Episode 12

The black door behind the office of Carolyn Cross led to a long, narrow hall with brick walls and dim florescent lighting. The air in the hall was strong and pungent like a fresh coat of paint. It stung the inside of David Johnson’s nostrils and made him cough.

“You’ll get use to the smell after a while,” Carolyn Cross said without turning her head.

David was about to ask what was going on when they had reached the end of the hall. It was a gigantic cave-like structure made of stone and metal. There were computers and busy people everywhere, all dressed in black and purple uniforms similar to Walker‘s.

Their voices, as well as the sounds of the vast technology, echoed throughout cave. To the right of David was a huge screen monitoring the whole city that almost covered the entire half of the wall.

Carolyn looked at the cut under David’s eye. Then she touched her ear.

“Bring me a medic,” she said.

Suddenly, a young nurse appeared from what look like a small corner in the wall and rushed toward David. She wiped the residue from the cut, washed it with a small cleaning wipe, applied an antibiotic gel to the cut and covered it with a small bandage, all in a matter of seconds. And then she was gone, as if she had never been there to begin with.

“We've been keeping tabs on you for a while,” Carolyn said as they continued walking. “You’ve got a good heart, but you only look at what’s in front of you, instead of looking beyond it to see the truth. Welcome to Christian Operations and Righteous Engagements. Or C.O.R.E. for short.”

They walked by a small group that was working on some kind of sword-like energy weapon. As he was trying to maintain his composure, David accidentally bumped into one of the workers on their way to the elevator. The worker stumbled a bit and was about to give David a piece of his mind until he saw Carolyn Cross standing next to him. He paused for a moment, then he quickly went about his business.

“David,” Carolyn said as they were approaching the elevator. “Still with me?

“Yeah,” he replied, still trying to gather himself.

She pressed the button and the glass elevator doors swooshed open.

“C.O.R.E. is an international defense organization made up of young people like yourself,” Carolyn continued as David observed the vastness down and around him. “It’s designed to deal with threats that can’t be dealt with by the secular world.”

"So is this place owned by a church or something?” David asked.

“No one person or group of people own C.O.R.E.,” Carolyn answered. “We are funded by both Christian and non-Christian organizations from around the world, including certain individuals at the Academy of Technology and Self-Defense. One of them is a man named Nelson. I believe he's the school principal. He's the one who brought you to our attention.”

The elevator stopped at the last level, the seventh level. They walked out of the elevator and into a large conference room. At the end of the room was another door engraved with the name “Cross.” A sophisticated lock was attached to the side of the door. Carolyn placed her fist on it and the device scanned her.

“Access Granted,” the computerized feminine voice said. “Welcome, Carolyn Cross. This is the day that the Lord has made.”

Episode 11

In almost an instant, David found himself standing in a small office. He looked to his right and there was a boy with long, flowing dreadlocks standing next to him, wearing some kind of military school uniform.

The boy had on a black shirt with a purple tie, black trousers, a dress hat with a black and purple cover, black shoes and socks, and a pair of black gloves. His dreadlocks, which were wrapped behind him in a ponytail, were longer and much better kept. David didn't know where he was.

“Who are you?” David was shocked. “What’s going on here? Where am I?”

“The name is Walker,” the boy said extending his hand with a smile. “It’s nice to meet.”

David didn't shake the boy's hand. But before David could say anything else, a door was opened and a woman with short brown hair and hazel eyes walked into the office wearing a purple, three-piece suit.

“Thank you, Walker,” the woman said. “That will be all. You can go back to your post now. Dinner will be ready at seven, ok?”

“Alright,” Walker said. Then he kissed her on the cheek. “See ya later, David!”

Then Walker simply disappeared. Like chalk being erased from a chalk, the boy just faded away.

“That’s my boy,” the woman said as she walked passed David and sat behind her desk. “He’s a mess, but he’s my mess.”

David Johnson couldn't believe his eyes

“It‘s ok,” the woman said to David.

David took a seat at the chair in front of the desk and observed the office. There wasn’t anything fancy about it at all¬ ¬- brown walls, a desk, a computer, a few pictures of herself and Walker.

“My name is Carolyn Cross,” she began with her hands folded together. “I’m one of the directors of this organization.”

David looked around the office again. Whatever kind of organization this was, it must not have been a very big organization, he thought.

“Walker speaks very highly of you,” Carolyn continued. “That’s why I would like to offer you membership here. I think you’ll find that we can help you stay out of trouble.”

“What trouble?” David said firmly, still thinking about how his wrath against the purse-stealing thug had been interrupted. “I’m not in any trouble. And if I were, I don’t think there’s anything you, that kid, or your small little office could do for me.”

Carolyn smiled. Then she reached for a purple button under her desk. David saw the button as she was about to press it and thought nothing of it. Maybe she was going to buzz someone in. When she did pressed the button, however, there was nothing. No buzz. No ring. Not one sound.

Suddenly, he saw movement in the wall behind Carolyn. David babbled something as if to warn her of approaching danger. But then the wall stopped moving and a black door simply appeared. Carolyn didn‘t say anything. She just signaled with her neck to follow her, then she walked through the black door. David followed behind with slow steps.