and dropped the torch and ran back to the car. He didn’t make it far. The serviceman finished the job with a shot to the head.

  At the first sign of trouble, the two rusted cars fled, leaving the remaining raiders defenseless. They had no choice but to attack the serviceman on top.

  The serviceman shielded off their attacks until the raiders exhausted their firepower. It was only a matter of time now. With their attention focused on the roof, the two servicemen from the front blind-sided the raiders. A few shots knocked them to the ground. They didn’t shoot to kill, but soon the raiders wished they had.

  Drawing out batons, they beat the wounded raiders, not to just subdue them; they wanted to send a message. In an act of sheer inhumanity, they stood and cackled as they set the raiders on fire. Hysterical screams could be heard for miles as the wind carried the stench of burnt skin.

  Not once did Lana flinch; the world had made her numb to things like this. She sat and watched the two men crawl around as the flames grew into bigger blaze. At first, she could make out the men in the fire, but soon, the men disappeared— and so did their screams.

  The truck drove off, leaving the two raiders on the ground burnt to a crisp. The war zone between servicemen and the raiders continued all night. As convoys passed, raiders attacked them either at the highway exit, or followed them further onto the main road. Many cars would follow the convoys, but only one or two would come back, full of food and water.

  Inevitably, raiders began to attack each other, realizing it was easier than attacking a large trailer truck with trained servicemen. That was what worried Lana the most—getting attacked on their way back home. But so far, they had avoided that by taking less traveled roads, or by waiting until most raiders had already gone home themselves.

  10

  Cory was beginning to worry.

  “Hey, where is this guy? He’s an hour late. I don’t want any trouble… we’re leaving,” he declared.

  They had left Isabel alone, and her fever was getting worse. Along with the growing feeling something had gone wrong, he didn’t want to be waiting on some guy when he could be home taking care of his sister.

  “No,” Lana barked.

  Cory’s skin prickled, her attitude reinforced his suspicion.

  “What did you do?” he asked.

  “Nothing. It’s just that…I’ve been waiting for months to add new cameras outsid
e…I’m not leaving them,” Lana lied as she looked away.

  Doug was taking longer than usual because she had asked him to stop a special truck. It should contain detailed military and government documents, a clue of whatever the government was doing. It might provide the motivation Cory needed to restart his search for his mother.

  “I’m not buying that for one second, and I’ll ask you this once more - what did you do?” Cory said, all the more suspicious for the lack of eye contact from Lana.

  “Look, I didn’t do anything, okay? I just told him we wanted to do a raid. Maybe he got caught up with the other raiders…”

  The vibration from her phone interrupted Lana’s rant. Perfect timing, she thought. She grabbed her phone and read Cory the rendezvous point.

  Doug had brought three trailer trucks into a big airplane hangar located almost two hours away from where Cory and Lana lived. They didn’t mind - the farther it was, the better for them, and the stronger the guarantee of fewer people knowing what they were doing. As soon as they arrived, Doug greeted them, along with six armed raiders.

  Doug was a tall, skinny, Irishman with ginger hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. He was handsome, and his infatuation for Lana made Cory uneasy.

  “Sup, Lana?” Doug smiled, leaning against the truck. “Wasn’t expecting to hear from you anytime soon.”

  Lana couldn’t help but smile back. Although his perverted interest was annoying, he was quite charming, and despite Cory’s presence, Lana still went along with him. It was her way of getting back at Cory for acting like a jerk.

  “We want some new stuff,” Lana winked.

  Cory grunted and glared at Doug. “Can we hurry this up?” he said. “Let’s get what we came here for and go,” he whispered to Lana before walking to the first truck.