Chapter 14: As Good As It Gets

The four men turned to face Jophiel, who then walked toward where they sat at the table under the trees. "I will fly the transport to bring your people here," he repeated. "However once the Crystal Dome is active, no one may ever leave New Eden and return."

"Why is that?" asked Allen. "Our engineers just finished the airport."

"They also build a Plexiglas enclosure around the forbidden tree," noted Jophiel. "Luther asked for a fence and built a complete barrier. It was this act that allowed the incursion of the 66 with George Prescott, who hosted a powerful demon. The concession to the enemy to allow temptation became a curiosity item instead. Thus he gained entrance, and Allen challenged him."

"How was I to know he was a demon at the time?" replied Allen. "I put my faith in God to protect me."

"Yes, Allen," Jophiel agreed. "The LORD might have sent him to what you know as hell, but for the tree. In the process it cost Mark's and Juanita's marriages."

"I'm sure the tree was just a misunderstanding of what a fence was," reasoned Allen. "I know Luther wanted to build the best fence he could. As for Prescott, I did not intend to be dragged into an election with that guy."

"There would never have been one, Allen. The demon planned to kill you," revealed Jophiel. "God assigned Gabriel to intervene, and by letting him know he faced God's wrath he pled to be allowed exile to a world where he can never leave again."

"So, that is my fault for not understanding the tree barrier and the airport," reasoned Allen. "Now we have a fantastic but useless airport, and a plane I can fly to nowhere."

"In time you can, but it will not be on this world," said the angel. "Once the stolen souls are brought into the town, this shall become an island in a great sea without other settlements on it. Hillside Village will become as Sodom and Gomorrah and be no more. You may fly out over water, but there will be nowhere to land."

"I understand, and I am truly sorry for anything I have brought upon our people. I'm so sorry, Mark."

"Allen, she was a bad choice, and it was over when the honeymoon ended," conceded Mark. "You couldn't stand by and let Prescott replace Yeshua."

"That is true," admitted Jophiel, "and it is why you were bargained for, Allen. While you did some things you thought were helping, that is the one true deed for Him, and weighed in your favor. Now, if you will excuse us while we plan the extraction, the less you and Mark know of it, the better things will be for everyone."

Allen looked at Mark, and then nodded towards the river where it ran thick with bright, hard-fighting sockeye salmon. In a few weeks these fish would turn a dark red, spawn and die; at least that was what they did on Earth. Without a belief in Yeshua, why would they have eternal life?

"Fish on," Mark called out before Allen reached his spot. "Look at him go."

The sockeyes, like most of the other salmon, did not get much larger than 10 pounds, and most were under that. They were however the best of all the salmon on the table. They appeared in such numbers that two anglers could never deplete them the way that foreign fishing fleets had on earth.

Allen was also onto one within seconds of his lure hitting the water. They each caught enough to feed the families that they fished for, and called it a day. As he turned to fetch the rolling ice chest, he noticed that Aaron and Ben were gone. Mark gutted his catch and rinsed them in the clean cold water.

"I didn't hear anything, did you?" he said, slipping a cleaned salmon into his ice chest.

"Just the river, the birds, and my thoughts," replied Allen. "Causing a bad demon to live to trouble us another day made me rethink a lot of stuff."

"Al, Jophiel said he was planning to kill you," recalled Mark. "When we rejuvenated and they said we could not die except we be murdered, well, that's dead, my friend. I'm sure you'd go to be with God in heaven, but I consider you my partner. We're a team with the militia."

"Yes, when we have sniper detail, but Ben and Aaron are probably better at that than us," reasoned Allen. "They're more qualified to lead the DRT, and probably will when they join."

"Someone once said that God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Don't tell me you have a demon stealing your confidence in yourself, too?"

"No, it's just like realizing for the first time exactly what God gave up when He gave his only Son," said Allen. "I've been bought twice, and I shouldn't have been. I didn't deserve it."

"That's what I told myself about Melissa, but you know what? I was prideful on Earth, Allen. I was one of the best in my profession, and I knew it," confessed Mark. "No, I never cheated on anyone before, except God, and by bringing me here He forgave me. I spend a lot of time fishing because it's where I talk to Him."

"I think we all fall short of His expectations, Mark."

"No, one of the girls that broke the engagement was carrying my baby, and she chose to abort it. At five months she killed part of me, Allen, all because people in her life talked her into it." Mark looked at the fish in his hands and vowed, "I'll say this much, when God wants your attention He will get it. Then I sold the studio to a taxidermist from back east and accepted the job in Chile. I thought that was where God wanted me, but He used the museum job to get me on that plane."

"I was running from the globalists taking over the country," admitted Allen. "A lot of people think what's his face is the antichrist, but as Yeshua said, 'There are many antichrists'. He fit so many of the criteria; it was like he was following the script. Still, this voice kept telling me to pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

"I hate to say this, but that wasn't God's voice telling you not to look behind the curtain," opined Mark. "I heard the same thing, Allen. Someone or something groomed that man from childhood to destroy the country, and he did. The in your face part, calling the limo The Beast, his code name Renegade, meaning lawless one, and nobody daring to challenge him reinforced it. Who is like unto the beast, and who can make war against him?"

"The Beast is the system," reasoned Allen. "It's the whole corrupt system, and the media controlled what we heard. Goebbels could only dream about the compliant news media of our time."

"He wouldn't have liked you very much," mused Mark. "Did you ever stop to think he was indwelled, just like Prescott?"

"Don't you know, demonic possession is movie stuff," countered Allen, dripping with sarcasm. "There were a few politicians I considered as lesser evils, but both parties worked for the same masters, toward the same goal. One just pretended to work slower than the other."

"Help me load this and then I'll help you with yours. It's been some week, hasn't it?"

Allen laughed nervously. "You could say that. You know, I try to stay away from writing about our militia operations. I'm not comfortable with it, since I've been a part of the action."

"Your human interest stories about the people here help us get to know each other, and who we were in our other lives. The write-up about that farm equipment was great," offered Mark. "I never knew what anything but a mower deck and plows are used for."

"I had a lot of help on that one; just like with these fish today, thanks. I'm not sure what to say about the airport. I mean it's news, but now it's like that Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska."

Mark chuckled, and said, "I have a feeling that after today, the arrival meadow will be a fond memory. Somehow, people and supplies will come through the airport. If you stop to think about it, people coming through a wormhole from God only knows where is scary."

"Especially since that last bunch," agreed Allen, rinsing the last fish off in the river. "Yeah, this fishing is hard work, but someone has to do it."

Mark burst out laughing and picked up the handle. "At least we didn't have to suffer alone, my friend. We're going to eat well tonight."

"Really well," replied Allen, taking the other side. "Maybe I should see about some floats for the plane and use it to fly into some of the mountain lakes."

"I don't know, man," warned Mark. "There was a lot of grumbling that you even have the plane; now you want floats?"

"No, I mean making them myself out of the composite fabric, like fiberglass. I'd have to keep it on the river, though. At least it would have some use, even if it is recreational."

"Allen, if God wants us to go up there and fish those lakes, He will provide the means. Until that happens," they both hefted the heavy ice chest into the back of the vehicle. "Until that happens, let's be thankful for what we have."

"You're right," admitted Allen. "I've been very blessed. Mark, it has been great fishing with you today. Why don't you drop by for dinner tonight?"

"I would, but isn't Juanita staying with you?"

"All the more reason to join us; it will help get her mind off of being one of the last chosen, and then cast aside."