CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 41
JENNIE H WILKINSON
JENNIE WAS RE-ELECTED WITH OVER NINETY percent of the vote, but like the first time, on inauguration day there was another attack.
All Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Spiritualist, Buddhist, Hindu temples, Masonic lodges, Candomblé terreiros, among others, were on fire, the world was again rising in chaos without measures.
Entire neighborhoods were burned, thousands of devotees died trying to defend their temples.
New York was one of the few cities that still managed to survive.
Jennie watched the crowd part as Moses must have seen the Red Sea part before her eyes and saw another crowd dressed in white with Ku Klux Klan hoods.
They shouted:
God is us... God is us...
As the crowd in white approached the stage, the leader took off his hood.
It was William Johnson.
— Damn you — cried Jennie, — when are you going to be satisfied? —
— Never! — He shouted — I want more...
He raised his arms and the crowd cheered and applauded him.
— Why doesn't anyone do anything? — Jennie shouted, finding herself completely helpless by her advisors and security guards — for God's sake, do something...
Gradually, the people themselves joined the forces of William Johnson.
— I said... Madam President, this is my world, the people are tired of gods who like sacrifices, their Jesus is being crucified on a new cross, but I tell you that he will not come out of it...
William Johnson snapped his fingers and they brought Oscar and Esther Heringer tied up.
— You still have a chance, Madam President, I'm sure everyone would like to see you with us, fighting for our ideals...
— For God's sake... have you gone crazy? — All of you...
A woman in her mid-thirties in the crowd said:
— Enough of that, Madam President, we want the deaths to stop, the Jesus you preach has already killed millions of people, Mohammed maybe more... the world needs peace...
— What does Jesus Christ or Mohammed have to do with all this insanity?
— Jesus, maybe nothing — said another — but the churches forced us into almost slavery for millennia, now we want our freedom...
— And you're going to hand over your freedom to this madman? — Churches have nothing to do with this rampant insanity, you have free will, do what you want with your lives, going to church is a matter of opinion... you are all trying to justify chaos on a foundation made of sand moveable.
— He gave us a choice, we chose freedom...
Jennie couldn't believe what she was hearing.
— So, Madam President?
Jennie looked at her parents and they gave her a hopeful smile.
She couldn't deny her faith at that moment...
— I'd rather die with dignity than live under your yoke, damned bastard.
— Your will be done — he said in a sarcastic tone — on earth as it is in heaven...
Stage security arrested Jennie, her husband and their three children.
They quickly gathered many pieces of wood and made a fire.
William Johnson came close to John, gave him a smile and without realizing it stabbed him in the chest.
Jennie gave a cry of despair that could be heard even in the other world.
John still had the strength to whisper:
— I love you...
Jennie's world was suddenly groundless...
William Johnson, with the help of his youngest son, Ted, threw him into the fire, while the crowd shouted even more euphorically:
God is us... God is us...
Oscar and Esther Heringer were brought to their knees right in front of the fire.
— Renounce your God and you will live...
— Never...— Esther said in a whisper and spat in William Johnson's face.
Willian slapped Esther that made her fall immediately, Oscar tried to move, but in the same way he received a kick in the stomach that paralyzed him immediately.
— Your will be done — he said again in a sarcastic tone, wiping his face.
Both were shot in the head and thrown at the stake along with their son-in-law, John Wilkinson.
Jennie went into a kind of trance, she was watching her children being murdered one by one, she didn't even have any more tears to shed, her voice was completely gone.
— Then? — Finally said William Johnson.
— May you die in hell...
— Welcome to my hell.
He took the shot.
***
ENRICO WOKE UP and was tied to a log in a public square with Father Rossi.
His father-in-law was at Carlos Ortiega's side, both of them smiling triumphantly at the huge, screaming crowd.
God is us... God is us...
DUNHILL SHAKED all the people — they cried desperately.
— God is us... God is us... — shouted the people.
This would be the first time he had personally presided over the trial in public.
— My people — said Donald Dunhill to all the people — I am here to show that the law is above all things, the one who will be judged here today —he pointed his finger at Enrico — I have had the misfortune to call him son-in-law, the I treated him like a son, I gave him all the best and the best do you know what he did? Killed my daughter, killed her own mother, what do we do with people like that? — He asked, exciting the crowd:
— Kill him… Kill him… — shouted the euphoric crowd.
Enrico looked at the priest, but he was looking at the sky in amazement — his eyes shone in a different way — Enrico didn't know what to think, the priest had always been a coward, suddenly:
Didn't you care what was to come?
But when Enrico looked at the sky, he saw something he couldn't describe, Enrico saw a shining throne full of angels around, his mother and Gwen were smiling happily, that did so much good for Enrico that he got the same smile as his martyr partner at that time.
People started stoning the priest, but the priest didn't seem to feel any pain, he was anesthetized by the sight he was seeing.
When Enrico's turn came, Donald approached him and whispered in his ear:
— This is just the beginning, too bad you won't be able to share my moment of glory.
Enrico didn't hear a word from Donald, Gwen was calling him and he desperately wanted to answer her call.
Donald glared at Enrico and realized he was looking at something.
When Donald looked back he saw William Johnson and his two sons, Ted pointed the gun towards Donald's leg and fired, causing him to kneel in pain.
The crowd shouted even more warmly.
Enrico looked around and saw that many had already died, but one in particular...
President Jennie Wilkinson...
Enrico noticed that William was walking towards him and stopped next to Donald and said:
— You had the opportunity to do everything differently, Donald, do you want to steal the world I drew? You let hate consume your heart, you were the weakest of men, I had so many plans for you, but you turned your back on me... You are a coward, weak, you like to cause pain, but you hate pain...
Donald struggled to his feet, but Ted kicked him in the face that made Donald whimper.
— I said that no religion would survive in the future, you and your fanatics will pay dearly for trying to steal my throne, and another, your lackey killed my girl, nothing and no one touches what is mine, do you understand me?
— Help me, master, I need...
Those were his last words to Donald Dunhill, before the fire consumed him.
— Enrico... Juanes Casanossa's brother?
Enrico nodded.
Victor was apprehensive about that, that man was the brother of the man who stole the woman he loved...
If Juanes didn't pay the price, this boy will pay... — Victor thought.
— Your brother saved my life, I owe him one, I will pay you the debt, as he survived the Omega Virus, he is my guest to participate in the New World Order...
His men released Enrico from the post.
— You are a free man, Enrico.
— Only not.
Victor pulled the gun and before he could shoot, William Johnson took off his son's hand with a Rambo-style knife that he used on his waist.
— Damn it — shouted Victor, holding the hand cut off by his own father.
— This is for you to learn who's boss here.
***
ENRICO ARRIVED TO THE CORNER with a racing heart, not believing everything that had happened, according to what William Johnson had said, surviving the Omega-Virus had been a great luck, he was what people said of chosen, but living in that hell there was not what he called very lucky.
— You must follow us, Enrico Fuerte.
— Who the hell are you?
When he thought of running, he felt someone hold him from behind and put a cloth over his mouth and nose, little by little everything turned to absolute darkness.