Chapter Seven: Choosing Sides

 ~~/*\~~ Ryder ~~/*\~~

“With Stage Two now underway, legal challenges around the Globe are over. While some were still being organized, Coalition forces now have the legal authority to suspend all attempts by Religious institutions to influence legal or political decisions. All legal actions taken on behalf of Churches to oppose or block the FRA are now suspended, and the lawyers advocating for Illegal Institutions have been arrested. As you can see behind me, the news was greeted with cheers and celebration by the crowd-”

~~/*\~~

“You sure you want to do this interview?” Karla asked him. “I mean, what has he got to say that’s worth hearing?”

“Dion ordered it, and I’m on thin enough ice with him as it is.” Ryder said, matter-of-factly.

Karla nodded. “Well, okay. But this was kind of thrown together at the last minute. I haven’t done any research, I haven’t got any background-”

“I do, and Dion wrote the questions.” He assured her. “I’ll feed them to you. The responses are all your own.” He gave her a look. “This is a serious, high profile interview. You aren’t covering the fringes right now. This man is offering to set the tone for Church’s former leadership, now that the FRA has disbanded it; and we’re going to broadcast it to the world. This could make a serious difference to what comes next.”

“I’m being tested too, aren’t I? To see if I can handle interviews at this level.” Karla nodded and slipped her earpiece in as they made their way into the next room. The bay window, and the high ceilings gave plenty of good lighting for a natural interview. The dark wood paneling on the walls gave an effective backdrop without having to set up any lighting or screens. As she sat across from him, Karla smiled winningly at the former Bishop. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to compliment you on this lovely house.” She demurred. “Is it yours, or part of the Church?”

“It’s mine.” Fitzpatrick nodded. “The Church did maintain a few residences for her members in the area, but this is my private residence. My family has owned it for three generations now. There have been some renovations over the years.”

Karla nodded like this was the most fascinating thing in the world. “I hope you’ll grant me a tour once the interview is done?”

“I look forward to it.” He assured her.

~~/*\~~

Settling himself in the news van outside, Ryder worked the controls, and checked the feed from the camera. “Okay, here we go.”

The interview began, and Karla’s voice changed as she was ‘on’. “With Stage Two of the FRA now underway, all Religious Holdings have been seized, and all institutions with public influence have been disbanded. Some of the smaller groups insist that this changes nothing, continuing their meetings in private homes; as is their right. What is your stance?”

Fitzpatrick spoke smoothly, giving a well rehearsed answer. “The Church, as an organization, has existed for longer than most nations have existed. But our purpose has always been to serve the people of the world, according to our principles.”

“I thought your purpose was to serve God, according to His Commandments.” Karla pounced.

“And we will continue to do so, by serving people.” Fitzpatrick continued easily. “The Church has always served the public need with homeless shelters, and soup kitchens, and-”

“And class action settlements?” Karla interrupted. “Hush money to the victims?”

Fitzpatrick froze for half a heartbeat as he realized the scope of the interview. “There’s been a number of times when we’ve had to get our house in line. Usually, it’s a matter of living up to our own standards when we fall short. Today, the world demands that we make a change. Because ultimately, we answer to the world.” He moved on quickly, before she could launch another attack. “The Church is being reorganized as a Charity. A social movement, really. In fact, free of divisions along doctrinal lines, we’re uniting with other former religious groups to expand our ability to help others. It’s not difficult to do. Much of our combined financing has already been redistributed towards those in greater need.”

Ryder translated in his head: Our assets have been seized once Switzerland stopped hiding our money, so we had to find a way to spend it all.

“Our leadership has already signed the Renouncement willingly, and have committed fully to supporting the new mandate of our organization.”

Translation: Our leadership realized they could go to jail if they didn’t agree, and decided to ‘go straight’.

“Our eternal purpose is to guide people closer to God, but what better way is there than by doing what we can to show kindness to those in need? To spend our lives feeding the hungry, and clothing the poor? And with the new reorganization, we have greater resources to do that than ever before.” Fitzpatrick finished.

“And what about the more… biblical aspects of your organization?” Karla pressed. “After all, your ‘duty’ to God has put you at odds with public opinion often. Subjects like abortion, and gay rights? How does your political agenda match with this?”

“The decision has been made that our political presence is no longer necessary, given the sudden shift towards peace in our time.”

Translation: Part of the FRA was to arrest anyone who tried to influence political views with religious dogma.

“That said,” Fitzpatrick continued. “The FRA does allow people to maintain their own beliefs. It merely ensures that these beliefs are not declared publicly”

“And the Church is in agreement with this?”

“We aren’t, strictly speaking, a Church anymore, but we have reviewed the current situation, and believe this is the best response. Indeed, we see many ways to help far more people than ever before.” Fitzpatrick nodded. “In fact, with the recent elimination of many doctrinal requirements, our own people are celebrating. Former Priests are now charity administrators, able to marry and have families of their own. Leadership positions have been made available to women. All told, it’s been a welcome innovation.”

“Which begs the question, sir…” Karla continued silkily. “If making this change could have done so much more to help so many, and make life so much better and easier for your own members… Why did it take so long for you to do it? If the purpose of your Church was to help the world; if you were answerable only to the people; then why didn’t you make this happen centuries ago?”

Fitzpatrick was about to answer, when there was a loud smash, and a brick came through the window. Both he and Karla jumped to their feet automatically, when something else came through after it. Karla saw a flash of flame, before there was a loud smash of glass, and suddenly the flames came pouring across the floor.

Watching the feed in the news van, Ryder jumped up and scrambled inside to help. The door was unlocked, and he grabbed an extinguisher on the way, running into the room, where Karla and Fitzpatrick were backing away from the fire, trying to smother the flames with a floor rug. Between the three of them, the fire was out pretty quickly.

“Are you two alright?” Ryder demanded.

Karla nodded. Fitzpatrick, badly shaken, did the same. “I-I don’t understand.” He muttered. “I signed. I signed the Renouncement…” His face was streaked with the sudden smoke; his eyes watering, either from that, or the emotion. “I did what I was supposed to, didn’t I?”

Karla went over to the camera, still recording, and switched it off. “They’re not afraid of you anymore.” She said shortly. “I know your story, Bishop. While you covered up scandals and crimes, everyone else like you peddled heaven and hell to keep people in line, no matter what you were doing with their money, or their kids. The FRA? It’s taken the fear away.” She pointed at the broken window. “And when fear isn’t strong enough, there’s only rage left.”

“She’s right.” Ryder said tightly. “This? It’s not a riot looking for something to trash. It’s a lynching.”

Fitzpatrick was shaking. His world was crashing down on his head. He put a hand to his neck, searching for a talisman that wasn’t there anymore. “I-I-I did what they wanted. I did the right thing, didn’t I?”

~~/*\~~

Del had joined Nate in the field service. He was one of the few local brothers that Del knew at all, and the two of them had been working together as the territory grew more and more dangerous. In this area, most people were willing to slam the door in their faces. Many had taken the ‘final visit’ with good humor, amused to see that the Witnesses were concluding their work at last, and not really caring why. But there was always a chance that someone was going to be aggressive about it.

Nate gestured at a house as they passed, which had taped the Renouncement in his front window, for everyone passing by to see. “There was a house a few streets over from my old place.” Nate told Del. “The guy who lived there was… passionate about his faith. I mean, a full on snake-handling type. The kind who thought the child in a wheelchair could have walked if he’d only pray hard enough. He had scriptures painted all over his house. Drove past there this morning. His house is gone. Burnt to the ground.”

Del let out a low whistle. “Neighbors? Police? Accident?”

“Any or all of the above.” Nate admitted, checking his watch. “We’ve been working this street for almost twenty minutes. Someone’s almost certainly called a cop by now. We should go.”

Del made a note of the house number and headed back to the car.

~~/*\~~

In some neighborhoods, they went alone, not wanting to draw much attention. In others, they went five at a time, making sure no brother or sister was left out of sight, even for a minute.

“This street is… shall we say, eager to mind their business. Nobody in these houses are going to call the authorities, no matter how angry they are about us knocking.” Nate commented to his new partner. “We finish this street, we head on to our next assignment.”

“Inconvenient that it’s halfway across town, but I get why.” Del nodded. “Are you nervous?”

“Yup.” Nate said plainly.

“Me too.” Del admitted. “In all honesty, this was the one part of being a Witness I was never all that confident with, even before this particular message.”

Nate’s phone buzzed, and he checked it. “Alvin wants us to do a house on the next street while we’re here. Just one.” He checked the number. “One of Jannette’s long-standing Return Visits. She’s not taking too well to the instruction never to call back.”

“If we’re past the point of no return, what else can we do?” Del sighed. “That part feel weird to you? Honestly, I’ve been a witness for a few years. Way less than Jannette, or any of the Elders. But this is…”

“Against muscle memory?” Nate grinned. “I know what you mean.” The smile faded. “The Final Message is the only one we’ve given without any hope of salvation attached. To offer some would be cruel… and a lie.” He let out a breath. “But we’re in good company there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Noah had brothers and sisters. None of them came onto the Ark. The First Century Christians? They would have had relatives who weren’t believers, and wouldn’t leave Jerusalem. I wonder how those brothers felt, looking around the streets where they’d grown up, knowing they’d never see any of it again.”

“Mm.” Del shivered. “The difference is, all those survivors started out in one place.”

Nate squeezed his shoulder in solidarity. “Your wife and kid are okay, Del. They have the same protection that you do.” The man assured him, and then his face twitched.

Del saw the unspoken thought. “I’m sorry your family isn’t with you for this either. You never know, maybe…”

It was a fool’s hope, but the only one Nate had for his brother. “God decides; not us. Maybe my prayers could be enough to…” He trailed off, not believing it either.

Del didn’t have anything he could offer. “Come on. We’re still on the clock.” He quipped, getting them moving.

~~/*\~~

A few minutes later, they were driving. While Del checked in with his wife, Nate placed a call to Alvin; updating him on their efforts, and getting their next assignment. For the most part, the Witnesses were unaffected by the first two stages of the FRA. They faced more vocal or aggressive opposition, but the searches of their homes had found no icons. Their accounts had been seized, and so had the Halls, but their membership were all volunteers anyway, and the meetings had mostly moved online, now by invitation only for Witnesses, which neatly protected them from charges of ‘recruiting’.

(Author’s Note: The book ‘Pure Worship of Jehovah -- Restored At Last’ Chapter 16, Paragraph 17 speaks of people who respond to the Last Days by embracing the Kingdom Message, and warns that: “Only those who pursue such a course now – and who enter the great tribulation as pure worshippers, will be in a position to be marked for survival. Similar statements in talks and other articles support the idea that the start of the Great Tribulation will be the ‘point of no return’.)

“Being an Elder these days is as much about being a Ringmaster at a Circus as it is offering comfort and reassurance.” Alvin told Nate. “We’re keeping the Hailstone message going, but the streets are getting dangerous. We’re scouting to see where the gangs are forming, and sending our people street by street; having getaway cars waiting…”

“And yet you sound like you’re smiling.” Nate observed.

“I am smiling.” Alvin agreed. “This is what all our lives have been building to. The last page of the Bible is being played out after six thousand years of preparations being made. You know that not one brother has asked to be excused from the preaching work? The same physical or emotional limitations that were a problem for some are still there; and a few are more comfortable helping or supporting rather than actually going to the doors; but not one person has signed the Renouncement in our Congregation. The urgency is reaching them.”

“Us too.” Nate admitted. “Don’t let me keep you, chief.” They made a few more pleasantries, and disconnected the call. Del was doing the same. “Your wife?”

“Worried for our son, but the Cong is taking care of them there. Eleanor was the first in our family to get the Truth. She hates that we’re apart for this, but…” Del sighed. “Between the two of us, we’ve brought three people into the Truth. A former coworker of mine and his daughter, and a messed up homeless girl that Ellie met when she was volunteering at a Shelter. She’s surrounded by people who held onto their faith when the world turned on them. People that she helped to bring back onto the rails when their lives were going nowhere. To say nothing of the Pioneers and Elders. As a support team goes, it’s not bad.”

“You tell her about your ‘miraculous escape’ from the Coalition?”

“No.” Del admitted. “She’d freak out retroactively. Best to share the war stories when it’s all over.” He nodded to Nate’s phone, mounted on the dashboard. “What’s the latest?”

“We head over to handle Rocktrack Road for a while. They covered the first half of it on Monday, before they had to get out of there. We’ll cover the other half.”

Del nodded. “And then we find someplace private where we can follow the meeting?”

“Right.”

~~/*\~~

“We’re getting reports of how the Final Message is being preached in all the world.” Their Speaker said proudly on the screen. “The response has been what you’d likely expect, but the experiences being shared are wondrous, as almost every Territory can share stories of protection that are nothing short of miraculous. People are being rescued from dangerous circumstances in near-impossible ways.”

The Speaker paused as the room he was in broke into applause. Nate and Del applauded too, automatically. Del had a few stories to add to the collection. They likely both would before it was over.

“And even the less obvious miracles are being felt in the work that goes on right now. The entire Global Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses have had lifetimes to prepare themselves for this very event. The most devastating events of recent memories, including natural disasters, brutal wars, and even global Pandemics have proven to be a good rehearsal for us now.”

(Author’s Note: To clarify, I’m obviously not suggesting that any of those terrible events actually happened for our benefit. I merely point out that we’ve had the opportunity to practice having our meetings and ministry from home; as well as protecting and encouraging each other during times of danger. The website is full of such examples.)

“The work has never been so skillfully organized. And what’s more, we’re privileged to live through the most important events in human history. Imagine yourself present in Elijah’s day, when Jehovah vindicated His Sovereignty in the face of an army of Baal Worshippers. Imagine yourself there in the days of Moses, when Jehovah showed Ancient Egypt exactly what a True God could do against all their idols.” The Speaker actually had a tear in his eye. “Brothers, the slander of false worship has now ended forever. We are bearing witness to The Day when all the half-truths and great pretenders were exposed. We’ve seen the footage on the news: People clinging to false idols, hoping that the images would somehow be able to save them.”

Nate noticed Del shiver. “Problem?”

“I…” Del looked down. “The big roadblock for me was that a loving God would be…” He hesitated. “I mean, I know the reasons. But what he just said about the days of Egypt? To the people on the ground it’d be… beyond terrifying.”

“It would.” Nate agreed. “There’s a difference between forgiving and passive. If you’re unwilling to fight back, you aren’t peaceful, you’re harmless.” Nate offered. “And whatever else Jehovah is, He’s not harmless.”

On screen, the Speaker kept going. “Ask yourself, who was hurt by the lies of Babylon The Great? It wasn’t the Angels. They’re in heaven, in direct contact with God. It wasn’t even the demons. They knew what was real and what wasn’t. For all the evil they’ve done, they weren’t tricked by anything humans ever said to each other.” The speaker said on screen. “The only people that Babylon the Great could hurt are humans. The human race has been torn apart by religious lies. Wars have been fought, obscene crimes committed-”

“-and all of them done in God’s name.” Nate commented under his breath.

“Imagine how angry a loving God would be, seeing cruelty done to the helpless. Having His creation told that He wants them to suffer.” The Speaker shook his head. “Jehovah has taken action against their lies at last; but He didn’t do it Himself. He set the stage, but it’s humans that are delivering this execution against false religion. Humanity has been made to suffer from this slander, and the one being slandered has made human rulership the method of His justice.”

Nate gave Del a look, and Del nodded, pulling his head in. “I know. I already knew, to be honest. Just… a little of the old superstition coming out, I guess. “But if I’m honest, I’d rather it come from Angels directly. Humans are too… volatile.”

“Heh.” Nate scoffed. “Well. Doesn’t that come next?”

~~/*\~~ Takarut ~~/*\~~

“This is what Jehovah has said…” Moses declared to the people of Goshen. “‘If Pharaoh does not send my people away, I will send on him, and his servants, and on his people, and into his houses the gadfly. They will even cover the ground they stand on’.”

Moses’ words set off a murmur of dread. Nobody was looking forward to this one.

“‘And I will certainly set apart the land of Goshen, where my people are dwelling’.” Moses continued. “‘By this, you will know that I am Jehovah, and I am here in the land. I will make a distinction between My people, and their people. Neither will I bring any plagues upon Goshen from this day on’.”

His words set off a cry of appreciation, and Moses led the people in Prayer. Afterwards, Moses and Aaron headed off, in the direction of the Nile, apparently to deliver the same message to Pharaoh. Songs of rejoicing broke out, praising Jehovah in his wake.

Tzioni noticed Takarut was silent. “Problem?”

Takarut looked up, caught out of his thoughts. “I’m wondering what my own people are being told.” He admitted. “Moses is always kind enough to pass along word to Goshen, but are the streets of Egypt also being informed? For a while, it was my job. I doubt this particular message is getting out. Maybe not about any of the Plagues.”

“If your people knew, what could they do about it?” Tzioni countered. “Pharaoh is the only one in Egypt with authority to make this stop. Even Moses can’t decide when this ends.”

~~/*\~~

Satau rose and made his way to the Temple doors for morning rituals. It was his turn to lead the morning prayers. It was a ritual that had remained unchanged in Egypt for longer than any of them had been alive.

Ashura brought the morning offerings to Ptah, along with a few other Priestesses, enjoying the familiar chants, when she happened to look towards the rising sun and let out a cry.

The buzzing was audible seconds later as a cloud of insects, small enough to be invisible, but thick enough to darken the sky, suddenly fell on the palace like a crashing wave. Satau let out a shout as the swarm enveloped him. He’d expected to be knocked over, but the creatures were so small and light that he wasn’t pushed around, just enveloped.

One of the Temple attendants snatched up a lit torch and started swinging it at the gadflies. The flame passed through the thick swarm, flaring as many of the tiny critters were immediately burned away to nothing, but he was thrashing at a torrent. All those in the courtyard could feel them crawling all over, all of them trying to get inside. It was a useless gesture. There was no building in Egypt sealed enough to keep something the size of a gadfly out, and there were so many there was no chance of going unnoticed. The insects were falling over each other, pushing each other into every corner and hiding place.

~~/*\~~

At first, it was hard to ignore, knowing they were sinking their tiny bites into your skin. By day two, it was a terror campaign. During the second night, lying awake, tormented by the constant buzz, Satau was ready to surrender. Candles and censors of incense were lit, and thin gauzy fabrics hung over every bed, trying to keep the insects off. It helped, but there was no keeping the sound out during a quiet night.

The constant, high pitched drone, buzzing constantly, reminding everyone that they were being eaten alive, slowly, by things too tiny to see. Nobody in Egypt had slept properly for days.

“Satau...” His father said hoarsely, yawning compulsively, scratching at his arms. “Would you do something for me?” He yawned again. “There’s a rumor that there are no gadflies in Goshen. Would you mind making sure?” He gestured in the general direction of the Throne Room. “I can’t leave.”

Satau nodded and went down to the stables. There were so many gadflies that the corridor almost seemed to be misty, thin clouds weaving around in front of everyone. Satau hadn’t even noticed he was constantly waving in front of his face.

Everyone was wrapped head to toe like they were already mummified. The symbolism wasn’t lost on Satau. The only way to keep the bugs off was to be as the walking dead. An option that wasn’t available to his horse, who was making the most unhappy noises in his stable.

“I know, big guy.” Satau said soothingly to his horse before he began to ride. “You want to go for a run? Moving faster will make you feel better. Maybe the little bloodsuckers won’t be able to get a good bite in if we’re moving.”

They peppered against his face as he rode. His horse bucked and nickered grumpily as the flies began buzzing around his ears and nose. Satau slowed right down. A war-trained stallion, his Sari was accustomed to following commands when under fire, or when surrounded by the sounds of battle. The gadflies were something else entirely. He thrashed his head, trying to get clear.

“I know, boy. I know.” Satau spoke soothingly to his horse. “I thought this was done with when the gnats went away.”

~~/*\~~

When Sari trotted over the borders into Goshen, there was a sudden silence that was so complete Satau wondered if he’d been suddenly struck deaf. His horse slowed automatically.

Almost like he was in a dream, Satau slowly unwrapped the covering from his face. There were no gadflies. They’d been so omnipresent for so long he couldn’t believe it. No Gadflies in Goshen, exactly as Moses had reportedly promised.

Satau hadn’t slept in three days, and was in shock from the absence of the Plague. Sari had made the trip enough times that he walked automatically to Takarut’s dwelling. Satau was too out of it to steer him back to the city. He’d been sent to investigate the reports that Goshen was somehow immune to the gadflies. He had his answer already. He should have gone home. But the idea of riding back into the cloud of little biters was enough to make his exhausted brain cry for mercy.

His horse apparently agreed, and Satau didn’t even look up until he was out front of Takarut’s house. His old friend was there, looking back at him. “You look… terrible.” Takarut said with sympathy.

Satau didn’t so much dismount as fall off Sari’s back. Takarut half carried him inside, and lowered him gently to the cot. Satau was asleep in seconds.

~~/*\~~

When Satau awoke, he saw blood under his fingernails, but he still felt immeasurably better.

Takarut was waiting, holding out a small roll of bread and some dried fish. “You were scratching in your sleep. I couldn’t stop you, and I couldn’t wake you.” He said sympathetically.

“First time I’ve slept since the gadflies appeared.” Satau sat up with a groan. “I’m surprised it’s still light out.”

“Light again, actually. You slept all day and all night.” Takarut sighed. “The state of you is horrifying. Is there anyone left in the City that isn’t covered in these bites?”

“Nope.” Satau sighed. “I heard that there were no gadflies in Goshen. I didn’t believe it, but just one hour free from their demonic little buzzing…”

Takarut nodded. “Moses says that Jehovah has pledged a distinction between His people and Egypt from now on.”

Satau shivered hard. “Pharaoh responded to the gnats by deciding it was a siege. He decided to wait it out. After all, the Hebrews had to go through the gnats and frogs, just like we did.” He shook his head. “If he figures out that his slaves are not suffering as badly as he is…”

“I know.” Takarut said with a sigh. “It’s going to get worse now.”

Satau looked at his wraps. They weren’t all that different from the rags the slaves wore. Knowing what was coming, and knowing it was inevitable, Satau wrapped his face and arms thoroughly. “As soon as I leave Hebrew territory, the gadflies will come after me again.” He sounded outright mournful. “On the way here, it was like the air had turned half solid, constantly peppering into you, head to toe.”

Takarut winced. “It ends the second Pharaoh gives the order.”

~~/*\~~ Ryder ~~/*\~~

“...which is when spokespeople for the U.N. confirmed that we can expect major food chain disruption in several countries.”

“Karla, did they give any word on how long it would last?”

“The good news is that the world is more organized in a global capacity than ever before. There have been repeated calls for the Coalition to take direct control of the world food supply. There have been repeated cases where a wealthy, prosperous nation would destroy excess food because it wasn’t worth the cost of delivering to less stable regions. At the national level, we see price spikes and shortages on specific foods all the time, in response to natural disasters wiping out crops or orchards. In my family, it was how we learned to experiment with different recipes, and find new favorite foods.”

~~/*\~~

“Dion warned us about appearing glib. This is going to get worse before it gets better.” Ryder told her once they were off the air.

“The world has always been in famine somewhere or other.” Karla told him. “But for the first time, the Powers That Be are treating us all like one planet, and not a pack of rabid children that don’t like each other. My family’s had a ‘Victory Garden’ for three generations now, and my sister expanded the idea into a full farming co-op. They won’t go hungry. People who are thoughtful, reasonable, and prepared rarely do.”

Ryder said nothing to that for a while as they pulled out into the street, heading for their next story. “So far, the Coalition has been devoted to attacking the problem, rather than rebuilding. They’ve made some strides in the distribution of wealth, and cooling down Hot Zones. But taking over global shipping and food production? That’s a big ask.”

“With the wars over, it’s what’s next.” Karla said evenly. “I have faith.”

Ryder’s phone buzzed and he hit the speaker. “Yeah, boss?”

“You did a good job of calming things down.” Dion reported. “Be less lighthearted about it if we have to come back to this story again. Food supplies might only be disrupted for a while, but it’s food. How long does that breakdown have to last to be bad for people?”

Karla was unmoved. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

“You wanna read the stats on how many people starve to death every year? Because our viewers have no trouble looking it up.” Dion promptly changed the subject. “Now, get over to the city square. Apparently, they’re holding a celebration as they burn the last Church relics. It’s turning into a full on community bonfire. People are bringing music, drinks; games. It’s a real party atmosphere. The police have been told to let it play out. Get some good B-Roll for the ‘Late Night’ guys.”

“On the way, boss.” Karla reported, already searching social media. “He’s right. It’s like V-E Day over there.” She smiled winningly. “World’s getting better every day.”

~~/*\~~

Alvin went back to his car, and found a familiar face waiting for him. “Agent Mercer.” He said neutrally. “What can I do for you?”

“I’ve come to deliver a court order.” Mercer said promptly. “Since your Hall is closed, you can understand we had to bring it to your Elders in person.” He held out the page. “By order of the International Court, as part of the FRA rollout, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are to destroy any and all records kept by any of your personnel. At every level. Congregation, region, branch, globe. There are to be no further printings of religious material, no information to be kept on file about people you’re speaking to. You are forbidden from studying with people outside your organization. These things have been ruled as ‘public influence’.”

“Of course.” Alvin nodded, and turned his phone to show Mercer the screen. “This message went out five days ago to all members in this region, ordering that all Return Visits to non-members were to cease, and all records of our time visiting them were to be destroyed.”

Agent Mercer gave him a hard look. “Help me understand something.” He seethed quietly. “I already know about the ‘campaign’ you’re working on right now. I’m sure that if I searched you, I’d find at least a few of those Pamphlets. I got one in my mailbox last week.” He pulled it out of his pocket. “Stage Two is now in force, and it forbids recruitment.”

“We aren’t recruiting.” Alvin said, still neutral.

“I know that too.” Mercer nodded. “Some of your congregations around the world still meet digitally, for whatever reason. It’s not hard for us to listen in. I know your leadership has given the order to never call back on ‘interested ones’. I already know about that text message. And I know that something similar has been done around the Globe.”

Alvin said nothing, just waiting coolly.

“But here’s the thing I don’t understand.” Mercer pushed. “You’ve been ordered to stop your kind of preaching work before. By dictators. By employers. By legitimate governments. By courts. Sometimes under threat of imprisonment. Sometimes under threat of torture and death. You make no secret of the fact that you keep going anyway. The stories of carrying on under ban are published on your website in a thousand languages.” Mercer gave him a hard look. “And yet, your membership is all but unaffected by the FRA. Other Churches have tried to keep going on a digital platform, the way they did during the Pandemic. None of them have managed to keep going. Donations to your people have ceased. All the JW’s assets have been seized… And the work that’s been the whole focus of your entire belief system is apparently shutting down before the deadline. You manage your territory by text message. We know what you’re doing. You’re going to finish with days to spare.”

Alvin said nothing, not letting himself get drawn into saying anything.

Mercer gave him a hard look. “When I showed up at your Hall, there was no hesitation, no argument. It’s like you were waiting for us. Why does a group that so proudly refuses to compromise, no matter the cost, now seem totally unfazed by the end of their business?” He shrugged. “Doesn’t make sense. You know this isn’t going to blow over. When other governments shut you down, your response was to carry on and wait for times to become more favorable. You know that’s not going to happen this time. This is global. Your preaching campaign will never start again.”

“I know.” Alvin nodded.

“I’ve read your pamphlets. I’ve spoken to people when they came to my door. They all say the same thing: This is the last message you’ll ever deliver.”

“Yes, it is.” Alvin nodded.

“I’ve read this pamphlet four times. Either you’re wrong, and this is the end of your religion. Or you’re right, and the world is about to end. Either way, why are you so bloody eager to cooperate, when the rest of the world’s remaining religions are stockpiling for a war?”

“Because of all the religions in the world, ours is the only one to want the same thing you do.” Alvin said simply. “To bring the false idols down… And live in a much better world than what we’ve got.”

Mercer said nothing, staring into Alvin as if trying to read his mind, before he headed off without another word, going back to his own car. Alvin watched him go, and slid into his driver’s seat, feeling like he’d just dodged a bullet, when his phone rang. He hit the speaker button without even looking. “Hello?”

“I just got a call from Jannette. Frances has been arrested.” Russel reported. “They were finishing up their last bit of assigned territory, when they were pulled over and searched for contraband.”

Alvin let out a hard breath. “What about Jannette? Is she okay?”

“Yeah. Luckily, they were out of pamphlets. They’d used them all up and were on their way to get more when they were stopped. Apparently, Return Visit slips have been declared ‘illegal data’ now. Jannette threw away all her RV records when the order went out not to call back again. Frances thought she could still convince a few of them, and…”

“And now she’s in custody.” Alvin finished. The fact that we got the instruction a week ago could have saved her if she’d listened. The Court Order only just came down today.

“Listen, this may not be a wise move, but I’m going to see if I can get her out.” Russel said. “I can tell the police that we ordered all our people to make no further return visits. Given that it’s the truth, and I have documentation to back it up, they might buy it.”

“The facts may be a moot point, brother.” Alvin countered. “It’s not like we’re staying undercover about our beliefs. We’re trying to evade the gangs, but we’re still ‘on duty’. I imagine by now everyone in the city has gotten a copy of our ‘Judgment’ message, or at least heard about it. We’ve never hidden our membership.”

“I know, but… Frances is the one that brought me into the truth. I have to at least try to help.”

“Maybe you can get her out of jail, but can you get her out without having to sign Renouncements?”

“...I don’t know.” Russel admitted. “Pray for me.”

~~/*\~~

“The Supply Chain Crisis is now in its second week, and has expanded to include all shipping, due to ongoing hurricane activity in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This includes coal and oil shipments. As local and national leaders struggle to compensate from more local sources, we can report that energy rationing will begin as of Sunday Night. Electricity will be cut off during peak hours, until the current crisis is over, in the following areas…”

~~/*\~~

The daily Rundown meeting was tense, even by their standards. Every day, the newsroom got details on all the ways the world could end, and decided which ones to talk about. It had been that way since long before any of them were born.

“We’re getting reports from some people who were arrested for refusing to sign the Renouncement… before they could even get a copy.”

“I heard that story too.” Dion nodded, unconcerned. “It was some crank trying to get out of an arrest for-”

“No, this was another guy.” Otto interrupted. “Funny thing though, both times were the same cop making the bust. So I looked into it. Turns out there were a bunch of people trying to call a reporter, or a tip line. Then they changed the rules so that ‘Unsigned’ couldn’t get the usual due process. A lot of them are from the same precincts.”

Dion blinked. “We got any field reporters in that area?”

~~/*\~~

“Seizure of property.” Karla repeated. “Lawmen are pulling shakedowns?”

“The FRA cleared out a lot of red tape. Some of the police forces are taking advantage of it to make searches on suspects they could never get warrants for.” Dion reported. “Some of them are just cleaning out storage areas owned by the mobs, to see what they find.”

“Are we reporting it as good news, or bad news?”

“In your case, bad news. Because some of them are using it to settle scores on bad guys, but some of them are using the same emergency powers to hassle their ex-wives, or get revenge on old rivals. Maggie’s police scanner says there’s one such ‘hit’ happening in your area, and we need footage for a future story. Don’t approach them, just document everything. Get faces.”

“Copy that.”

~~/*\~~

“We’re in the wrong vehicle for this.” Ryder murmured.

“It was the only wheels we had, given the timing.” Karla returned, aiming their camera out the window. “Though I feel like we should do something.”

“Like what? Call a cop?” Ryder returned grimly.

Across the street, one of the more affluent houses in town was being raided. The family was laying facedown on the lawn, while police officers carried out their TV, various appliances… There were other police in the garage, and from their angle, they could see an argument going over who would ‘seize’ the car.

While they filmed, one of the family rose, to demand a lawyer; and he was promptly struck across the face with a nightstick. The ‘crack’ was sharp enough that Karla twitched in sympathy. “They’re not even pretending to arrest that family before they clean out the house. How old do you think those kids are? Nine? Ten?”

“HEY!” One of the Coalition men had noticed them. “What are you doing?! No cameras!”

Karla tried to wind the window up before the soldier could make it across the street to their van, but didn’t quite make it. Large, heavy hands rushed in and grabbed for the camera. Karla wrestled with him for a moment automatically, before the camera was pulled from her grip, and smashed on the ground.

Through the now-closed window, Karla and the Coalition Soldier locked eyes. Ryder reacted automatically, holding up his Press credentials, so that the Law would know it was official, and not a random passerby filming him. The Soldier’s face changed, and he started to draw his sidearm. “Out of the van!”

“Drive! DRIVE!” Karla blurted in sudden fear as the gun came up, and Ryder did so, shifting the van into gear with a lurch, driving away quickly.

Ryder and Karla drove until they were sure nobody was following, then pulled over, looking at each other in disbelief. “You okay?”

She nodded. “They thought we were recording. Did they know we were streaming it to the Station live?”

~~/*\~~

Dion let out a low whistle over the videoconference. “Well. That was unexpected.”

“They smashed our camera, boss.” Karla looked madder than Ryder had ever seen her. “They very nearly shot me just for watching them.”

“I know. It turned out to be good footage.” Dion said wryly. “Look, the FRA gives them permission to do this without being recorded. But we have the footage, so it looks bad for them. All the networks are walking a very fine line, because nobody expects to get through the FRA without some distasteful parts, but…”

“But.” Karla agreed. “What do we do? There’s an incident report. All our competitors will know about it. They’ll report it to make us look like we were ‘interfering’. We can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”

“I know. The story has to be handled properly, but we can’t ignore it.” Dion told them. “Gordon goes live in twenty minutes. The FRA is going to be the lead story, as usual. Gordon thinks Karla should run it, and we fold our account in with the ‘successful campaign’ angle. Make it into a ‘point-counterpoint’.”

“Me?” Karla breathed, stunned. “Prime time? Lead story?”

Ryder let out a low whistle. “Nice. Except we’ll never make it to a studio, and they smashed our camera. We don’t even have a teleprompter.”

“We’ve already sent the copy to you. Gordon will introduce the news, and then toss it over to Karla. You can do it over a smartphone if you have to.”

Ryder went right to work, looking around their rented room. “Turn on all these lights, and fix your makeup. I’ll set up the tripod facing that wall with my phone, and feed you the info from the Van.”

“Right.” Karla jumped up, hurrying to prepare for the broadcast.

~~/*\~~

Ryder was at his post in the news van when the broadcast played their opening graphics, and Gordon appeared on screen, looking into the camera.

“Several of the holdout groups have proclaimed the Renouncement, and the Final Revelation Act, to be the fulfillment of prophecy. Their reactions have been as varied as the groups themselves, but the Authorities have only one response, carefully outlined by the FRA.” Karla reported into the phone’s camera. “The rules for both the Holdouts and the Authorities have been clearly defined, and signed into law. Everyone knows what they’re deciding at this point.”

From the Van, Ryder watched both feeds as the newsdesk led her through the story. “Karla, we’re getting reports that some Police and Citizen militia groups have been using the broader powers granted by the FRA to enforce other rules.”

“That’s unconfirmed at this point, Gordon. But some individuals have been using the FRA to suspend due process.” Karla confirmed. “If you suspect someone of withholding religious icons or material, they can be searched, and the offending material seized as contraband… Some Lawmen are using that as justification to search people they suspect of other crimes. So far it seems to be working for them. Seizures of child exploitation material and narcotics have jumped dramatically. Crime could be virtually eliminated by the FRA.”

And all we had to do was let cops do anything they wanted, to anyone they felt like. Ryder thought to himself wryly.

There was a little more back and forth, and Gordon took over the rest of the broadcast. On his screens, Karla was trying not to dance. It was her first prime time lead.

He was about to congratulate her when the doors to his van flew open, and bright lights were flashing in his face.

~~/*\~~

Karla let out a breath. “I think it went well, don’t you?” There was no answer, and she tapped at her earpiece. “Ryder?”

The door burst open, and in came a small flood of gunmen, weapons drawn. Karla jumped back, still standing against the wall from her broadcast. Her hands went up automatically. They went back down again when she recognized the one leading the raid. “You’re the guy who smashed my camera!”

“This house is suspected of hoarding contraband material. Stay right there while we search.” The leader said immediately, looming over her.

“It’s not my house. This is an Airbnb that we got put up in while we followed a story in this-” Her eyes narrowed. “This is retaliatory.”

“Stay where you are!” She was warned again.

One of the others came into the room, holding up a dusty statue of a saint. “Look what we found in the attic!”

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Karla scorned. “We haven’t even looked in the attic. We’ve been here for a total of three hours in the last two days. We haven’t even unpacked!”

“You’re in possession of contraband, and you’re under arrest.”

Karla set her jaw. “I’m still mic'd up from a prime time broadcast, syndicated to five different stations. One word from my producer, and we broadcast this whole thing to millions.”

“Your producer is also under arrest.” The leader grinned at her. “We had him in custody before you even knew we were here.”

~~/*\~~ Satau ~~/*\~~

“Today’s lesson is concerning the effects of gadfly bites.” Jannes said darkly. “The plague of little biters might have finally abated this morning, but the effects are lingering in many parts of Egypt. The reason for this is fever and other maladies that can be spread by the bites of these tiny creatures.”

Satau and Nem-ur were listening carefully.

“In today’s lesson we’ll talk about the normal breeding and life cycles of these creatures, the kinds of diseases they spread, and how we treat such disease.” Jannes told them. “And tomorrow, we’ll cover the survival rates, and what Egypt is likely to face in the aftermath of this plague.”

Not long after, Jannes excused himself to fetch something, while his two students continued the lesson on their own.

“Sounds like a fun day.” Nem-ur commented dryly as soon as they were left alone.

“All things a future King of a desert land needs to know. And a future High Priest too, I suppose, given how many healers are trained and based out of the Temples.” Satau offered. “What I can’t figure out is why the gadflies all vanished this morning. They didn’t fade away, they’re gone.”

“You didn’t hear?” Nem-ur blinked. “Moses came back. My father talked him into lifting the Plague.”

Satau froze. “Really?”

“He sent the Court out of the room. From what he told me later, he was in negotiation with Moses to let them worship Jehovah here. It’s only fair, since we’ve recognized Him as a genuine God. We’ve given permission for foreigners to worship on their own before.” Nem-ur confided in him. “But my father wants them to perform their festivals to Jehovah in Goshen.”

“Why?” Satau was surprised. “There’s no way Moses will accept the terms he offered months ago, when this all began. And this isn’t even that much. Are we supposed to pretend everything since the Nile turning to blood didn’t happen?”

“Well, my father’s been looking into other slave rebellions; and why Moses is playing this one differently. The Generals all agree that if he lets Moses lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, they’ll take their civilians somewhere out of reach, and then turn around to invade us.”

Satau swiftly understood. “So if Moses refuses to perform his festival here, in Goshen, then it confirms that this was never about worshiping Jehovah.”

“Right.” Nem-ur agreed. “At least, that’s what my father thinks. Moses says that if they held a festival to Jehovah in Egypt, then our people wouldn’t stand for it. No other nations had a festival that declared all other gods false.” Jannes added as he returned to the room. “The Hebrews are the only people that only recognize a single God and openly reject all others. They don’t just think their God is greater, they think He’s the only one there is.”

Satau considered that. “I never thought of that.” He admitted. “My father recognized Jehovah as real, but that had nothing to do with any of our own.”

Jannes nodded. “Food is distributed by the Temples. Anyone in Egypt who suddenly decides not to recognize our gods can let Jehovah feed them. But given the circumstances, that seems unlikely.”

~~/*\~~

Moses was the most wanted man in Egypt. But in Goshen, everyone knew where he was. With a million or so people taking their direction from him, there was no chance for him to make a public address to everyone. But the leadership of Goshen was well established. They were an organized workforce, after all. The Elders all met with Moses, and relayed his instructions to their parts of the community.

“This is what Moses has said.” Tzioni reported. “Tomorrow, if Pharaoh has not set us free; Jehovah will bring his hand against the livestock of Egypt. The animals of all sorts will begin to die. And Jehovah will make a distinction between the livestock of Egypt, and that of Goshen. Not one of your animals will be slain.”

His words set off a murmur.

“We must make preparations for this.” Tzioni warned. “When it becomes apparent that our flocks are spared, some from Egypt will want our animals seized for themselves. Make an effort to keep them hidden from the master's eyes next week. There may also be people who want to purchase your animals to rebuild their flocks in time for breeding season. You are free to do as you wish; but keep in mind how it will affect food and livelihoods for your fellow Hebrews. Our freedom, our sustenance, and our safety isn’t going to be decided by money.”

There were a few questions, and a few more details, but in time, everyone had dispersed to make their way to their homes, to tell their families and neighbors what was happening next.

Tzioni noticed that the younger man he’d more or less taken responsibility for wasn’t there, and went looking. Takarut was marching towards the borders of Goshen, heading towards the city. “If you’re going where I think you’re going, I can’t imagine why.” Tzioni commented, coming up behind him.

Takarut stopped walking and turned to face him, frowning. “I came to Goshen, and left my world behind, because when I found out about the massacres, I knew my people were facing the consequences of their actions. Except that my people don’t know that part. They only know what the Palace tells them. Do they even know these Plagues are being foretold by Moses?”

“The Court must surely know. Everyone in attendance when Moses confronts Pharaoh surely knows…” Tzioni bit his lip. “But I suppose the people who are suffering might not.”

“Jehovah is winning the fight against Egypt’s people, but the people don’t even know it’s a war.” Takarut said. “I was a scribe in that Palace. Word will filter down, but the power of this whole campaign is that it’s been foretold in advance. The power isn’t in the ability to bring destruction, but to make it stop instantly. Pharaoh knows this too. That’s why he’s pretended to surrender a few times. Because he knows making it stop is as great a feat as the Plague itself.”

Tzioni frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The Pharaoh is the only one with the authority to let you all go free. But he’s the last one who’ll feel the sting, if you’ll pardon the choice of words.” Takarut said slowly. “We have to tell people there’s another way. Egypt will endure natural disasters, but if they all know that this is because of Pharaoh’s pride…”

Tzioni bit his lip. “I… I’ll go with you.”

~~/*\~~

Takarut wondered if perhaps Tzioni was keeping an eye on him, making sure he wasn’t going home to his people. It was true that he still wasn’t that welcome among the Israelites, but he’d made his choice.

Trust comes slowly to an enemy. Takarut knew. Whatever else I am now, I was his enemy for a long time.

In any case, Takarut had returned to the city for a reason. He strode into a marketplace, found an empty spot between two stalls, and began proclaiming. “People of Egypt!” He declared to the marketplace. “You are being deceived!”

At first he was one voice among many, going about their business in a busy marketplace. But Takarut was Palace trained; and his voice carried, powerful and modulated to make people listen. A few of them even recognized his face and voice. When the Nile had turned to blood, he had been one of the men assigned to make the public announcements. Enough people remembered that some stopped to listen. As Takarut continued, the proclamation got more people’s attention.

“When the Nile ran red, I was told by Pharaoh to assure you all that it was just a runoff of red clay.” Takarut declared. “That was a lie. The Nile turned to blood for a full week, as Moses foretold would happen. I am here to tell you now that what happened, and the Plagues that followed, were not natural disasters! These fantastic, and terrifying wonders were the power of Jehovah God!”

Tzioni, keeping a close watch, was expecting derision or hate, but instead there was silence. Whatever was happening in everyone’s lives, they could see that something unusual was happening. Egyptians revolved their entire lives around the gods. The priests had warned them that unexpected calamity was the work of one god or another. The way had been prepared for Takarut to ascribe these judgments to another God that few in Egypt had heard of.

“Moses and Aaron, who speak for Jah, have come to Pharaoh before each Plague, and warned exactly what would happen! Some of you have seen them performing these acts, on the banks of the Nile, turning the water to blood!” Takarut declared to the whole town. “The next Plague is coming soon! Your livestock will be struck down next! The King already knows that, and he has made no announcement, no warning!”

The crowd started grumbling, not liking this. It wasn’t good news, and he was telling them there was nothing they could do about it.

“I know you don’t want to hear this!” Takarut nodded, almost beseeching them now. “But this ends instantly, the moment Pharaoh lets the Hebrews leave. There is no precaution to take that can thwart the power of Jehovah God! All that Pharaoh can do is make them all go away and never return! Everyone involved would be happy to have it stop right here right now! It will happe-”

The attack was swift and unexpected. Someone threw a spear. Takarut ducked away on instinct, and the tip razored across his cheek. If he’d been an instant slower, it would have skewered his head. Tzioni saw the guards pushing through the marketplace towards them, and Takarut jumped down, a little wobbly from the near-miss. “Time to go!”

(Author’s Note: In the scriptural account, the Plagues are listed, one after another. There’s not a lot of attention given to things like how much the Hebrews knew beforehand, or what reprisals there might be, or if Pharaoh warned any of his own people. Scripture does say that some Egyptians started following Moses’ warning about future Plagues. How they were told what was coming is still an open question. Exploring details like that are the point of this series, but they are my own invention.)

~~/*\~~ Nate ~~/*\~~

Del had felt hunted since the airport. Nate had faced reprisals from his angry workmates, and was equally paranoid. Which was why it seemed so… impossible, that Alvin threw a barbecue for his service group that weekend.

It was so completely, almost offensively normal.

Del helped Alvin set up his backyard. There were almost fifteen people coming over, and Alvin’s freezer was woefully lacking in food for all of them. Nevertheless, he helped set up a table. The weather was good for a BBQ, bright and sunny, with a cool, but gentle breeze. With the news switched off, it was a normal weekend. “You aren’t worried about the neighbors?”

“Actually, I spoke to them this morning, to apologize for ‘the noise’. They all know I’m a Witness, so I took the opportunity to assure them it was the last ‘barbecue day’ we’d be having, since the deadline for the Renouncement was still a week away.”

Del nodded. “Implying we were ‘saying goodbye’ before the rules changed.”

“I never said that, but they all thought so. It makes their life easier if they don’t have to do anything like call a cop. Technically, we could hold a convention before the end of the month.”

“Legally, sure.” Del drawled. “But is that going to stop anyone from disrupting us?”

“There’s never been a day where someone wasn’t trying to disrupt a meeting somewhere in the world.” Alvin offered with a wry grin. “There are some new instructions from the brothers that need to be read. We have everyone over for lunch, have them go inside five at a time to read the letters, and nobody notices we’re having a meeting while there’s burgers grilling in the backyard.”

At that moment, Nate came down the driveway to join them. “It’s truly fascinating how carrying a large sum of money in your pockets makes you paranoid.” He remarked to them, drawing out a plain envelope, and handing it to Alvin. “Consider that my rent for the duration.”

“I thought the bank canceled your card.”

“My credit cards.” Nate clarified. “My savings are still mine until the Final Stage of the Renouncement. I withdrew everything I could. The ATM doesn’t check your papers.”

And then the guests started arriving. Each of them carrying a plate, or at least perishables. Alvin fired up his barbecue, and started cooking immediately. “Don’t be afraid to come back for seconds and thirds.” He told them briskly. “You’ve all seen the reports that the power grid is likely to become unreliable. The world keeps promising that the disruption is temporary, but there’s no harm in taking precautions. Not the least of which is this: All our meat products have to be cooked up before they spoil. And if you’re like me, that means you have more on hand than you can readily eat; so we’re going to spend today sharing it all around. We’re used to people taking plates home. Today, take extra.”

A friendly cheer went up. After that, it was, on the surface at least, an ordinary get-together. The Elders in the group quietly made their way from person to person, checking on each member of the Congregation, and offering encouragement or advice as needed. There were helpful reminders about what to keep in their ‘Go-Bags’, and a few extra additions, given the nature of the current situation. But these things were done privately, in one-on-one conversations. There was no announcement made. The smell of barbecue was getting the attention of the neighbors, and one or two were peeking over the fence. Russel made the rounds, giving each of them a burger or a hot dog of their own. With the cost of food rising steadily, the gesture was greatly appreciated.

Del suddenly realized that the feeling was more like a ‘Goodbye Party’ than anything else. These people all knew each other like family. Some were embracing, giving tearful promises of prayers and support; and a lot of promises were being made about what they’d do when they saw each other next. Del understood swiftly that this was the last time they’d all be in the same place until it was over. When that would be, none of them were certain; but they knew the world would be a very different place.

~~/*\~~

“I saw on the news that some of the ‘Preppers’ have decided the supply problems were the ‘final straw’ and headed out to their bunkers to wait it out.” Jannette said quietly. “The news did an interview with them.”

“I saw that. Don’t like their chances.” Frances gave a cynical laugh. “I was in New Orleans after Katrina. A lot of it was full-blown anarchy, but a lot of people handled it like this. Pulling everyone together to share the food before it spoils, figure out what to do next.” She looked around. “This is better.”

“Amen to that.” Jannette looked around. “Have you heard from Paige today? I was hoping she’d be here. I’ve been trying to call her and her phone is off.”

“Usually is when she’s on shift. Her boss is a bit of a hard case about it.”

“Why doesn’t she just quit? It’s not like she’s working towards an end of year bonus, or a promotion or anything.”

“Paige lives paycheck to paycheck, just to stay an inch from drowning.” Frances said simply. “She can’t take a day off. Her landlord’s already figured out she’s a Witness. He should report her or kick her out, but instead he jacked up the rent; because he knows she can’t get another rental anywhere else. She has zero savings.”

“It’s a story I’ve been hearing since the ‘Secure In Peace’ Campaign started.” Jannette conceded. “Most Witnesses don’t want to waste any more time with their jobs, but we don’t know how long this will last, and nobody can afford to quit until they’re sure it doesn’t matter anymore.” She let out a hard breath. “She could come and stay with one of us.”

“She probably will, eventually. Her husband works full time too, but he isn’t a Witness. Neither is anyone else in her family. There’s going to be a point where she can’t stay there. Odds are we’re all going to end up in one ‘safe house’ or another before this is over.” Frances looked over the table of food, as if dissecting it. “We’ll have to shift to long-life stuff. Cereals and crackers instead of bread. Cans instead of meat and veg…”

“Have you seen the prices lately? Someone like Paige can’t stockpile. I’m not sure I can, to be honest.” Jannette pointed out. “My accounts have been frozen already.”

“Russel dropped off a care package of canned goods for me yesterday.” Frances said softly. “He’s burning through all his savings. A lot of the brothers are.”

“Well, what are they saving for, really?” Jannette whispered. “After living a modest, spiritual life, I’ve never gone hungry, but between rising costs and medical care, I never had much in the way of savings. Nothing that could get me through retirement… One way or another, none of us have much of a future with this world. That’s why I bet everything on the next one being better.”

“Haven’t we all?” Nate murmured, sliding into the conversation. “But in the meantime, give me Paige’s address. I’ll take over a platter of this food we’re grilling up. We’re going to have to use it all up quickly.”

~~/*\~~

Ryder had never been arrested before. He hadn’t been transferred to prison, or gone before a judge. He’d been arrested under the FRA, which meant the usual laws regarding due process no longer applied to him. They had kept him in solitary confinement. No contact with the outside. No food. Whenever he was taken somewhere else for processing, he had a black bag put over his head so that he could gain no clues about his surroundings or other people.

He’d been scared for long enough that he had almost gotten used to it.

Still in the isolation cell, Ryder looked up as the door opened, and felt his jaw drop. “Dad?”

Julian came in, leaning heavily on his cane. “Heard you needed some urgent legal advice.” He drawled as the door slammed shut behind him. “They gave us five minutes.”

Ryder jumped up, thrilled to see a familiar face, and gave his father a hug. “What do you know?”

“Your network’s legal department isn’t quite as idiotic as I always believed. They figured out what must have happened, even if you weren’t allowed to speak to counsel.” Julian told his son. “But any legal challenges against the Coalition…”

“We weren’t arrested by the U.N., we were roughed up by embarrassed local cops.” Ryder snarled.

“I know. That’s your saving grace so far.” Julian nodded. “Public opinion isn’t being shaped by the news anymore. The support for the FRA is like a tidal wave. I can get you out of jail, but Karla is telling me that you used your position to rescue a Holdout that your mother knew. Someone named Del something?”

Ryder let out a breath between his teeth. “I met him once, at mom’s funeral. He was trying to get to some relatives that were already caught under siege. And before you say it, I’ve given the speech myself. We aren’t the story, we just report on them.”

“You are in danger of becoming the story.” His father warned. “And that might just end your career. Nobody’s being rational about this. They never are when it comes to religion.”

Ryder’s mouth became a thin line. “Like mom, you mean? What would she say about all this?”

“That’s exactly the kind of talk that has your superiors worried.”

“You talked to Dion?”

“I did. He feels, and I agree, that this is a PR matter, more than a legal one. The police don’t want to pick a fight with the Press. The network doesn’t want to be seen as hesitant over the FRA.” Julian shifted on his cane. “The decision has been made that your network will give a public show of support for the Act, and in return, we all drop the matter.”

“I’ve been locked in prison for doing my job. It’s a rite of passage for journalists-”

“You aren‘t protecting a source. There is no story. And now you will leave prison, with a handshake and an apology, while you show the world what an upstanding citizen you are.” Julian cut him off before he could build up any anger, using the same fatherly tone he always did when there was no discussion allowed.

“This isn’t just me being annoyed at the inconvenience, dad.” Ryder insisted. “I’ve been in prison for two days. I’m hearing stories of police detectives just ‘seizing’ mansions and sports cars for themselves, because they can under the new rules.”

“I know. I’ve heard the same stories.” Julian nodded, unconcerned. “Look, people abusing their powers with the FRA? That’s inevitable. My old Firm is already setting up a massive class action suit. All we need is a judge willing to hear the case. The longer it goes, the more claimants we have.”

“The circle of life.” Ryder sneered lightly.

“Exactly. But you’re going to have to sign the FRA sooner or later, and if you make an event of it, then you’re bulletproof, and your arrest looks even more foolish.”

Ryder sighed again. He’d been doing that a lot lately. “Right.” He hesitated. “It still feels like surrender. I was doing what I was meant to, and they were taking advantage of people. Can’t your Firm do something to-”

“I don’t have a Firm anymore.” Julian cut him off.

Ryder blinked. “What? What happened?”

“Stage Two of the FRA. I took early retirement from the Firm when the FRA was first announced, and signed the Renouncement immediately.” Julian sighed. “One advantage to being a lawyer, nobody expects you to stand by anything resembling a principle, or have anything like integrity.” He shrugged. “Technically, talking to you right now is me ‘coming out of retirement’.”

Ryder looked around his cell. It had been his whole universe for a full day and night. The room was small enough that he couldn’t even stretch out both arms without hitting concrete. “I’ll sign.” He rasped, feeling the shakes build again. “I’ll do whatever they want. Get me the hell outta here.”

~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~

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