Twisted Linen

Copyright 2014 Chadwick W. Cook

Smashwords Edition

www.TwistedLinen.com

* * *

Though this book draws upon research, it is
entirely a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations and
incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are
used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Where a real
organization or a real person is cited, it is in a fictional
context only.

* * *

“The more society drifts from the truth, the
more it will hate those that speak it.”

– George Orwell

* * *

The Shroud of Turin is a centuries-old burial
cloth made of finely twisted linen. It bears the miraculous image
of a crucified man, an image that cannot be explained by modern
science. Millions of people believe it’s the image of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth.

There have been hundreds of thousands of
hours of intense scientific study and research on the Shroud,
making it one of the most closely studied religious artifacts in
history
.

* * *

1 Where’s the Blood?
2 POW!
3
LaCroix
4 The Morgue

5 The Prince Spa
6 Fiat Currency
7 A Dual
Life
8 Yeshua

9 The Shroud
10 Golden Dawn
11 My
Father
12 G650ER

13 The Cell
14 It’s Just
Science
15 Clean Yourself Up

16 Let’s Run
17 San
Sebastian
18 Paseo Nuevo
19 My
Collateral

20 Deep Undercover
21 The Appointed
Time
22 Remember Me

23 Cave of Souls
24 The Safe
House
25 The Unholy Ovum

26 Our Blood
27 Creation
Declares His Glory
28 A Great Wonder

29 Revelation 12:1-2
30 Out of the
Blue
31 Twisted Linen

32 Shed for Me
33 Dr.
Seed
34 Forgive Me Father
35 Into the
Black

36 No Coincidences
37 Two
Blisters
38 Sacrifices
39 The
Source

40 The Beast
41 The
Revealing
42 The Reckoning
43 The Great
Deceiver

Acknowledgments

* * *

1

Where’s
the Blood?

Today, late September, 2017, the future of
civilization hangs on a fragile peace treaty that ended a short and
decisive war in the Middle East.

As the sun comes up over the iconic nation of
Israel, a new day is born. Blanketed by a blue desert sky, the
first light warms the walls of a small Israeli home in the middle
of nowhere. It’s a simple and dilapidated home, scarcely bigger
than a hut, made mainly of stone, plaster and wood. Inside the
boxlike home is nothing more than a large wooden table, a few
chairs, a cot-type bed, and a henchman watching his 1980’s style
CRT television. He is a gnomish little man nicknamed Gump. Gump
sits anxiously on the edge of his chair, intently watching a live
broadcast with great suspense, watching as if waiting to see
something he knows is about to happen. Gump knows what the world
has been through and he knows that something big is coming.

Earlier, the unthinkable had taken
place…

The United States was crippled by a series of
coordinated strikes involving strategically deployed dirty bombs,
EMP detonations, and cyber-attacks. The origins of the attacks were
unknown, but their effects were decimating. A decapitated
government, along with cascading failures in power, water and food
distribution, created mass hysteria among the American people. The
social chaos eventually led to a complete societal collapse. Just
as the Congressional Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Commission warned
a decade earlier, a “blackout” lasting more than a year would kill
up to nine of every ten Americans.

For a year following the attacks, the United
Nations and foreign governments monitored the U.S.A from afar. They
eventually stopped offering aid and counting the dead with the last
estimate at seven out of ten Americans dead. Now, the once great
United States of America sits economically and militarily impotent
on the world stage; the eagle’s wings had been plucked.

With the United States neutralized, Israel
was left vulnerable and threatened with imminent extinction. It
preemptively attacked its Arab neighbors claiming fair warning
under the “Samson Option.” The Samson Option is the name given to
Israel’s strategy of preservation through deterrence. It warned of
massive retaliation, using any means necessary, against a
threatening enemy. The Samson Option was a “last resort” strategy
based on the Biblical figure, Samson, who pushed apart the pillars
of a Philistine temple, collapsing its roof and killing all that
were threatening him.

Under the defensive cover of its “Iron Dome”
technology, Israel’s offensive aggression decimated its enemies.
The result of the vicious Three Day War was an overwhelming victory
for Israel, leaving Islam all but eradicated. Emboldened by a
victory that had been “given to it by God,” Israel rolled tanks in
all directions.

Russia and China, along with a remnant of the
European Union, expressed grave concern over Israel's sudden
expansion of power, most significantly their sole control over the
world's key oil fields and precious minerals. They soon united for
a counter-strike against Israel. It would be World War III but
their plans were delayed in an effort to explore peace
negotiations. The peace negotiations were championed by an unlikely
and relatively unknown man.

This young Israeli reformer, David Cohen,
arose from nowhere on the world stage. He calmed the threats of
World War III with promises of peace and a share in Israel's new
resources. His persona captivated the public, while his connections
within the top brass of foreign militaries stalled an imminent
attack on Israel.

Inside the small Israeli home, Gump takes a
hard drag off his cigarette and exhales a billow of smoke, then
glances down at the package sitting by his feet. The large
rectangular case is an important package and he looks at it
frequently.

The TV comes to life with a breaking news
flash. With great enthusiasm, the newscaster reports to the
world:

“Today is conclusive for David Cohen. This
bold thirty-year-old has just become Israel's youngest Prime
Minister. He was the most unlikely of candidates, arising on the
world stage from nowhere…”

On TV, David Cohen shakes hands with the
crowd. He is an Israeli “John F. Kennedy,” articulate and handsome,
modern but historic. As he greets his loyal followers, he forms his
signature “OK” sign with his hand (thumb and index finger in an “O”
with the remaining three fingers extended upward). He boldly holds
the gesture above his head as someone would do when they give the
“thumbs up” to a crowd.

“…Cohen brokered a peace treaty that ended
the Middle East War, and now with the threat of World War III
fading, his claims of global peace may become a reality.”

The front door opens with a sudden bang and
an imposing man barges in with authority. The man is Julian Felipe
Baculo, a fierce Spaniard in his mid-forties. He is a dark-haired,
dark-eyed, thick man who moves quickly. Gump scrambles to stand at
attention while fumbling to put out his cigarette. He hastily grabs
the case off the floor and places it on the table for Baculo to
inspect.

Baculo opens the package slowly with great
anticipation, as Gump fearfully retreats a few steps. Baculo knows
exactly what he is looking for…and this twisted linen cloth is not
it.

“What is this?” Baculo asks with a scowl.

Gump trembles at the anger in Baculo's voice.
“The Shroud of Turin,” he responds with a bit of uncertainty.

“Come here!” Baculo demands, motioning for
him to come closer. “Does this look like a 2000 year old burial
shroud?…Does it!”

Gump is petrified and responds with a blank
stare. Baculo grabs the back of Gump’s head, and BANG! In an
instant, he slams his face into the table. Gump's head bounces off
the table like a flat football, leaving him stunned and grimacing
in pain. Still holding a fistful of hair, Baculo positions Gump’s
face over the white linen cloth.

“There is no blood!” yells Baculo. “Where is
the blood of Jesus?”

Blood begins to drip from Gump’s broken nose,
directly onto the linen cloth below.

“I don’t know,” Gump mumbles in response,
unable to resist Baculo’s incredible strength.

Baculo jerks his head up to make eye
contact.

“Call it off. Now!”

"I can't," responds Gump in-between gasps.
"It's too late."

With cat-like speed, Baculo puts a pistol to
Gump’s head and fires a single round. Blood and tissue splatter the
TV behind them, and his lifeless body drops to the floor with a
thud. Baculo snorts in frustration and quickly exits the hut.

On the blood-spattered TV screen, David Cohen
takes the podium at the Israeli Convention Center. The crowd erupts
in a roar as Cohen gazes over the mass of people; he longs for
their allegiance, savoring this great moment.

* * *

2

POW!

The sound of cheering creates a thundering
roar in the Convention Center while hands wave at Cohen, some
holding up the signature “OK” sign in alliance to their newly
appointed leader. Cohen positions the microphone, ready to address
the world. He begins:

“War is not a permanent solution, but rather
a temporary remedy for an extreme situation. The people of Israel
are prepared to share with the world its newfound bounty in energy
and precious materials.”

The young and hopeful crowd applauds,
riveted by his every word.

“Israel has no intention of further
aggression. We are not enemies of Russia, China or any other
nation. I bring the promise of peace and a new world order. A peace
of a thousand years can be upon us if we all have the faith to
embrace it.”