Chapter One: The Day Before

Switzerland was the key.

The Swiss Banks had a long history of holding treasures on behalf of all the hosts of the earth. Including the churches. When the order came to seize all assets, the Churches barely blinked, handing over their accounts without hesitation. Accounts that were strangely low on funds. Deeds to buildings that were already in the names of secular agencies or businesses. Ancient buildings that were too expensive to maintain, and cheerfully handed over. Every country told the same story. The Orders of the world had survived everything that history could throw at them since before the Egyptian Empire, and were more than willing to roll with this latest punch, in the name of keeping their power.

Then Switzerland joined the Chorus of people howling for the end of all the Pretenders, and the Great City fell in a day. Sucked dry in an instant. The institutions that had stood for uncounted years, were suddenly reduced to nothing with the simple loss of their money. Their pantheon of gods abandoned them the second the money ran out.

What was expected to be a years long legal battle was over before anyone could protest.

Without their money, the Clergy fell back on what they knew, peddling heaven and hell to rule their masses with a stick and a carrot. But the times had changed, and the masses weren't listening.

In the space of a week, the holy places of the world had been stripped bare of their wealth. All that was left were their policies, and the majority didn't care to hear them. The powerful men of the world's religions fought it for a time, and were arrested. They were released soon after, and pronounced that the important work of their orders would continue as a social charity. The hungry would be fed, the poor would be housed, the cold would be clothed. But as they walked free of prisons and told anyone who would listen about the new reality, not one of them thanked God for their second chance.

Some refused to be swayed, fanatical about their own opinion. They were dispatched quickly. Nobody talked about them, but everyone saw the footage. Those that kept their own faith were suddenly the victims of the most completely equipped and well financed witchhunt that the human race had ever played host to. Lynchings took place in every populated area, and nobody cared. Homes were torched, and accounts frozen, and nobody cared. Mobs formed and bounties were placed, both official and private, as everyone suddenly found a particular target to aim their rage at... And nobody cared.

It was the day the human race declared the Kingdom of Heaven to be a lie.

Heaven had other plans.

~~/*\~~

There was nothing in the stores. Not even the big chain supermarkets. Alec Ducard had spent all day trying to scrounge food together. There were police on the streets, and in every public place. Places that sold food or any kind of necessity were under guard. There was order, but nobody was relaxed. The few people out and about moved in groups, or in vehicles. Alec had neither. He could feel eyes on him every second. Especially on his backpack. If he had anything worth carrying, then it was only a matter of time before someone came looking for him.

Praying with his eyes wide open, Alec kept moving.

~~/*\~~

"The Police Commissioner is pleased to report that the food riots have been stopped with a minimal loss of life. Order has been restored, and there is no further violence at the Parisian Breadlines. The government was quick to assure citizens that supply drops are coming on schedule, and that there will be enough to go around. Military Units have been deployed in civic centers and food supply depots. And while Emergency Powers do give them permission to use lethal force, military leaders want the public to know that they are there to protect food from looters.

"The announcement came less than three hours after the Ministry of Agriculture announced that global crop output is significantly lower than originally reported. The President has said that further Austerity Measures may be required, but was quick to assure people that such measures would only be temporary; until the current state of emergency has passed."

~~/*\~~

There were police at the Nursing Home. Alec gave them a wide berth, and made his way inside. The hallways were all dark, as though it was the middle of the night. Alec made his way to Lourdes room and called in. "Sister Lourdes? It's Alec. You decent?"

There was no answer. Alec let himself in and found the room had been ransacked.

"She's not here." A voice grated.

Alec turned. An old man with a cane was shuffling up the hallway with an empty water jug in his free hand. Alec bit his lip. "Do you know where she is?"

"Gone." The man said again. "Can you fill this up for me? The taps aren't working in my room."

Alec took the jug and went to Lourdes' bathroom. The taps weren't working there either. "I'm sorry."

The old man spat thickly on the floor. "She must have done something to them. Rotten old witch."

"Lourdes?" Alec was surprised. "Did something to the water?"

"She was one of them." The man said conspiratorially. "They came to arrest her a few hours ago."

Alec remembered the police out front and froze. "What happened?"

This was apparently the wrong question. "Why do you ask? How did you know Lourdes?"

Alec hesitated, not having a story prepared.

The old man scowled. "The men came to get her. The cops wanted to know who, but I never saw them before." He looked hard at Alec. "Who are you?"

Alec thought fast. "Delivery." He said finally. He unslung his backpack and brought out a box of dry crackers, and a tin of peaches. "Lourdes called for a food delivery. Couldn't find any fuel stations still open, so I had to come on foot." Am I lying? He asked God silently. "I'm afraid this was all we could fill on her order." He held the foodstuffs out. "I don't really want to carry it all back to our depot. This stuff alone is enough to get me mugged. You know how it is."

"Yeah, I know how it is." The old man's eyes locked on the tin of peaches. "But uh... If you don't want anyone to know you left it here, I'm probably the safest option. Forgetful, you know?"

Alec handed the food over and made his way down the hall as fast as he could. There was almost no sound from the building. He could hear people talking as he went past the rooms. But there was no television, no music playing, not even the air conditioners running. He made it to the elevator and pushed the button.  There was the sound of sobbing coming from some distant room.

There was a nurse strolling up toward him, in no particular hurry. She stopped at the elevator, but didn't summon one. She just regarded him with cool eyes. "You're no delivery boy. You'd have to check in at the front desk."

"Nobody there."

"Uh-huh." She wasn't buying it.

"Friend of a friend." Alec tried again. "Figured I should check in on her. That guy in the next room, he-"

"You didn't fool him." She said quietly. "You called out for 'sister' Lourdes. He knew you." The nurse said quietly. "They all do. They know you both."

Alec slowly turned to look at her. "Oh?" He said with forced calm.

The nurse nodded. "Your girl escaped. Someone came and got her out. The police showed up ten minutes after they left. She kicked up a fuss too. Kept insisting they leave her behind." The nurse waved. "You ever try to wrangle forty pensioners back to their rooms when they try to mob a bed-ridden woman?"

"I can honestly say that I have not." Alec snorted. "Lourdes has been living here for fifteen years. Is she that disliked?"

"No, in fact everyone liked her last month." The woman scoffed. "Her eyesight was so bad she couldn't see the mob until they reach the foot of her bed. The whole world's gone barkin' mad." She pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "I suppose you don't want one?"

"No thanks. In fact, I'm kind of surprised you found a pack." Alec observed.

"Helped myself to something left behind by one of our late residents." She lit up. "The family didn't dare come out of their house to get his things, the way the streets are these days." She let out a lungful of smoke, right in his face. "Lourdes may be safer for it. You noticed the tap wasn't working? We've been cut off. Budget cutbacks. We can't afford medicine for our guests."

"But... water too?" Alec wavered.

"The whole retirement home is shut down. Technically, I'm a volunteer now. Nobody's being paid. Anyone who has relatives, or somewhere to go... We've been trying to convince family to come get these people before they starve." The young woman sighed. "When times are tough, you always screw over the poor and the old people first. Nothing changes."

"Why do you stay?"

"They cut us off, but didn't bother to move our residents outta here. I stay, I can eat in the cafeteria until the storeroom runs out. A week without having to risk the Food Riots is worth staying. It's not like there's anything I can do for anyone here."

Alec bit his lip. "Um... that bag of food I brought in... If any of it will help, you can have it."

The nurse snorted. "Like I said, it's pretty obvious who you are. Nobody else has come in with food. Most haven't done it for their own mothers, but you? Friend of a friend? Please."

Alec looked again. Her hands were empty, there was nobody else in the hall. He could hear sobbing somewhere in another room.

"Look, I don't know you." The nurse said, voice flat. "But you know how it is."

"Yeah, I know how it is." Alec said with a sigh. "Can I at least get a head-start?"

"No." She said evenly. "I'm not the only one here that's figured it out. If someone else has already reported you, then I can kiss the bounty goodbye. I need the money. Nothing personal."

"Nothing personal? You're not the one that has to run for it." Alec remarked, sounding a lot calmer than he really was.

"You don't have to either. The Renouncement is 'no questions asked'." She retorted. "Whatever happens after this is your own fault. All you have to do is sign. The whole College of Cardinals signed The Renouncement this morning. They showed it on TV. You know what happened to them? They lived till lunchtime. Don't blame me if you think you're better than them." She gestured. "Elevator won't work either. I figure it'll take me a few minutes to get to the cops in the parking lot." She gave him a jaded smile. "It's all the headstart you get, Mister. Or ‘brother' if you prefer." She walked away with a sarcastic call over her shoulder. "Godspeed!"

Alec was already running.

~~/*\~~

"The UN was glad to report that the 'Final Revelation' Offensive was a complete success. The last holdouts of opposition have been identified and isolated. All relics and theological sites have been quarantined, until such time as prohibited material can be cataloged and destroyed safely. There has been no word on casualty lists, but the UN has reported that the fatalities were significantly less than feared. For more on this story, we go to our Task Force Correspondent, Vivian Thorvald. Vivian, what's the latest news?"

"I'm happy to report that the offensive has been declared finished in Eastern Europe. Global Forces there are just mopping up the last holdouts. Key figures and other holdouts have been identified, and their pictures have been circulated to all law enforcement departments. I'm also able to confirm now that people in Rome can rest easy, there is no fallout. Same as in the Far East, only non-nuclear ordnance was used."

"That's good news, Vivian. What can you tell us about the holdouts?"

"Mostly isolated groups in private residences, Dan. The bounty on information leading to arrests has been raised, but the feeling here is that it's not really necessary."

"Speaking of, what is the general feeling among the Offensive's Troops right now?"

"There's an incredible sense of brotherhood here, Dan. These troops were all on opposing sides as little as six months ago, and now they're on the same team. There's this incredible feeling of us all being united."

"Ironic, considering where you are now. How many years did those people talk about how they viewed all men as their brot- I'm sorry, Vivian, I'm going to have to ask you to hold on, as we have Breaking News: Wall Street has just closed trading, after a four thousand point drop in the Dow. The Treasury was quick to assure stockholders that it would open again as soon as possible, but until then, a complete freeze on all prices and wages has been ordered in the International Markets. Japan has announced that trading will not open this morning in the wake of the Market Collapse. We'll have more information for you as this story develops.

"Back to our Main Story: The 'Final Revelation' Offensive has been declared a complete success, with only a few holdouts remaining..."

~~/*\~~

Alec didn't like to walk. It was just too dangerous. Everyone knew that. Here and there, he could see people walking in groups of five or more. Everyone still had errands to run, and traveled in groups. It was hard to tell the difference between them and the gangs that were taking over some of the city. Gang violence had all but routed police, who were too busy trying to protect the Breadlines.

It hadn't made the news, but there were rumors that the police had walked off the job in hundreds of cities around the world. They needed to eat too.

Alec had mastered the art of darting from one isolated corner to another, when he felt his phone vibrate. It was a message. There was no name attached, but Alec knew who it was from the instant he saw the message. ‘Interior Rooms.'

Alec cast about for a moment, looking for anyone else who might have seen it, but there was nobody around. Alec was on foot. He knew where a few from his congregation lived, and one of his closest friends in the Congregation was closer than the Hall, or even his own home.

~~/*\~~

"Repeating our earlier caution: As yet, there has been no confirmation that the seismic disturbance was nuclear in origin. There has been no contact with any of the monitoring stations in-fzzt!"

...THIS IS THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM...

~~/*\~~

When Alec knocked on the door of Frank's house, there was no answer. After a moment, the curtains twitched. It was Lucille, Frank's wife of three years. She gestured quickly at Alec to come around the back of the house. He did so, and heard the back door unlock. Frank leaned out. "You got the text?"

"I did." Alec nodded. "Can you believe this?"

"I know." Lucille grinned nervously from behind her husband. "Is it wrong that I'm scared?"

"Well, if it helps, I am too." Alec agreed. He came into the house, away from the twitching curtains of the neighbors. "I was coming back from Lourdes' rest home." He said as Frank closed and locked the door behind him. "You were closer than my place, and my car hasn't had fuel for over a week. You?"

"Been saving up for this exact moment." Frank smiled. "You want to come with us?"

"Unless you and Lucille wanna walk." Alec scoffed. "Frank, Lourdes wasn't there. Someone came and got her, before the police showed up."

"Probably someone from Lourdes' old Congregation. They've been moving the Hospice Care people back and forth to anywhere that was open." Frank wasn't concerned, heading into the garage. "Glad you made it here, kid."

Lucille took Alec in a tight hug. "Your mom?"

"Last I heard, she found the Congregations over there." Alec said in a rush. "She only intended to be away for a few days, to take one last crack at convincing her brother."

"Having the airports closed took us all by surprise." Lucille excused. "Hey, can you imagine how it would have gone if they started the Hunt without cutting off the escape routes first?"

"I'm just glad she's safe." Alec said. "We agreed she'd find me when it was all over. She has no idea where she'll be. I just hope she got the call, too."

"Car's packed!" Frank called from the garage. "Street's clear, time to go."

"The car?" Alec repeated, unsure of what that meant. He followed into the garage, and found Frank's car was loaded with suitcases. "What?" Alec said, surprised. "What is this? A decoy?"

"Just the essentials." Frank said evenly. "Not sure how long this may last."

"There's no way we'll go unnoticed with all this." Alec blurted. "They told us to… I mean, when they took us through the plan, they told us to leave everything. Even a backpack is enough to get you mugged these days."

"The plan was made a month ago. The Hall's too dangerous now." Lucille said quickly, zipping up her coat. "Don't worry. We've got somewhere to go."

There was a long silence as Alec stared blankly at them, trying to comprehend what he was looking at. "Frank? You're not… I mean, we're supposed to..."

"Alec, come with us." Frank said earnestly. "You know I'll take care of you. There's always room for family."

Alec was dying inside. "Frank, please!" He begged. "We're safest if we stick together. We can't split up now! We got the instruction the instant the announcement was made." Alec argued. "So fast, in fact, that you know they've been expecting it for a while."

"Instructions? Is that what you call them?" Frank said. "They weren't instructions, they were marching orders. Except that we're not soldiers. The soldiers are the ones waiting for you at the Hall." He put his last bag in the car and shut the door.

Alec stared at the car, full of things. "What is all this stuff? We were warned not to load ourselves down."

"Yes, we were. This isn't 'loaded down', Alec. I'm not taking anything like a TV or even the photo albums. I'm only taking the essentials; plus some extra food; because we don't plan to come back until the dust settles." He pushed a button and the garage door rolled back. "Time to get moving. I don't think we can risk waiting for it to get dark."

"I agree." Alec said quietly. "I just... sort of expected that we were going together."

"Me too." Frank held out a hand to him. "Let's get out of here while we can."

"Frank..."

"For then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." Frank quoted. "Think about that for a second. Worse than Hiroshima. Worse than the Death Camps. Worse than Apartheid. Worse than the Iron Curtain. Worse than anything we've ever had before. You remember what happened to the-"

"I remember." Alec said softly. The news had carried footage, day and night, of the soldiers gunning down the holdouts of other religions. The whole world had seen the last determined believers crying out their last terrible hallelujahs as they clung to their idols by their fingernails.

"And we still don't know what they did to their prisoners." Frank reminded him. "So yes, I'm going somewhere safer than here. It's not lack of faith, Alec; it's the absolute certainty of what comes next."

Alec didn't say anything. "Where are you going to go?"

"North. Away from the cities. We can wait it out." Frank said. "We've got a camping permit for the national park up north. I've loaded the car up with enough food and water to last for weeks."

Alec stared at him like he didn't know what he was looking at. "Frank, you've been part of the congregation longer than I've been alive. You were the one that took me through the baptism questions. You..." Alec rubbed his face. "I want us to be clear, here. You're telling me that you plan to do the opposite of what the congregation is doing."

"How do you think this is going to play out?" Frank asked. "The Army is waiting for you there. I've heard they're parked in a circle around every bookstudy home, every Meeting Hall, every Assembly Hall in the country. Probably the world." Frank gestured at the car, and the radio. "Want to know how I know that? Because they're broadcasting from there. This is a great show to them."

Alec nodded. "The ending may come as a bit of a twist." He said blandly. "You were one of the people teaching me that the congregation is a place of refuge in exactly this situation."

"Alec, I've been a believer for more than thirty years and I've never once been asked to abandon my common sense. Planning to be where the guns are not seems like sense to me."

Alec looked sickly at him. "You were the one that taught me that sometimes, walking by faith meant taking a chance on things like that. You used the early Christians as an example."

"Yes, I did. They had sense enough to get out when they saw the armies around them. God rescued his people from the lion's den, but never ordered his Servants to walk into the lion's den deliberately." Frank reasoned. "Alec, this is a global event. God can protect all of us, no matter where we are. So why not be somewhere they aren't looking for us?"

"You don't know that! You've heard the numbers! More than two thirds of the people caught in the last six months have been caught by citizens claiming the bounty. There are running gunfights on every farm and orchard where there's food, every campsite where a person can fish or forage. Where do you plan to go that nobody can find you?" Alec countered. "They're turning over every rock on the planet looking for anyone with a bible."

"That's true." Frank agreed. "But I don't know where the Bounty Hunters are, and I do know who's at the hall."

"So do I." Alec shot back. "Everyone we know."

Silence.

"Come with us," Frank said finally. "We go back a long way, brother. I love you like my own son. I know you're still worried about where you fit into this story, and if you've done enough... I have faith in you; and in Jehovah. Come with us. We'll look after you, I promise. We'll take you somewhere safe."

His tone was warm, reasonable, personal, logical...

"There's no 'safe' out there." Alec argued. "'Safe' has always been a hugely different proposition for us. It's why we don't fight for higher paying jobs and why we don't keep weapons, even these days. You're right. Worse than anything that has come before. Which is why we figured on avoiding the fate of the rest of the world. We have an entirely different definition of 'seeking refuge'!" Alec said, and the frustration boiled over suddenly. "Which I thought you knew!"

Frank looked... sad; like he felt sorry for Alec. "Kid, the Bounty increased again this morning, and the punishment for failing to report us doubled last night. I will bet my car that at least three of my neighbors are listening to this conversation and picking up the phone already; so let's make this simple. Obviously, you can't ride with us to the Hall if we're going in the opposite direction."

"Which was kind of my point." Alec agreed.

Frank had nothing to say to that. "You... want a ride? I can take you as far as Anchor St. From there we go to the highway, and you go…" He sighed. "The buses haven't run in weeks; and I think we both know you can't walk it." He jerked his head at his neighbors windows. The curtains were twitching.

"You've been following the radio, I've been on social media." Alec snorted. "Trust me, getting there is the easy part. Apparently 'the show' is pretty interesting. There's a steady stream of people heading there to watch." He headed to the car. "But yeah, a ride to Anchor St would save time."

~~/*\~~

“Several Governments are calling for the removal of military commanders across two different continents. Mass walkouts, in response to the economic crisis, have caused Army and National Guard units to go AWOL in huge numbers. We cannot confirm this yet, but there are reports that the AWOL units are fortifying their positions, and raiding civilian populations for food and fuel supplies. Military Units that have remained at their posts are being deployed to counter them, warning that they face charges of treason if they do not return their weapons and vehicles immediately. Local authorities are advising citizens to flee the hot zones before getting caught in the middle. Evacuation centres are being set up in the following locations...”

~~/*\~~

They took the back roads. They heard sirens. There were plenty of cars on the road, most of them heading away from the cities. No small number of them were piled high with furniture. The ones without possessions piled on top had suitcases visible in the backseat.

"Everyone's moving." Lucille said quietly. "Where do they think they're going to go?"

"Away." Frank said with a sigh. "It's the old dream: I'm not safe or happy here, so I will go over there."

"Aren't we the same?" Alec said philosophically. "I'm heading to the Hall because I'm hoping to escape all this, you're going north for the same reason."

Frank nodded. "You know, the world was always meant to be a paradise. Day One was Eden. We aren't ‘escaping' anything, so much as we're going home at last."

Alec looked sideways at him. "You still talk like one of us, even though you're doing the exact opposite of what we're meant to be doing."

"Show some respect." Lucille reminded him gently from the backseat. "You never would have made it through the Baptism Questions, or your first talk, without my Frank there to walk you through it."

"I know." Alec said, barely audible. "Is that Anchor Street?"

"It is. Last chance, Kid." Frank said quietly. "Are you coming with us, or not?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question." Alec said quietly... and he opened the door to the car. "I hope..."

"I know." Frank said. "Look at it this way, if I'm right, we'll both be toasting this day for a long time."

"If you're wrong, we won't be." Alec said quietly.

There was the scuffling sound of footsteps on concrete, and a much older man with a harried expression and a briefcase grabbed the open car door. "Take me with you! I don't care who you are, but take me with you! Please!"

Frank sent Alec a look. Vanish, now!

Alec stepped away from the car and started walking towards the Hall. He glanced back now and then as the older man plead his case. "I can pay you! A hundred? Two?"

"Sorry, fella." Frank insisted. "We're not taking passengers."

"Five hundred! Please! I've got six figures in the bank if you want to stop there first!"

"Shut the door, Lucille!"

"A thousand! Five thousand! Please! You have any idea what I'm worth?! I can pay you anything!" The old man's voice was getting more frantic, more desperate. Frank was already pulling away, heading for the highway. The old man was trying to limp along behind his car, one hand clutching at his chest, the other with a deathgrip around the briefcase. "I've got jewlery too! That's still worth something! Isn't it!?"

Alec turned pointedly away from the whole scene, heading to the side of the road, where he'd go unnoticed in comparison. The old man in the tattered Brooks Brothers suit was prey, and it was only a matter of time before his screaming brought the predators down on all of them.

"Alright! Take the whole bag!" The wealthiest man on the street bawled pathetically at every car on the road. "Take everything I got! Just get me out of here! Please!? Someone!? Everything I got! Just please, for the love of Gawd, someone help me!"

~~/*\~~

"Wall Street has been closed to all foot traffic, due to the sudden increase in suicides among the closed Investment Banks. Police have asked the public to stay away, and allow emergency services to reach the people who are still threatening to jump.

In other news, seventeen senators in the US House of Representatives have resigned today, after shocking revelations that their campaigns were funded by former church holdings, in exchange for policy changes. This, of course, is in direct opposition to the Final Revelation Act. FBI Sources say they cannot comment on any active investigations, but we'll bring you more on this story as it develops."

~~/*\~~

Finding his way had been easy enough. The crowd was getting thicker the closer he got. But every step of the way, he kept fighting the urge to turn around and go running back to Frank. Oh, what if Frank's right? He's been a Witness a lot longer than I have. What if this is just me being reckless?

There was a ring of soldiers around the place, three rows deep. Over a hundred men, all of them armed.

And around them was a much larger crowd of people. Hundreds of them. Faces that Alec recognized. He had knocked on all their doors at one time or another. They had smiled politely, waved to him when he went into the Hall for the weekly meetings...

They had been friendly. Now they were throwing things past the soldiers, crying out their chant. "BURN THEM OUT! BURN THEM OUT! BURN THEM OUT! BURN THEM OUT!"

Alec sucked in oxygen, praying over and over, and not really sure of what he was praying for. One foot in front of the other. Just get there.

The brewing riot barely noticed him as he threaded his way through, all of them looking in another direction. Coming closer, he recognized more of them. You work at the coffee shop. You work at the grocer. You fixed my car. I met your kid in school. I helped you with your bags...

These people had all smiled at him, thanked him for things, noticed how polite he was, commented on his help when they needed it... And now they were all howling for his head on a plate.

When he reached the soldiers, he had to ask them to move aside. "I want to go inside the Hall."

The soldiers looked at each other at the odd request, and finally appealed to their Commander, who looked at Alec darkly. "You know I can't allow that."

Alec met his gaze carefully. "You know why I want to join them inside?"

The soldier set his jaw. "I suppose I do." He admitted. "You're not the first one to come in today. My orders-"

"-are to keep anyone from getting out. Nobody said anything about letting more of us in." Alec countered swiftly.

"True. But you realize that if I let you pass... You can't come back." The soldier said seriously. "Even if they don't let you in."

Alec looked over at the Hall when he heard that. There were almost twenty people knocking at the door, pressing against the windows. "Who are they?"

"Don't know." The Commander admitted. "We've had all kinds today. Some people demanding their relatives come home over the loudspeaker; but they at least had the sense not to go in. Those guys outside... They pushed their way past the line, just like you appear to be doing, but they can't get in. Don't know why; the doors don't seem to be barricaded that strongly... The windows aren't even barred."

Alec looked closer. The ones stopped at the doors and windows were vaguely familiar. He got the sense that they had come to the meetings before... but hadn't been back for a long time. "Oh. They fled to the ark; but the door was shut." He said quietly to himself; before turning back to the commander. "I... I believe they'll let me in." He said, hoping it was true; a little unsure of himself even so.

"If they don't, then... I mean, my orders were specific." The Commander said. "Legally, I can't stop you. There's a world of difference between being inside the door and being outside of it. But if you cross this line I'm standing on, you have to take your chances, because you can't come back."

"That's the idea." Alec took a long deep breath, and took one step over the line. But he couldn't help but look back. "You still can't figure it out, can you?"

"Son?"

"You said I'm not the first one today." Alec explained. "By now, pretty much every Witness in the country, probably the world, has made their way to each other... Your orders are to keep us in one place, but you know why. I mean, you know your phone is going to ring soon with new orders, and you know what those orders will be as well as I do. You also know what will happen when you follow that order."

"What always happens when people with guns attack people without guns." The Commander nodded, hard as stone.

"Right. Every other religion you've taken down had at least a few people shooting back. But not us." With a courage he couldn't describe, Alec looked the Commander in the eye. "So you can't figure out why each and every one of us feels sorry for you."