W: The Planner, The Chosen (31 page)

Chapter 8

O
ne night after the three children were asleep Michael asked the adults to gather in the “common room”. It was actually a large living room, but since it had become common ground for Keith and his sisters’ families, they all referred to it as the common room.

Keith was slouched in a corner texting and, apparently, ignoring everyone. Karyn lay on the hard concrete floor with her head in Jeff’s lap. Kris was sitting next to Michael with her legs tucked under her. When everyone was present, Michael stood and addressed them. As soon as Kris saw him rise to his feet, she knew that he was going to tell them something serious.

“Jessie has picked up some chatter about American citizens who are on a federal terrorist watch list. The list does not include any of the people we would ordinarily expect to be targeted as threats to national security—no criminals, no individuals known to have committed acts of terrorism in the past, no one who has made any sort of threat against American citizens. The list does include evangelical Christians, pro-life groups, Tea Party members, NRA members, homeschoolers, registered Republicans, people who frequently quote the Constitution, and people who regularly fly an American flag at their residence. No one is mentioned by name so that anyone who falls into any of these categories may be charged with terrorism at any time.

“Jeff and I have been working together for months to track down information for Jessie’s TruthTrakker website, and I think it’s just a matter of time before we’re arrested. If that happens, I want all of you to be clear about what you’re supposed to do. I’ve already made arrangements with my brother Moshe who has lived in Israel for the past twenty-five years. Contact him the moment you get the news, and he’ll make certain that each of you is transported to Israel in less than twenty-four hours. Jeff and I have already discussed this, and we’re in agreement about what has to be done. Kris and Karyn will take the children to Israel, and, Keith, you will go with them to make sure they’re safe.”

Karyn sat up and stared at Jeff. “How could you decide something like that without even talking to me first?”

“Karyn,” Jeff answered, “We have to keep the children safe. They are our first priority. If Michael and I are arrested, they will pick you up soon afterwards. If you hesitate, they will arrest you and Kris and Keith and put the children in foster care with a family who walks the party line or stick them in one of their godless Children’s Centers that will turn them into little communists. Either way, they will be lost to us forever. You have to promise me that you will do exactly as Michael says.”

Without answering her husband, Karyn turned to Michael. “Tell me about your brother, and, by the way, what has he been doing in Israel for the past twenty-five years?”

Michael responded, “My brother was born in 1967 during the Six-Day War. Moshe Dayan was Israel’s Minister of Defense at the time and was a great hero. He was known for his bravery and his military expertise. Ambassador Gideon Rafael once wrote about him, ‘Rocking the boat is his favorite tactic, not to overturn it, but to sway it sufficiently for the helmsman to lose his grip or for some unwanted passenger to fall overboard.’ My parents were huge fans of Dyan’s, and they named my brother Moshe after him.

“I don’t know whether being named after an Israeli war hero was the driving force that caused my brother to want to go to Israel, but soon after he graduated from college, he went there for a visit and never came back for more than a week or two every couple of years to visit my parents and me.

“Soon after going to Israel he joined the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations. The institute was appointed by the State of Israel to collect information, analyze intelligence, and perform special covert operations beyond Israel’s borders—pretty much like our CIA used to be. My brother’s position at the Institute—which you know as the Mossad—allows him to arrange all sorts of things for us that might not otherwise be possible.  I’m going to give each of you his contact information along with a special code so that he will know any message you send has come through me. When you send your message, he will respond within thirty seconds with specific instructions. Do exactly as he says; do not deviate in even the smallest detail. You can trust Moshe completely.”

Karyn looked at Jeff with tears in her eyes, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

When Michael had mentioned the Mossad, he had gotten Keith’s full attention. Keith tried not to look impressed, but it was obvious that he was fascinated. “I think I need to stay here and play this out to the end,” he responded, “but I’ll make sure that the girls and kids get to Israel.”

Kris’ face had turned as white as chalk. There were no tears in her blue eyes—just a penetrating stare that made her appear to be witnessing a scene of horror being played out in her mind.

The following day Kris talked to Keith privately. “I’m not going,” she said.

Keith looked at her suspiciously, “Not going where?”

“Israel. I’m not going to Israel and leaving Michael and Jeff here.”

“Mike’s counting on you to take care of Mitch and to get him to safety,” Keith replied.

“I’ll send Mitch with Karyn. She’ll go; it would never enter her head not to.”

“Look,” Keith said, “if Mike and Jeff get arrested, there’s nothing you can do for them; they’ll be executed. They know that, and so do you. If you stay here, you’ll end up dead too, and Mitch will be an orphan. He’s your kid, and you’ve got a responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Keith,” Kris said firmly, “I’m not going. I’m telling you this now so that when the time comes, you’ll help me get Karyn and the kids to Moshe in Israel. We won’t have time to argue, so you’re going to have to be prepared to back me up.”

“Why would you do this? Mike has made all of the arrangements so that no matter what happens to him all of us will be safe. I’m not going because I don’t have any reason to go, but it’s different for you and Karyn.”

“Keith, I hardly slept last night thinking about everything Michael said yesterday. I’m scared out of my wits, and I can’t even let myself think about never seeing Mitch again, but I believe that God has a purpose for me in everything that’s happening in our country.

“Just before she was executed, Mom sent that email telling us to find the Americans who still remember freedom and to start working to get this country turned around. Her dying request was that we not let what happened to Dad and her happen to anyone else. So far, I’ve stood by and let you and Michael and Jeff take all the risks. If Michael and Jeff are picked up, I’ll know that it’s time for me to step forward and take my place in this battle.

“Do you remember in the Bible when Esther’s cousin Mordecai told her that God had made her queen so that she could save the Jewish people from extermination? In chapter 4 of the book of Esther he says, ‘Do you think you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed? If you keep quiet at a time like this, God will deliver the Jews from some other source, but you and your relatives will die; what’s more, who can say but that God has brought you into the palace for just such a time as this?’

“Esther was scared too, but she committed herself to doing everything possible to keep Haman from carrying out his plan to annihilate every Jew in the empire, and even though it seemed impossible, she saved the Jewish nation. Keith, I believe that God has put me in this place at this time to keep these evil government leaders from obliterating freedom in this land. All they need to succeed is for those of us who believe in freedom to run away. Like Esther, I’m going to take my stand, and if I perish, I perish.”

Chapter 9

K
eith came bounding down the stairs that led from the watchtower to the common room. His face had turned as white as chalk, and his dark eyes were enormous. The moment Kris saw him she knew that something truly bad had happened.

When Keith saw her sitting on the floor playing with Mitch, he stopped on the bottom step and stood perfectly still clutching his laptop to his chest.

“It’s Michael, isn’t it?” she whispered. “He’s been arrested.”

Keith shook his head, “No.”

Kris’ heart was pounding, and her throat felt dry. “What? What happened?”

“It’s Mike’s friend, the priest. He’s been arrested. Jessie just sent me a confirmation. About two hours ago a team from the Religious Unity Agency arrived at Father O’Brien’s church and arrested him. They’ve taken him to the Federal Building for interrogation. What’s he involved in, Kris?”

Kris’ hands were shaking as she reached for Mitch and pulled him onto her lap. “I’m not sure. He works with Michael and Jeff to get ‘dissidents’ to safety. I know that, so far, they’ve been able to save several thousand lives, but Michael doesn’t give me any specifics. He says that if I’m ever questioned, it’s better if I don’t know anything.

“I don’t think they found out about that, though. The RUA is concerned only with the dissemination of information through the churches. If they knew about his work rescuing ‘enemies of the state,’ I would think that the FBI would be the ones to make the arrest. Nathan’s arrest must be connected either to something he said during a service or something he wrote in the church bulletin.”

When Michael and Jeff arrived that evening, Kris knew at once that they had already heard the news. Michael asked her to bring Karyn and Keith to the common room for a meeting, and when they were all seated, he told them what had happened.

“We all know that Nathan O’ Brien was arrested this afternoon. One of the lay workers who was there when they took him phoned me. He told me that when Nate asked the arresting officers to tell him the charges against him, the officer replied, ‘There are no charges; no charges are required. The warrant states that I am to deliver you to a federal judge for an arraignment hearing.’”

∞

Nathan O’Brien had been wearing a sports shirt and slacks when he was arrested. Anyone who had seen him standing before Judge Norman Holder would have never imagined that he was a priest. He might have been a successful businessman, a corporate executive, or a vacationing tourist, but he looked far too polished to be a priest. The judge was clearly surprised.

“State your name.”

“Nathan O’Brien”

“What is your profession?”

“I am the priest at Queen of Peace Catholic Church.”

“I see,” Judge Holder said. “Do your parishioners call you ‘Father O’Brien’?”

“They do.”

“Well, then, Father O’Brien, is it not the duty of a priest to obey the laws of the land and, thus, set a good example for his flock?”

“It is, as long as the laws of the land do not contradict God’s law.”

“Really?” the judge responded. “Is God opposed to clean air and water? Is God opposed to conserving our resources? Is God opposed to our giving up our fleshly comforts, dare I say, our self-indulgences, in order to share our wealth with those less fortunate than we?”

“I cannot speak for God,” Nathan O’Brien replied.

“Oh, but you do speak for God. Every Sunday you stand in your pulpit and speak for God. Every morning at mass you take it upon yourself to speak for God. Every time you write one of your ‘devotionals’ you speak for God!” The judge was now screaming, and in his eyes was an expression of pure hatred.

“Tell me,” Judge Holder continued in a more controlled voice, “Do you receive the state authorized messages that are sent to every church in these United States every week?”

“I do.”

“Yet, you refuse to deliver them to your congregation. You have not delivered a single Religious Unity sermon although they have been sent to you every week for the past sixteen weeks.”

Nathan O’Brien remained silent.

“Answer me!” screamed Judge Holder. “Why do you defy the very agency that allows you to serve in your position?”

“I have never been political, and I have never preached political sermons,” Nathan answered. “Many years ago God called me into His service. I am answerable to Him, and I teach what the Church has taught for centuries. I teach those things that are the cornerstones of our faith, and I leave politics to the politicians.”

“And so you defy the agency from which your authority comes?”

“I have not spoken against the Religious Unity Agency; neither have I spoken against any of the messages that they have sent to my church. I have continued to serve my congregation in exactly the same way that I have always served.”

“Every Sunday the same message is delivered from every pulpit in this nation,” Judge Holder said. “The requirements are that you read the message to your congregation exactly as it is written, without deviating by so much as a single word. In this way we promote religious unity and bring about religious tolerance. Thousands of other pastors in thousands of other churches are complying. Why do you insist on defying us?”

“When God and man disagree, I must obey God rather than man,” the priest answered.

Judge Holder was now seething. “Bailiff!” he shouted, “Remove this prisoner from my court!”

∞

Judge Holder entered his chambers and slumped into the large leather chair behind his desk. Pulling a bottle of Scotch and two glasses from the left-hand desk drawer, he poured himself a drink and rang for his clerk. Immediately a small, frail man about twenty-four years old appeared at the door. It was apparent that he was intimidated by the judge, and he moved his hands nervously as he stood in the doorway.

“Dean,” Judge Holder said, “sit down. I want to talk to you.” The judge then poured a second drink which he handed to the young clerk as he motioned for him to be seated in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. “Aren’t you Catholic?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you attend mass?”

“I did when I was a kid living at home. My mom made all of us kids go to mass every Sunday. Not now. I haven’t been to mass for a couple of years.”

“No matter,” the judge responded. “Do you know a priest named Nathan O’Brien?”

“No, sir.”

“Have you heard anything about him?”

“No, sir.”

The young man sat stiffly holding the glass but not drinking from it.  

Judge Holder drained his glass and poured himself another drink. “You know, Dean, we have done everything to accommodate the religious beliefs of our citizens. Other countries close their churches; they even make religious practices illegal, but not us. We have allowed our churches to remain open. We allow regular, scheduled services, and we do not attempt to prevent those who wish to attend from doing so. We have bent over backwards to accommodate the superstitious masses and their leaders, and we ask only one thing in return. We ask that all priests and pastors read to their congregations the sermons that the RUA prepares and delivers to them. No more, no less. The Religious Unity Act prevents all religious leaders from making any statements other than those prepared by the RUA because we know that when everyone hears exactly the same message delivered in exactly the same way, unity results.

“The RUA prepares messages that teach the people to respect the earth. Conservation, renewable energy sources, and green spaces are among the most frequently discussed topics. Through these messages, we are shaping a New American Dream. That dream no longer allows for a single-family home with a lawn and two cars in the garage. The New American Dream rids the dinner table of meat, dairy, and desserts in favor of soy-based products that nourish without tempting the populace to overindulge. The New American Dream has no tolerance for those who wish to live in luxury and squander resources. The RUA is bringing unity to this country by preaching a gospel of uniformity. Only through uniformity can we ever hope to achieve unity, but as long as we have people like Father Nathan O’Brien who deviate from the message, the New American Dream will never be realized.”