The Nothing (37 page)

The door opened and Dr. Abernathy immediately stood up.
Both the President and Attorney General walked in with Agent Kent looking on. “I am Leonard White, the Attorney General. Please Dr. Abernathy, have a seat.” Dr. Abernathy retook his chair behind the desk. Both President Moore and Leonard then sat down in the two chairs in front of the desk. From his inner coat pocket, Leonard took out a small digital recorder, sat it on the desk and pushed the red record button. “Dr. Abernathy I will be recording your statements. If you have any objection or wish to consult with your counsel, now is the time. Otherwise I will begin.” Dr. Abernathy smiled nervously, nodded and said, “You may begin.”

“Dr. Zachariah Abernathy,
I have been informed by the President as to your activities regarding the study you were conducting for the Committee of Consumer Spending and Practices. It is my understanding that you facilitated the spreading of a digitally engineered virus that shut down all wireless capabilities in the United States. Is this correct?”

Dr. Abernathy nodded
and said, “Yes.” President Moore was getting annoyed at the way Dr. Abernathy was swiveling back and forth in the desk chair like a little child, but kept quiet in hopes this would end quickly. He was anxious to get to the conference room and begin addressing other issues.

Leonard continued,
“It is important to understand Doctor, that even though the President signed off on all of your request and disclosure forms, that doesn’t alleviate you of any culpability in your actions. Your actions constitute several crimes that will be addressed in a court of law. Do you understand?”

Dr. Abernathy stopped swiveling back and forth in his chair.
He leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk. “Mr. White, could it be said that with the Presidents signature, I was in essence, following orders? Since it was the President and Senator Austin who approached me and contracted me to do this study? Now I am an honest man. But I could say in court that the President did read every form carefully and agreed to the virus. He even issued an executive order authorizing our illegal procedures. It is all on paper.” Leonard raised his hand for Dr. Abernathy to stop.

“Senator Austin
will testify that the President didn’t read those forms. And there may also be consequences for the President, but right now I want to understand the situation pertaining only to you.”

“I understand Mr. White.
Is there anything else?”

“
Yes, you told the President and his secretary that you can fix this; turn things back on. If you can fix this, we need you to fix this. Are you able to reverse the virus?”

“Yes sir I can.”

“Good. Where do we start?” Dr. Abernathy stood and buttoned his coat. “Before I do or say anything, I will need full immunity from prosecution.” Leonard slammed his fist angrily on the arm of his chair. This negotiation was anticipated, but could possible eliminate any expediency to getting the wireless capabilities back up and running. President Moore stood and said to Leonard, “I somehow knew he would pull this. He is a smart son of a bitch.” President Moore walked up to the desk, put his face near the Doctor’s and slammed his fist and yelled, making Dr. Abernathy jump, “Not on my watch. Oh yes, you will be held accountable for this. And you will turn everything back on. Not because of a peace of paper giving you your freedom, but because it is the right thing to do. People are dying and the stability of the country and the world is at stake.”

Dr. Abernathy looked b
ack to Leonard and said, “My second request is full immunity for the President of the United States. I took advantage of the President. I am sorry for that, but it was necessary. He is a good President and a good man. I cannot be responsible for his downfall.”

President Moore lo
oked at Dr. Abernathy confused; much like a child who doesn’t understand why his father just punched him. Leonard stood and motioned with his hands for the President and Dr. Abernathy to return to their chairs. Leonard began to pace around the room and said, “Ok gentlemen. I have to say that I have never been in a situation such as this. I can admit that my decisions could impact national security, social stability, and even our relationships with the rest of the world. I have always been by the book and conscience of words that aren't in the book. And this is a situation that isn’t in the book. If you both are charged with a crime, the world will know how this started and that it started right here at the White House. If Immunity is granted to both of you, then the signals come back on and it becomes easier to contain the fallout. Ethically speaking, I say that both of you need to be placed under arrest. Morally I say lets cut the losses and grant you both immunity. Mr. President, I can have you sign the immunity agreement for Dr. Abernathy. I will sign the one for you. Mr. President, my friend, it is up to you.”

Leonard and Dr. Abernathy were both looking at President Moore.
Leonard decided to let the President take his time. But he was also getting anxious to get this behind them and get back to the conference room with the Joint Chiefs. President Moore put both hands on the desk while looking right at Dr. Abernathy. “Doctor, what will it take to fix this?” Dr. Abernathy shrugged his shoulders, “Nothing will happen without an immunity agreement. I would like to think that you should weather the storm with me, but that is up to you.”

President Moore looked to Leonard, “How long to have the
immunity agreements ready?”

“I can have
them drafted and ready in five minutes Mr. President.”

“Good.
I will grant full immunity for Dr. Abernathy.” President Moore looks back at Dr. Abernathy. “Is that sufficient enough for you Doctor?”

“Oh yes it is Mr. President.
As soon as I get a signed and notarized copy, we can get started.”

***

President Moore and Attorney General White were gone for ten minutes. Dr. Abernathy has been pacing the room and feels overly nervous.
I haven’t felt this nervous in such a long time. The last time I felt like this was when my late wife was in labor with our son. It had taken them such a long time to come back and let me know that she had died. Her body hadn’t fully recovered from the bullet that had ripped her spleen to pieces. A bullet because she wouldn’t hand over her cell phone. My son was healthy, but not for long. Because her body was so damaged, he didn’t get the nutrients he needed. He only lasted a month. All for a cell phone.

The door opened in a quick
whoosh that made Dr. Abernathy jump. Leonard walked in alone with three clipboards and handed one to Dr. Abernathy. “Take this pen Doctor. Each clipboard has a copy. You’ll sign all three. One copy goes to you, one to the President, and one to me.” Dr. Abernathy took the pen, spent a moment reading the agreement, and began to sign. He was pleased that President Moore had already signed each copy beforehand. After Dr. Abernathy finished he asked, “Why did it take so long? You did say five minutes. And where is President Moore?”

“Well first of all, we have been signing agreements like this with digital tablets for several years.
We had to find a copy on a computer somewhere with an Ethernet cable attached to a printer. Without wireless technology, things move slower don’t they? Oh, the President is meeting with the Joint Chiefs, but should be here any second. You now have all that you want.” Right then, President Moore walked in and immediately went to Dr. Abernathy with his nose four inches away. “Ok Doctor. We need to get started. I notified the Joint Chiefs and my staff that work is started on getting all the wireless signals restored. Where do we begin?”

“Well Mr. President.
It starts with a nice plane ride to my laboratory. There, with my chief scientist, we both will input private codes into software that will disable the virus and perform a system restore. All wireless receivers will be back where they were a week ago.” President Moore nodded in agreement.

“Oh and Mr.
President, the code my Chief Scientist has, and the code that I have are unique and exist only by memory. They are not written anywhere. If both codes are not inputted correctly, then the virus will stay. So it is everyone’s best interest that I get there safely.” President Moore grinned slightly.

“Don’t worry Doctor.
We are taking Air Force One with four F-14 fighter jets as our escort. You make sure that you input the codes when we get there. And then we walk away and pretend this never happened.”

“S
ounds good to me Mr. President.”

The holy union

Night had come.
The daylight previously shining through the windows, lighting up the pews, and glowing inside the church, had gone. The distance between gunshots became shorter as the Sun went down. It had been hours since the gang of youths had rampaged through the church. And Pastor Ben knew it was going to be a long night. Since earlier in the afternoon, Ben has been constantly in prayer. Either on his knees at the front alter, or at the first row of pews when his older body began to ache. His son William never came. Ben could only hope that William’s boys, Willy Jr. and Wilson, were with him. He could have gone out and looked around the area. He could have checked the school again. But the plan had always been to meet at the church if something happened. Something like a nuclear bomb, catastrophic flood, or invasion by a foreign army was what they had originally discussed. Never had anything like what is happening outside crossed their minds. Ben felt vulnerable and worried the gang members might come back. He had to keep telling himself it is in God’s hands. God’s will be done. It was the duty of Godly men to turn to God during the toughest of times. Though always easier said than done, Ben was determined to do this right.

Then l
ike the crack of a lightening bolt on a quiet country afternoon, the front double doors to the sanctuary flew open smacking the walls behind them. Vases of flowers, sitting on wall-mounted shelves on either side, fell to the floor. Ben didn’t turn around. He didn’t want to. Whoever walked in would see Pastor Ben kneeling in prayer at the front. After several seconds, he figured it wasn’t his family. Ben would have heard the kids yelling ‘Grandpa!’ Maybe whoever it was, would steal what it is they wanted and leave. He kept his eyes closed and prayed with an intense focus; a prayer that God would form a dome of protection around him. Slow steps from a heavy foot, almost dragging, moved slowly down the center isle.

After a short mental debate, Ben spoke with eyes still closed and knees on the floor.
“Child of God, take what you need. I mean no harm nor am I a threat to you. Take what you want.” The footsteps stopped. After a silent thirty seconds, Ben thought about turning around and looking, but he was afraid. His mind told him what you can’t see won’t hurt you. Out of sight, out of mind. Then a small laugh escaped from the being that stood fifteen feet behind where Ben was knelt in prayer.

Ben
continued, “This is God’s house. I say again, take what you need and move along. I am no threat to you. You are loved here.” The being that was behind Ben still didn’t respond. Instead he heard a heavy nasal snort followed by a spitting sound. Then, after an uneasy silence, a slurred and drunken voice asked, “I am loved here? Like being loved by a fifty dollar hooker who eats ass and can suck off a horse kind of love?”

Ben
knew that voice. Immediately he knew who it was. Ben rose up slowly and turned around. Bolts of fear shot through Ben’s chest to his head at the sight of what he saw. Nick’s white polo shirt was soaked with dirt, sweat, and blood. His reddish hair messy as if he just woke up. Nick was also holding one of the foot long brass vases. It was one of several that held flowers and had fallen to the floor when Nick swung the double church doors open.

Nick walked
slowly with a small limp as he said, “You should be honored that I am here with you right now Ben. It has been one hell of an evening I tell you! I’ve been carjacked, beaten, robbed of my wallet, and walked who knows how many miles to come see you and say hi.” But the look on Nick’s face didn’t appear be one of a person that was only dropping by to say hi. Ben began to wonder when God’s answers to his prayers would arrive.

“What do you want Nick?”

“I want that tape.”

“What tape?
”

“The recording of me talking to you in your office bitch!”

Ben looked on with growing horror, as Nick kept stepping closer and said, “Oh yeah, that’s right. You passed it along to Ed Penick. Sounds to me like you guys are planning something.” Ben started to back away which infuriated Nick. “Don’t you move! You better stay right where you are.” Ben held his hands out to his side as if to say here I am.

“What do you want from me Nick?
You were trying to take everything from me? What did you expect? That I was going to bow to you and let you ruin the peaceful worship that so many have participated in for many years here? I have to protect this church. I can’t have a man like the one I recorded on that tape, dictating the course this church takes. The man in that tape, you Nick, needs the love of God more now then ever. You took the talents God gave you and wasted them.”

Nick held up the brass vase as if he was going
to throw it. Ben dropped to his knees cowering from the potential blow. Nick then moved closer to where he was now five feet from Ben. His tone now took a more sinister turn. “What I expected was that you would see the light. The light of God that would show you that it is time for someone like me to take control. To rid you of your filthy little pride.” Nick moved forward a few more steps.

Ben raised his finger in the air and yelled, “But you, a non believer, a fraud, a fake and
a criminal, could never serve the Lord and his children here. Since the beginning of time, men like me have fought against evil men like you. And with what God’s children are facing outside at this very moment; we will continue to fight until our Lord Jesus Christ takes us home.” Nick was now two feet away from a kneeling Ben.

“Except for one thing little preacher.”

“And what is that one thing?”

“Your fight ends tonight.
”

P
astor Ben realized what was going to happen. Most would be frightened and make every attempt to escape. Yet Ben experienced his most calm moment of the day. Without saying a word he scoots himself back around the other way, and while still on his knees, he lifts his face to the alter again. A six-foot tall crucifix with Jesus stands behind the pulpit. A foot tall wooden cross with an embedded heart graces the front of the stand from where Pastor Ben makes his sermons. Ben raises his hands high towards the depiction of Jesus crucified and began to praise God. Ben yells loudly to the alter with joy.

“
I am ready to come home Lord. My God, whose son Jesus saved us all. I have looked evil in the eye and you shall deliver me. I thank you for the privilege of serving you and sharing your love with my family and friends in your house. This is the moment I die. The moment I have dreaded since the day I was born. But today I have no dread. I possess pure gratitude. Pure joy; pure peace.” Nick was standing behind Pastor Ben mimicking him with hands also raised to the sky and his eyes on the same alter. Nick’s putrid breath encircled Ben’s head as he yelled, “In the name of God, I deliver your servant to you in a vessel of light and love.”

Nick
proceeded to swing the brass vase into the back of Ben’s head. His body immediately flew to the floor; his eyes rapidly blinking and his body beginning to tremble. He was still conscious, but had lost control over his fledgling body as it jerked like a fish out of water. His whole body felt like one massive muscle cramp. The desire to scream in response to the pain was blocked; the part of his brain that controls vocal reactions was damaged.

“I
dedicate this meat to your house Lord! Take this meat for your enjoyment. For I myself dear ole’ Lord, have had my feast of meat today as well!”

Nick kneeled
down and slammed the vase into the back Ben’s head again. This time, the brass broke through the plate of bone into soft brain tissue underneath the back of the skull.

“In the name of God!”

Another blow splashed blood on Nick’s face.

“Praise be to him!”

An even harder blow sent brain fragments flying several feet into the air.

“Hallow be thy name!”

Pastor Ben’s heart stopped beating.

Nick was getting ready to
ram the brass vase into Ben’s head again when he stopped to admire how it looked like a bowl of chunky tomato pasta. He leaned in closer and saw little waves of steam rising from the beaten brains. This brought a smile to Nick’s face. He again raised his hands to the sky and yelled towards the alter, where Jesus still hung on the large crucifix. “Oh thank you my Lord! The sights you have shown me today have brought joy and happiness to my life! Bless me oh Lord!”

Nick
brought the vase up to his face and examined all of the little fragments of brain and bone that were plastered on the sides. Nick then used it to scoop out a cupful of the mashed brain matter from inside Pastor Ben’s skull. He stared at it like a chef admiring his latest creation. Nick softly said, “Oh Lord, this could almost be strawberry cobbler.” Nick raised the vase towards the large crucifix, “Body of Christ.”

The first sip tasted like having a rusty nail in your mouth.
Brains and blood flowed out of the vase slowly onto Nick’s lips like a thick milkshake.

“Oooh
, this is good!”

He
took another gulp and chewed on the gummy chunks of brain that blasted bursts of fluid on his tongue. It was like having sour gummy bears burst bitter juice in his mouth.

“This is really good.
I feel the spirit now!”

After a few
more chews and swallows, he bit into a piece of bone, which broke one of his teeth in half.

Nick threw the brass vase across the room and angrily spit a bloody
combination of mucus and saliva onto Pastor Ben’s dead body. Nick then stood and kicked the left side of Ben’s rib cage causing a rib to snap. He bent down and turned Ben’s body over on it’s back. Ben’s face was swelling. Blood and cranial fluid flowed from the nose, eyes and ears. Nick stomped on Ben’s stomach expecting him to fart like Kyla’s body did. But nothing happened. Nick angrily sat on Ben’s chest. He grabbed Ben’s head and banged it five times into the carpet. There were squishy thuds each time.

Nick let go of Ben’s head and
looked around the church sanctuary. He then heard several gunshots not far from outside the church, which sent chills down his spine. He sat there feeling the warmth of Ben’s body between his legs disappear with each minute. A salty smell began to fill the area around him. It was a mix between the smell of meat soaked with wine, and the smell of prune juice. The magnitude of the situation set in for Nick.

This is as deep as it gets.
In my whole life, I never imagined that there’d be a day where four people would die by my hands. And never did I imagine I’d be capable of such brutality. Most of all, I never imagined I would like it so much. Should I feel pride or should I feel shame? But I do know this; wherever I go from here, I will lead those that can keep up, and set fire to those left behind.

Nick raised his hands high above his head and yelled, “I am the new Jesus.
And this is the new Garden of Eden!”

Nick took his
thumbs and pushed them into each of Ben’s eye sockets. Thick white and red liquid oozed from where the sides of Nick’s thumbs were pressed against the edge of each socket.

“I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Nick was enjoying the gooey sensation around his thumbs. He felt it was like sticking his thumbs into a woman’s vagina. Only Ben’s eyes were cold after being dead for ten minutes. Nick pulled his thumbs out, stuck each one in his mouth, and sucked off the excess goo. He licked and sucked his thumbs as if he had just eaten a rack of messy ribs. Nick got up on his feet and looked proudly at Ben’s corpse. He licked his lips and unzipped his pants.

“Might as well fuck him too.”