seymoure ([personal profile] seymoure) wrote2013-02-08 08:00 am

"The Golden Calf Obligation" - Chapter 46

Where is the Cavalry When You Really Need Them?

"In course of time, religion came with its rites invoking the aid of good spirits which were even more powerful than the bad spirits, and thus for the time being tempered the agony of fears."

-Paul Harris

 

The hail of gunfire was sporadic. It seemed as if the order to “fire at will” was wasted on these rank amateurs.

The troops outside couldn’t really see us until we tried to exit. So they held their fire.

The guards inside were not long-lived, since, when one was dropped another came forward into his exact position. In about 7 minutes they had fallen all over each other.

We knew they would be quickly replaced, so, since this was the most open avenue of exit, we needed to use that route.

Harry had made note of the fact that this would be the best way to herd us into a trap, so we would split up and make that less likely.

We got a walkie from the body of one of the guards so we could tune in on their plans. Right now it was silent, but we left it on just to receive, not send, and took off.

We had picked up those fellas’ cells, since they wouldn’t need them, and Harry worked “conference” out of them. Now we could be in touch without worrying about being listened to by the opposition.

We met no resistance down the halls. Harry, Chester and Len had left first and took the first left passage, while Hugo, Max and I took the right turn.

The first room we found was the food storeroom. We could hold out here for a while. The outer wall was against the hill. We called our comrades, and they told us they had found the armory. They were throwing all the ammunition they could into a cart they found there and they would soon be with us.

Together we could hang on until help could get here.

When they had gotten about halfway to us, the outside of the laboratory sounded like a warzone.

I was in the middle of calling the FBI. I reached my friend’s office, but his secretary told me he was out in the field.

I identified myself, and I was put on hold.

I was on hold while a war was going on outside!

The secretary came back on and said, “Could you repeat your name, please?”

I did so, puzzled.

“Thank goodness, it is you!”

“What?”

“I had to put you through the voice analyzer we just had installed. We have thousands of voices in the database and luckily yours was one of them. Someone called to cancel an operation, but the VA system identified them as an imposter.

“Agent Bascomb pushed up everything, knowing you must be in trouble. They should be there any minute. Try to hold out!”

Thunderous gunfire was all around us. FBI men in the labeled bulletproof vests ran this way and that, almost always in pursuit of the blue jump-suited Church soldiers.

Even the good Reverend, protected by half a dozen of his partisans was part of the chase. He halted a moment when he saw us, but when we all presented our arms, he fled like a large rabbit. 

At that second Harry and Len came to the door of our room. They had so many guns in their cart, we could have invaded a mid-sized country.

We heard the shooting lessen and then stop. A troop of FBI agents swept through the halls.

Soon I saw my old buddy, Sherman Bascomb.

I hugged my personal cavalry, laughing like an idiot.

“Back off, Savage,” he said, a bit embarrassed. “People will talk!”

We all thanked him for our rescue, and he was quick to explain that it was all my plan; he had just had to make sure everything was covered.

“We called the CDC as soon as we knew some goon was impersonating you. They are seizing every bottle of ‘Perfect Spring’ before it can be released.”

Then we got the final prize.

FBI agents brought Simonson, in cuffs, to us.

“This is not over. There are believers all over this country, and they will not be stopped by my capture,” he threatened.

“He won’t survive the trial, much less prison,” I told Sherman. “But have the same amount of mercy he was about to give the world.”

“All that’s left is some mopping up,” Bascomb said. “You guys need to get patched up. We got it here.”

We were taken to an ER room, and I got my leg checked. I was given some very nice pain medication and told that no real damage was done by the battle.

The other members of the team were likewise treated. We were then to go to the airport. Chester was already there warming up the jet for the return to Kansas City.

I couldn’t believe it was over.

                Then again, I didn’t know it wasn’t.

© C. Wayne Owens

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Continue on to Chapter 47