Page 35 of Shadow of Death
Hunter called out to him.
“Crandon, thank you—thank you to all your teams!”
“You’ve done us the service!” Crandon called back to him.
They both nodded and waved. Hunter found his car and told Brian to come with him.
“Should I be under arrest, too?” Brian asked him.
“How old are you?” Hunter asked him.
“Eleven. Twelve in six months.”
“You’re not under arrest.”
“They do arrest kids, right?”
“They do. But you are a kid, you were taken along by your folks, and you didn’t want to be there. We’ll find the right place for you. Hop in. We can talk on the way into headquarters.”
“Okay.”
As they drove, the kid still looked broken. He had soft brown hair that fell over his forehead and big brown eyes to match. He was still shaken, and without Hunter having to encourage him, he said, “They... I don’t know. I had friends at school. And I saw them...and went to school...like a normal kid...up until just a few months ago. Then my dad and mom started talking all night, all the time, and my mom would cry, and my dad said it was happening, we had to be prepared. The world is going to explode. Maybe not all at once, but there will be fires and meteors will crash down and more horrible things will happen and the survivors will wander in agony, dying from radiation and whatever else. Only the good, those trying to follow God’s commandments for the coming Apocalypse, would be spared. But for them, everything would be great. We would be eternal, living in the clouds...seeing nothing but beauty and knowing nothing but love.”
He shifted in his seat to stare at Hunter. “They believe that!” he whispered. “My parents... I know they believe they were trying to save others!”
Brainwashing was an amazing thing, Hunter thought.
“‘Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,’” Hunter murmured.
“What?”
“A saying by Voltaire, a famous French historian, writer, and philosopher,” Hunter told him. He looked over at Brian. “He was born François-Marie Arouet in 1694, but preferred his nom de plume, Voltaire. I spent a lot of time reading about him, once I heard that quote. The guy was way ahead of his time, believing in separation of church and state, and... Well, anyway, look him up some time. I think you would like reading about him, too. You are only eleven, and you knew what was happening was wrong. Because no one convinced you that something absurd was real. Brian, no one living has the answers to God. There are many religions—and the major religions of the world share one thing in common. They teach us to be good to our fellow man. They teach kindness and decency. When someone tries to tell you God wants you to commit murder, it’s time to take a long look at the person and know you’re being told something that is absurd.”
Brian nodded miserably. “Will they be okay?” he asked anxiously. “My folks. They really aren’t bad people. They did believe what was...absurd. They believe in our souls, in immortality—and that by doing what they were doing, they would make the girl go to Heaven.”
“Ithinkthey will be okay,” Hunter said, glancing over at Brian. “Especially if...well, if they help us understand who else is involved in...murdering people.” He hesitated and then said, “Brian, I was a kid like you once. And my parents were good people. They wanted people to be good to other people, and they thought they found the right way. But when it got bad. They saw they were being played.”
“Being played,” Brian repeated.
“Here’s the thing, Brian. I don’t think Mateus believed anything he was trying to get others to believe. He knew what he was saying was a lie—but he has something he wants for himself and getting other people to believe and to listen to him was a way of getting what he wanted.”
“What did he want?”
“That’s what we have to figure out,” Hunter told him.
Brian nodded. Hunter realized the boy was quietly crying. “What will happen to me?” he asked.
“Do you have close relatives who...someone close who would like to take care of you for a while?”
“Aunt Violet...maybe. I haven’t seen her in...months. She...she told my mom she couldn’t see her as long as she was...listening to crazy stuff about the Apocalypse.”
“Where is she? What does she do?”
“She’s in Denver. She’s a professor at the college. She and my mom were close...and she was the best aunt to me until...until we just kind of stopped seeing her. She used to take me to museums and parks and bookstores and...all kinds of game places and arcades.”
“We’ll call her. I can’t make promises or guarantees, Brian, except for this—I will watch out for whatever is going to happen. I promise you I will be there if you call me.”
Brian was looking at him, his face tearstained.
