Pt Four-Three

3

“So what are you telling me Ray?”

Ray continued to type on the computer trying hard to not look at the man directly in the eyes. He had been working on this particular project for some time now and had got distracted from it when the people from the other side had come in and grabbed his attention. This software in the building had barely been touched in three years and this guy expected everything to happen overnight.

“What I am trying to say sir,” Ray started, “Is that these networks and servers have not been used for a long time. Everyone has pretty much wrote them off as useless, not to mention there are countless firewalls that I have to get past before I even think about getting anyone’s attention. I have a good chunk of them taken down but there are still quite a few left and they are quite complex.”

“So you are telling me that this is too much work for you? Do I need to find someone else who will be more capable in this job?”

“No that’s not what I am saying at all sir. I am more then capable to take them down. In fact I am probably the only one left alive in the states that could do this job it’s a good thing you found me otherwise this plan would never have gotten done.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I expect you to make contact by this time tomorrow evening if not things are going to get unpleasant for you.”

“Sir, I need more time than that I have already been up for almost 24 hours I---”

“I don’t care,” the man interrupted Ray with no hesitation. “Sleep is overrated I want it done, yesterday.”

Ray gave a reluctant agreement and put his attention back to the screen as the leader of the new America walked out the door. He had so much work left to do. He picked up the little miniature radio that all the key members of the complex had and requested that coffee be sent up to him on a regular interval. If he was going to change the world he needed to make sure that he wouldn’t fall asleep at the screen. Their was no room for error in these servers he was messing around with. One wrong push of a button or one wrong command then it might be the beginning of World War 3. All of America’s nuclear weapons were still in their respective areas and all it would take to launch them off was one misplaced letter. Ray didn’t care about the people that would die at the result of the launch he only cared about what the leader would do to him. As his first coffee of the evening got to him and he continued to hack into old government database’s he could only hope that he would be done before tomorrow otherwise he would be the newest meal for the zombies that prowled outside.

********

“So what exactly are you planning on doing?” Emily asked the traveler as they drew closer to the group of the other survivors.

“I haven’t quite figured that out yet,” the traveler admitted, “But I have faith that everything will turn out for the better. Maybe not right away, but we are working towards the bigger picture here. The other side is working on something big. Really big and whatever it is it will affect more then just us.”

“How are they going to do something that is going to affect everyone on a worldwide basis?” Marcus asked joining the conversation, “We aren’t exactly on great foreign relations with everyone else. We are kind of cut off.”

“Who knows the exact details,” the traveler responded, “Just know that they are moving to the next stage and we have to know what to do next.”

The traveler stopped speaking as the group came into sight and as they entered the meeting spot a crowd started to gather around the four people bombarding them with questions. “Where is Eli?” One asked, “Where are we going to next?” Another asked. The traveler leaned over and whispered something into Emily’s ear and she lifted both her hands and spoke with a loud voice.

“There will be plenty of time for questions and we will try to answer them to the best of our ability. Let me start by saying,” She stopped a second to try to choke down the emotion that were starting to come back up, and then finally. “Eli has fallen. He has moved on to a better place.”

The crowd immediately grew restless there were many, “What are we going to do?” and “we are all going to die.” Emily tried to get everyone’s attention again but the crowd continued to talk amongst themselves but grew quiet as gunfire filled the air. Luke had raised his rifle in the air and had pulled the trigger to get them to shut up, it worked, they instantly became silent.

“Okay,” Emily continued, “Before he passed, Eli talked with the traveler that came to us led by the wind. The two of them talked for quite some time and I believe that traveler is meant to lead us in these dark times. I know it seems rash. And we all don’t know this man very well, but God brought him to us for a reason and I can’t think of a better place for him then here with us. He is a smart fighter, and the spirit goes with him. He is going to talk to you now, please give him the same respect you would give Eli.”

The crowd was not moving an inch, they were all extremely quiet, they had been hanging on her every word. Tears were coming down several of their faces and as the traveler began to speak a gentle breeze began to blow through the group almost like a confirmation to what Emily had just spoke. The traveler had never been good with words but as he was about to speak he felt something inside of him stir as words began to come out.

“I know it seems like all is lost right now, these times we live in are already dark enough as it is without more tragedy, but everything happens for a reason. I have been walking for three years trying to find the next piece of the puzzle that I call life, but I found nothing. But the wind continued to blow and I continued to follow because the one who saved my life has promised me a purpose for all this. He has assured me that even though times are dark that they would lead to light. It’s always darkest before the dawn and he will not forsake us or leave us.

“I know you all loved Eli very much. I knew the man for two hours and loved him as much as I would my own brother. The loss of him has hit me harder then I thought it would, I feel your pain but we cannot falter. That is what the enemy wants, they think that now, since you are leaderless that you will panic and be easy to conquer. I say that this will only make us stronger.”

He paused looking over the crowd. Every eye was on him, everyone’s focus was on him. They were waiting to hear what else he had to say. He continued,

“You have been running for so long, I say no more. I am going to send Emily out to find somewhere, somewhere we can stay and protect. I need two people to go with her because I need Marcus and Luke here to do some other things. I know you aren’t fighters but its easy to become one, can anyone here help me? Two people is all I need.”

Two hand’s immediately shot up, the traveler looked at Emily and said, “Take them with you, find someplace where they can call home. Make sure its not too open and that its easy to defend.”

Emily look up at this man that she barely knew and felt peace. He knew what he was doing and she couldn’t argue with him.

“No problem boss,” She said with a smile on her face, “Come on you two,” she motioned to the two men, “Try to keep up.”

The three of them rushed off and disappeared to find someplace safe and the traveler once again focused his attention back on the crowd.

“We are going to stay here until they get back. I want you all to pray, we are going to do it together the men, women and children and then when we have reached our breaking point we are going to keep praying until we have heard his voice. We need to make this next movement on his terms not ours. It’s getting dark so lets get some light in here and then focus on prayer. Then we will be make our next move.”

The crowd began to shout, clapping their hands, some of them were singing the breeze began to blow a little hard and soon it was a regular wind blowing through the group. The people continued to lift up their voices and clap and sing. The traveler turned to Marcus and Luke.

“Luke,” He said.

“Yes sir,” the boy said with no hesitation.

“I want you to scout out there. Try to find as many supplies as you can. Ammo, weapons, I want it all. Also food, as much as you can carry. I want you to come right back here, take two people with you.”

The boy nodded in agreement and pulled two people out of the worshipping crowd and then they were gone.

“What about me boss?” Marcus asked.

“You are now officially in charge of security,” the traveler began, “It’s your job to protect these people and as soon as we find somewhere secure I want every person here to know how to use a gun, that’s your job.”

“Understood. I will check the perimeter.”

Then Marcus was off and the traveler was left with the crowd. This was the first part of his calling and as he joined in with the crowd singing and praying he felt contented for the first time in three years.

********

The two angels stood at their spots, the same spots they had been standing at for the past three years and couldn’t help but be proud as the group continued to sing and pray. If only they could see the effects of it in the air around them.

“It’s amazing isn’t it Ezra?” the angel on the left of the traveler said.

“That it is Zephna,” Ezra answered, “That it is.”

They looked up as the air above them began to shimmer and circle, and something that resembled a portal opened u and more of their brethren began to come out of if. Angels, one after another began to come from the portal and surrounded the whole area that the group had occupied.

“They will be protected.” Zephna said, “God answers prayer.”

“Yes he does.” Ezra said with a smile. “Yes he does.”