An Unholy Redemption Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

As the night dragged on in the west, the sun began to rise in the east, dispelling the darkness of the previous evening. In his room, General Silas was nearly naked on the mystic symbol painted on the bare wooden floor. A lit candle was positioned on top of a drawing of the sun in the east and a candle in the west stood on the face of a moon. The general knelt in silence as he watched the sun getting higher and brighter. Its reflection made the shadows in his room seem like dark figures crawling up the walls.

“My God, I have heard you call for war. I am honoured that you should choose me to be your hand on Earth that smites its inhabitants. Lord, I know I will not fail when the time is right. Let your will guide my heart and give me the courage to execute my mission.”

He held up a red metal key, the one he would be using to launch the nuclear missiles.

“With this key, I will unleash your wrath on Earth and no man or woman will be able to escape our work.”

He moved the key slowly to his lips and kissed it. He then placed it around his neck and then leant forward to kiss the floor where the candle was alight in the east. In a room not too far away, the Captain was alone, watching the sun rise. He sat on his chair on a balcony. He had told his bodyguard to wait outside so he could have a moment alone. A tear rolled down his cheek as he ran his finger across a photograph he was holding, a picture of his family taken when he was a child. He was in the centre and his mother was behind him with her hands on his shoulders. His father had his arm lovingly around his mother and both his brothers were either side, one of them pulling a face.

“My family, how I’ve missed you. I’m so very honoured that I have been given the opportunity to be with you again soon in paradise. I hope you’ve been watching over me and are proud of what I’ve achieved.” He wiped the tears from his eyes and took hold of the blue key in front of him.

“You my friend are the key to my eternal life of happiness and a reunion with my family. I am not going to let you out of my sight.”

He looked at his watch: it was approaching seven thirty. Another half-hour until he would leave to meet his destiny. He put the photo in his pocket and hung the key around his neck again. He reclined in his chair and enjoyed breathing in the morning air for the very last time. Back down the corridor the general was still kneeling.

“Michael, messenger of the Most High, I am in this sacred symbol invoking your assistance. Come to me.”

He repeated this several times but nothing happened. It was only when he was going to blow out his candle that the yellow flame turned blue and in the centre of this blue flame Michael’s face appeared.

“Michael, I humble myself before you.” Silas bent forward without looking up.

“Why have you summoned me Silas?”

“Forgive me Michael, even though my faith is strong and true, I was just wondering if it was still my charge to carry out what has to come.”

“Yes Silas the Most High is pleased with your fidelity and still holds you in favour. Continue as instructed and you will receive your reward in heaven. Everything is going to plan and the prophecy will be fulfilled as God ordained it when time began. Fear not, be strong and do what must be done.”

The blue light began to fade, returning to its yellow form. For a while Silas remained in a posture of submission then he slowly lifted his head. He stretched and breathed in the power he was feeling. Soon, he thought, I will literally be God on Earth and no one will be able to stop me. He bent forward and blew the candle out and replaced the rug over the floor, then turned to his uniform that was lying neatly ironed on his bed.

“Soon I will be wearing my sacrificial robes. You are the last thing I will wear at the end of time.” He picked up his boots to see if they were perfectly polished, then kneeled to replace them at the foot of his bed.

“Now for my final shower. I must clean my skin in preparation for meeting the Most High.” Taking one more look at his uniform, he smiled then walked off to the shower.

 

Back at Mary’s house, they sat up talking and watching television into the early hours of Sunday morning. The news showed frequent reports on John’s interview. Reporters questioned whether the whole event had been staged. Most of the public officials interviewed on television reassured the public that it had been a hoax and the end of the world was not coming.

“If only the world knew,” John said disappointed. “If I was supposed to give God’s message, why is it not being heard or believed?”

“Hold on a minute, John,” David raised his hand to silence John as a reporter spoke on the television.

“We tried to speak to the television studio that arranged this interview about the events of the evening, but they have declined to answer any of our questions. They did state that their studios had been vandalised and police are following up enquiries. But all of us have one question left unanswered: was it an elaborate hoax or do we only have hours left to live? I think the most reasonable and stable-minded of us will think that God has no plan to wipe us off the face of the earth. This is Peter Jones, Global News. ”

Lucifer sat in a corner of the room not saying a word. He had been silent since arriving back at Mary’s house. He smiled occasionally when Mary turned to him to see if he was still in the room.

“David, please switch the television off. I’ve heard enough of this nonsense.” John asked David as he waved at the television, David leant forward and switched off the television.

“Luther, can you tell us why the people watching this evening have not believed me? They heard the angel speaking through me and yet people still don’t believe. They would rather live in ignorance in spite of all the evidence shown to them.” Lucifer sat for a while and pondered John’s question, then he began to speak.

“John, we all know what happened tonight was genuine. The people at the television studios also knew this and yet the world has not heard your warning.”

“Yes, we know that already,” Ruth rudely interrupted.

“What I am trying to say is that mankind only believe what they want to believe. For instance, if John went around telling people that he was a man of God, those people would ask him to prove it. If eventually he did prove it, those people would be fearful and they would say it was a case of schizophrenia or John was crazy. They would rather deny the existence of God than having something strange happened in their lives. Man has become so full of self-importance to worry about affairs of other people let alone the whole world. They have satisfied themselves with their possessions, so much so that the search for truth is no longer a priority. However, there are a few who are searching for truth and if they seem to be getting too close to the truth, scientists and governments, backed up by the police, step in to squash this newfound truth out of fear of losing control.”

“But how do you account for people’s belief in me as the miracle man?”

“That’s different. Something happened that people didn’t see. Admittedly, you were cured of cancer, but they didn’t see how you were cured of cancer. So they put this down to their faith in an all-healing god. It’s ironic that people would rather believe something they don’t see rather than what they saw on television this evening. It’s as if the human race after thousands and thousands of years is still not ready for the truth.”

“Yes but…” John began.

Lucifer lifted his hand to avoid another question. “I’m very tired and if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend my last hours alive on my own in contemplation.”

“Are you telling us that John’s prophecy is true? That the end is coming?” Mary asked Lucifer.

“Yes, I’m afraid the prophecy is true and what was whispered in my ear earlier this evening were my instructions.”

“What instructions? Are you the one who is going to cause this mass extermination?” Ruth asked.

“Please. I just want to be alone. I suggest you find some time for yourselves to pray and ask for God’s forgiveness.”

“Luther!” Mary pleaded. 

“Let him go Mary,” John held back his sister as Lucifer left the room and went upstairs to be alone.

“Is he the one who is going to annihilate us?” Ruth looked around at John, Mary and David.

“Shut up Ruth,” Mary said, “of course not, can you not see how sad he looks? I think he’s just as scared as us.”

“Please don’t argue. We only have a short time left. Let’s draw together and become closer in our time of need,” John pleaded with Ruth and Mary. Mary could see her sister had fearful tears in her eyes. “You’re right John. Sorry for snapping at you Ruth. Come and sit here with me.”

“I’m just going to phone Jeremiah.” David got up out from his chair and headed for the phone.

“John, God speaks to you, have you heard anymore since getting home?” Ruth wiped the tears from her eyes as she spoke.

“No God has fallen silent,” John said. “It’s like the calm before the storm. Whatever is coming will be big.” In the hallway, David dialled Jeremiah’s number.

“Hello Jeremiah, I hope I didn’t wake you, phoning you so late,”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Did you see John being interviewed?”

“Yes we did. All of us sat and watched it and now we’re waiting for the inevitable.”

“Yes we are too. Lucifer has gone upstairs to be on his own. Jeremiah, maybe I shouldn’t ask you this, but when you spoke to Lucifer this evening in private, did he tell you that he would be the cause of all our deaths?”

“No! He will be just like the rest of us at the end of time. He’ll be suffering.”

“So what was the point of the Scriptures? Why did Lucifer have to incarnate in human form? What have we learnt from all this mess?”

“I do not know, my dear boy. But all I can say is that maybe we are being shown our way back to God again on the eve of destruction.”

“Yes I suppose faith is being called into question and I suppose Lucifer is the one who has to question his the most.”

“David, I believe you’re right. I will now return to my brethren so we can pray. God be with you David and your family.”

“And you, Jeremiah. When the time comes I will see you again in Paradise.”

“Yes, goodbye David, good luck.”

 

General Silas had just finished adjusting his black beret in front of the mirror when there was a knock on his door.

“Enter!” The door opened and in walked the Captain.

“Are you ready my General? The jeep is waiting downstairs.”

“Yes Captain, do you have everything?” The Captain lifted the black electronically-locked briefcase which was handcuffed to his wrist. “And you have your key?”

The Captain smiled at the General and pressed his hand on his chest to show that the key was safely fastened around his neck.

“Okay Captain, it is time. Let’s go and make history and meet our destiny.”

Driving along in the jeep, the Captain looked along the streets. Beggars held out their hands in a desperate attempt for a donation. People with diseases were aligned all along the pathways watching them as they drove past.

“It’s a shame, is it not captain?” the General said. “And yet they will not be suffering for much longer. All their pain and suffering will soon be at an end because of our work and what we are about to do.” The Captain turned to look back at the people. Admittedly, these people were suffering, but what about the people who were not? The people who were happy with their lives, did they not deserve a chance? For the first time, his resolve wavered but he reassured himself that the General was right and the divine command he had been given was true. After all who was he to question the word of God? An hour later, they arrived at the nuclear defence facility. Guards saluted them as they drove past. The sandy road sloped down into a tunnel. As they entered the tunnel, the roar of the engine bounced off the walls surrounding them. Their driver switched on their headlights and carried on into the darkness.

“Are you excited or afraid my friend?” the General asked his companion.

“A mixture of both. I am excited about seeing my family again, but afraid of the pain I will feel when my flesh is being burnt off my body while I’m alive.”

“I am also afraid of that, but I do believe that the reward will outweigh any pain we receive before death.” The General tapped the driver on the shoulder to signal him to stop at the next turning. The jeep pulled up alongside an illuminated glass building. The Captain left the vehicle and held the door open for the General as he stepped out. The two guards saluted the General and Captain as they entered, then they made their way to a main office where the door was securely fastened. Either side of the door were two keyholes, one in blue and one in red. The General took his red key and signalled the Captain to use his blue one. They both turned at the same time and the door slid open. Inside the room were lots of computers with arrays of colours flashing. On the walls were maps of the Western world and in front of them was a massive window to another room where scientists were busily working and constantly watching a massive radar screen. The General walked forward to the glass panel and switched on a microphone in front of him.

“Dr Amir, would you come to the red room at once?” One of the scientists looked up at the glass window to see the General and Captain looking down at him. He waved and gave his clipboard to another one of the scientists and left the room.

“Please sit down Captain,” the General told his second-in-command, “I just have to clarify a few things with Amir.” As the Captain sat down he could see on the computer panel in front of him the key holes to launch the missiles. They were securely locked by a metal frame. There was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Dr Amir walked in and shook the General’s hand and then stepped forward to shake the Captain’s.

“It is good to see you both again, especially on a glorious day like today.”

“Yes Doctor, it’s good to see you too. Now tell me, are we ready to go and are all the coordinates set?”

“Yes, look,” he said and pointed to a massive computerised map of the world, “as you can see we have highlighted certain points of the countries in the West in red. This is where the missiles will strike causing optimum destruction. Soon there will not be much left of the West as we know it.”

“Excellent, so if everything is set we able to proceed on schedule. I would like to launch at twelve precisely when the sun is at its most high.”

“Everything will be ready by then. I just have to finalise some systematic operations then we’ll be ready.”

“Thank you, Doctor, for all you have done and God be with you. I will address everybody at eleven o’clock.”

“We all will be waiting. God be with you General Silas and you Captain,” he said and turned and left the room.

“What time is it now Captain?”

“Ten, sir.”

“Good, would you like a drink?”

“Yes, I would like one very much, my mouth is a little dry.”

“Mine too,” he laughed. “Mine too.”

 

Lucifer lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling. He had slowed his breathing down until he was in an almost meditative state. The darkness of the room surrounded him as he lay there contemplating his existence. He thought it was ironic that he should be lying here on this bed in human form, waiting for the end of the world, where before he had been lying on the rock in the desert in angelic form. It was as though his existence had now come full circle. This time however it was different. Before, he was the one bringing destruction to man, now it was God’s turn. God would be the one to bring destruction to him and mankind. His thoughts were disturbed by a gentle knock on the door.

“I thought I said I wanted to be alone.”

“It’s only me,” Mary popped her head inside the door. “Can I come in? I’ve brought you a cup of tea with lots of sugar.”

“Thank you, please come in.” She walked in and closed the door behind her and sat at the foot of Lucifer’s bed.

“Here you go,” she handed him the tea while looking at him intently.

“What?”

“Tell me what’s bothering you? I know it’s not just that we will all be soon blown to pieces. There’s something else, I can feel it.”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Why not think of it as your confession while you still have a chance.”

“Very well, if you put it like that. Though you might not like what you are about to hear.”

“We won’t know that until you tell me, will we?”