G Hopf - The Long Road

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she began to fidget with her wedding band. She twirled it round and round her finger.

Then like a light bulb going off, she had an idea. She walked out of the room to an internal phone. She picked up the handset and dialed the four-digit number to Cruz’s room.

It rang and rang but no answer. She hung up. She picked up the handset again and dialed a different number. A voice suddenly answered.

“Hi, this is Julia Conner. I need to speak with Andrew Cruz; sorry, I need to speak with the vice president. It’s urgent.”

“Mr. Vice President, I have the first lady on the phone, line two,” the lieutenant said to Cruz, who was meeting with his secretary of state.

“Tell her I’ll call her back,” he answered, not looking up from a stack of papers before him.

“Sir, she says it’s urgent.”

Cruz looked at Wilbur and rolled his eyes. “Do you mind?”

“Go ahead, I’ll take the break to go get something to drink. I’ll be back in five.”

“Thanks,” Cruz said, then picked up the receiver and touched the line 2 button. “Hi, Julia?”

Cruz relaxed in his chair and listened to her explain how they could help identify one of those bodies found in that abandoned house. She knew there was a chance that Brad’s ring would be gone, but if it hadn’t been removed it could be an identifying factor. She explained that it would help all if they knew for sure that was his body. While she acknowledged that it would be hard, she needed to know.

Cruz agreed and told her he would order the teams back to that location ASAP. He hung up and dialed Baxter.

He explained to the general everything she had told him. With this new information, they could had a chance to move past the unknown. Cruz didn’t want the shadow of Conner over him anymore. He missed his friend, but if this could provide closure, then so be it.

Inside unknown military installation

The bucket of water tossed in Gordon’s face woke him up. He shook his head and spat out the tainted water that had gone into his mouth. His vision was blurry and his head hurt. Being knocked out is an odd experience. It’s similar to a deep sleep. All he remembered was he and Hunter were running away from the main building. When he heard Hunter scream, he turned and saw that he had fallen and one of Rahab’s men was on top of him. Gordon remembered shooting the man, but from the hangar others came at him. He remembered being tackled to the ground, and the last thing he saw was his son screaming and reaching for him. Then the darkness came when Gordon was hit over the head. He looked at his arms and legs; he was bound on the cross. They had him tied to the cleansing cross.

“Fuck,” he said to himself, feeling defeated.

Looking around, he didn’t see anyone. They had placed him on the cross that faced toward the south foothills. The base was behind him. He heard people talking and some commotion, but he couldn’t tell what was happening. The heat of the sun beat down on him. He cursed to himself that he was so close. He’d almost made it. Now, he would die.

“Gordon.” The voice of Rahab was behind him.

“Rahab? Where’s Hunter? Where’s my boy?”

Gordon heard the sound of Rahab’s shoes on the gravel. He moved his head back and forth to see from which side his nemesis would come.

“Rahab? Where’s Hunter?”

Rahab was still silent except for the sounds of his footsteps.

In the distance Gordon could hear footsteps. They were loud and accompanied by the sound of something being dragged. Fear gripped him as he thought of Hunter. Are they dragging his poor, fragile little body?

Soon Gordon knew; two men brought Derek around and placed him against the cross.

“Derek. You’re alive?”

Not a word fell from his mouth. Derek was alive but barely. Blood covered his entire body.

Gordon looked at his friend. His chest had three more wounds, from which the blood poured freely.

His limp body just hung. He didn’t have an ounce of strength to hold himself up.

An additional person had to support his body so they could tie him to the cross.

Once they’d affixed him to the X, Rahab came into view.

He walked in front of Derek and looked; then he turned his attention to Gordon.

“Gordon, I had a sense about you, but I fought this urge. You have committed a crime against God’s messenger, and today you will pay a dear price. But before, I will send your friend here to hell. He will burn in the fiery depths with Lucifer himself.”

Gordon had witnessed only one of these executions, but this was different. When Rahab had killed before, he had looked at it as a way to send people to God. This was not what was about to happen to Derek.

“Derek? Derek? Thank you. If you can hear me, thank you!” Gordon shouted.

Derek’s head moved slightly.

Seeing that was enough for Gordon; he felt that Derek had heard him.

Rahab faced Derek, removed his large knife, and plunged it into Derek’s chest.

Derek let out a slight groan, but that was it.

Not satisfied with knifing him, Rahab then cut off his head. He turned to Gordon and said, “This is what happens to those who defy God. You see, Gordon!” Rahab said, holding Derek’s severed head in his face.

“Fuck you! You’re a fucking coward! Show me that you’re God’s instrument and fight me. Come on. If you have God on your side, you can’t lose!” Gordon screamed, disgusted by the evil man who stood before him. Gordon didn’t care what he said. He knew there was nothing he could do now; he was dead.

Rahab tossed Derek’s head and ordered his men over. “Take this man’s body and dispose of it. Toss it where we empty the latrines,” Rahab said with a grin.

“Come on, big man. Cut me down and fight me. Show your followers you are God’s instrument! Come on! If God is on your side he won’t let you die!” Gordon taunted.

“Brother Rahab!” a man said from behind Gordon.

“Come,” Rahab ordered.

The man walked up to Rahab and whispered, “The cars are assembled. We have taken care of the others. We can leave when you wish.”

“Very good, my brother. Oh, bring the boy,” Rahab said, touching the man on his shoulder.

Gordon knew who they were talking about.

Soon he heard more footsteps behind him. He could tell one was lighter and smaller. Shortly he saw that it was Hunter.

“Hunter! Hunter! Are you okay?” Gordon called out.

“Tie him to the cross,” Rahab ordered.

“Don’t do this! He’s just a boy. Don’t do this, Rahab! Rahab! He is a boy, he had nothing to do with this!”

Rahab watched as they tied Hunter to the cross. After the boy was secure, he turned and walked up to Gordon.

“Gordon. You made one big mistake when you thought you could challenge me. You are a man of this earth and you follow earthly rules and laws. You see, I’m a man rooted in the spirit, not this world. I have different rules, and those are of our messiah.”

“Rahab, he’s a boy. He has done nothing! Don’t do this!” Gordon said, then turned his attention to Hunter. “Son, you’ll be okay. He’s just trying to scare you. Nothing will happen to you,” Gordon said, desperately trying to reassure his son.

Hunter didn’t answer him. He just looked at Gordon with youthful and brilliant blue eyes.

“You killed many of my men today, but now you ask me to forgive or forget that?” Rahab challenged. “Your boy here is of this world too, like you. His body might be young, but his soul is no different than yours. Were you aware that of all the men you killed one was my son?”

“He was going to kill Hunter. I had no choice!”

“Yes, you did. You could have submitted to our rule and followed us, but you made a choice. There are consequences for our actions. You made a choice many years ago to be the man you are. No one forced you to be that way. Something brought you to where you are now. God placed you in my hands to cleanse you. You are a sinner, Gordon, and today you will pay a dear price for your actions. Today you will know the pain that comes from making a decision that is the wrong one,” Rahab said, then turned. He pulled out his long knife and stepped toward Hunter.