Sam sat perfectly still, stunned by this revelation. He had been born to be the Antichrist! It was astonishing, almost unbelievable. But … no more unbelievable than him being half demon, he had to concede. If Sam hadn’t seen his own horns and gazed into the blackness of his eyes in his bedroom mirror, he would have doubted his heritage. But still — the Antichrist?
There was complete silence in the room. He was aware that Father Rainey, Hikari and Aimi were watching him carefully, seeing how he would react to the news. With an effort, he managed to rein in his anger. His head swam with everything he had just heard. His world view had just changed dramatically with the utterance of that one word. It was too much to take in; the walls around him were closing in and his heart fluttered wildly in his chest. He couldn’t breathe. A wave of dizziness washed over him and then passed just as suddenly.
Regaining control, he breathed in deeply, swallowed heavily before speaking. “You didn’t answer my question,” he said, sounding far calmer than he felt. “What happens after the Tribulation?’
Father Rainey sighed and looked down at his lap for a moment. When he looked up, Sam could see fear in his eyes.
“That is something we are unsure of at the moment. According to the Bible, Satan will be banished to Hell for a thousand years by the son of God leading an invincible army. Jesus will then rule here in an earthly paradise. Satan, however, has no desire to be banished for a thousand years. He will be denied human souls for all of that time and will diminish in power and be unprepared when the final battle comes. Clearly, that is not in his best interests.”
The priest shook his head. “So to answer your question — I truly don’t know what will happen after the Tribulation. All I know is that you must be prepared. I know from talking with Hikari that your training is progressing well. That is good, because I believe we do not have much time left.”
Sam removed his hand from Aimi’s grasp and stood up angrily. “So what you’re saying is that while you and all the other believers enjoy heavenly paradise, I’m stuck down here protecting those who hate me. How am I meant to protect them in the first place when they run at the first glimpse of my horns?” Anger was threatening to take over.
Hikari saw it too. He rose from the couch and placed a gentle hand on Sam’s arm. Next to him, he could feel Aimi’s tiny hand worming into his.
Father Rainey looked Sam squarely in the eye. “Yes, that is exactly what I am saying to you, Sam. Satan picked you as his champion and Antichrist. Fortunately for us, his plan failed. Instead, you will become the champion of God and protect the innocent. This is what Gabriel told me.”
“What? All by myself?” Sam’s voice was beginning to rise. It took all his willpower not to shout.
The priest shook his head. “Oh, no doubt you will find others that will help you during your travels. Some won’t trust you, others will hate you and spurn your offer of help but that is your cross to bear.”
“And I won’t get to see Hikari or Aimi again? How can that be fair? What have I done to deserve this?”
“It’s not what you’ve done, Sam. It’s who you are. You are destined for greater things because of who you are. Destined to fight and suffer for the cause of righteousness while the rest of us enjoy paradise. I know this sounds awful but you must hold onto your faith. As I said, God has a plan for you. Do you really think your sacrifice will go unnoticed?”
Sam shook Hikari’s and Aimi’s hands off him. He was shouting now but he didn’t care. “Do you think this matters to me? What about what I want?”
“I understand …” Father Rainey brought his hands up, placating him. “But I have one more thing to tell you, Samael. Something that is more important than what any of us want. Listen to me. The last thing Gabriel told me is that during the Tribulation, you will have a mission.”
Despite himself, Sam found himself listening.
Father Rainey took a deep breath. “She wants you to kill someone. To kill the Antichrist that has risen in your stead.”
It was too much for Sam to take. Without a backward glance, he fled through the backdoor and out into the night.
5
6 WEEKS SINCE THE RAPTURE
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”
They had been walking for hours since leaving the airport. Without a break. It was now early afternoon, and still they walked. Sam’s feet were starting to hurt. His sneakers, while great for running, weren’t really cut out for trekking through the Rockies. Ahead of him, Gabriel strolled on, unconcerned. Her steady gait had never once faltered and she set a pace that even he, with his almost limitless stamina, was struggling to match.
The terrain was steep here and dangerous in parts. The heavy ashfalls made footing treacherous. Sam would often put his foot in what he thought was solid ground only to find his ankle and upper calf disappear into the ash. Dust completely covered the juniper trees and sagebrush like heavy snow, the uniform gray colour blending in with the clouds above.
Sam had trekked up into these mountains many times before and was pretty sure they must be in the Boulder Mountains. Then again, he couldn’t be sure. Everything had changed — the climate, the terrain and especially the vegetation. But what got him was the absence of any sound. He was used to it in the town but the contrast between now and the last time he had ventured into these mountains was huge. Previously, the forest had rung with the sound of various native birds. He had glimpsed peregrine falcons and even the occasional bald eagle. The forest was normally full of mule deer, bighorn sheep, and the odd coyote which preyed on the numerous cottontail rabbits. Once, he had even seen an elk.
Two trips previously, he had run into a cougar during the night. The great predator had eyed him as if sizing him up as a potential meal. Sam hadn’t moved as the giant cat stalked towards him. As it got nearer, they locked gazes. The cat froze, immobile but for one shaking paw. Then, it simply darted away. Sam remembered the look on the cat’s face well. Fear. To him, it had appeared terrified.
There were no cougars now, though. In fact, Sam hadn’t seen any animals. The Rapture and subsequent Tribulation had hit them hard. With the ash covering the vegetation, their food sources must be almost depleted. A thought struck him that if animals were struggling to survive, how could humans do much better? Of course, there was tinned and preserved food but how long would that last? The Tribulation was meant to last for seven years. The remaining humans were going to have to think of other food sources if they were to survive.
Sam’s stomach rumbled. He realized he hadn’t eaten for over twenty four hours. He was famished. How much longer would Gabriel force him to keep moving?
He was just about to say something when the junipers gave way to a great blackened clearing. A huge shape almost completely filled it. Burnt and broken trees lined each side of the clearing, and ash disguised parts of it, but it was instantly recognisable as an aircraft. A huge aircraft. Probably a 747 or 737 that had been travelling coast-to-coast.
Sam moved to stand at Gabriel’s shoulder. “What happened here?” he asked in an awed whisper.
She replied in her beautiful, musical voice, watching him carefully. “What do you think happened?”
Sam knew. The Rapture. The Rapture had taken the pilot and without the pilot, well, of course the plane had crashed. Sam nodded and moved towards the wreckage. Mounds that could only be bodies lay here and there around the shattered plane. Some had been uncovered and on closer inspection, looked like they had been gnawed on. Perhaps the coyote and cougars could survive after all.