Page 34, THE SWORD AND SICKLE

PART TWO: DECEPTION

CHAPTER ONE:

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

©2017, Olan L. Smith

The Lord came to the gathering of his people on Saturday, stood, and read the scripture for the book of Isaiah. They were amazed at his eloquence and power of speech, and when he had finished the reading, he gave the text to the helper and sat with the congregation. The people said to one another, "Is this not Joseph's son?"

And the prophet of God said, "I am sure you are thinking of the old proverb, 'Physician heal yourself'; do here, in your homeland, what you have done in Capernaum; but I tell you no prophet is accepted in his hometown. Remember the three-year drought and great famine, which overcame the land; Elijah was not sent to them, rather to the widow of Zarephath, in the land Sidon. When Elisha was alive and there were many lepers in Israel; he healed none of them, rather, he healed only Naaman, a Syrian." When the crowd heard this, they were filled with rage and took him out to a cliff at the edge of the city to throw him off; but he merely walked through them and escaped."

Luke 4:22-30, according to Levi Jackson

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Levi and Venus lied in a bed of a hotel that overlooked the Capitol building, as Ariel walked about asking questions about everything. "Mommy?" She asked. "Why are we here?" Almost in the same breathe she would ask another question, "Mommy, watch me color?" She was a ball of curiosity and energy as her mind tried to understand her earthly surrounds.

Venus said to Levi, "Isn't she the most beautiful child?"

Levi replied with pride, "She is the glory of my eyes and the wonder of my heart, my love."

Venus turned to him and said, "It is done, Angela is one with us, forever. I am overjoyed to have her as my sister and my beloved. Her child will give us as much joy as Ariel."

"This is true, my love, our Angela is one with us for all time and we will comfort her everyday she dwells."

Venus turned and placed her head on Levi's chest, "My love, I hear the thoughts of many people and I am able to trace all of them with ease. At this moment they search for us and have come to this building in hopes of capturing us. Oh the smallness of their minds, my Lord, they have closed you completely out. They think of only themselves in their pursuit of this life. They love life so much as to squeeze out all other possibilities."

"It has been so, ever since I lead my stiff necked people through the wilderness. I cleansed the world, twenty thousand years ago, with water, and dispersed the survivors in every direction. This time none with survive my wrath of purification by fire. They will seek shelter and will not find it, they with pray for forgiveness and I will not hear them, and they will fashion gods of precious metal and their idols will turn to ashes."

"They are at the door my Lord, should I answer. No, we will answer their knock and allow them to enter."

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Homeland security and the FBI, along with their chiefs, Secretary William Alderman, and Director Walter Morgan dispersed throughout the city in hopes to find Levi, Venus, and Ariel Jackson. Spreading out in a spiral from their last known position they searched every motel and hotel in the area. Under surveillance were all airports, subways, trains and buses, plus every major highway that leads out of the city authorities had put up road blocks to find them. The two men knew Levi and his family were still in the city. But where? That was the question. The White House officials were stupefied. The agents involved in the search knew very little about their quarry, other than their names, and that Levi was the writer that inspired a worldwide religious fervor. Most knew that Levi became known as the prophet that the Followers of the Voice idolized. They became known as Sons an Daughter of Levi, but the authorities like the shortened version, SDL. Levi and his family were now the most wanted people on the planet.

John Hartley and his partner, Clint McNairy, had checked two hotels this morning, to no avail. They hoped, this hotel would yield their prey and make the country safer. As they started their door-to-door search of the second floor, John turned to Clint and spoke, "You know some things are disturbing about this investigation. We know little about them or their crime. It is the most comprehensive dragnet of the city since nine-eleven and one of them is a four-year-old girl. How, can a family like this? Stimulate such notoriety. It is just weird if you ask me, John. For what I know and heard they are just religious nuts who founded some kind of cult."

"I have been wondering about it too. You know what they say, 'it is not ours to wonder why; it is ours to do or die.'"

"Yeah, I guess. The profile given us just doesn't fit. Do you want to take the lead on this one, Clint?"

"Sure, you knock on the door and I will scare the crap out of them."

They walked up to room two-zero-four and John knocked while Clint shouted, "FBI, open the door!"

The door opened and Levi greeted them and asked, "How can I help you, gentlemen?"

John looked at the three of them, turned to Clint and asked, "Who are we looking for?"

Clint replied, "You know, John...I can't remember." They both looked at their papers they carried with them, but they could not discern the words. When they looked at their orders and the words looked like Chinese characters.

John said, "That's strange Clint, I can't read the papers. How about you?"

Clint answered, "Me neither. There is something funny about this. Let me call the captain and get our instructions." He pulled out his cell phone and called Captain Wescott, and said, "Captain, we can't remember who we are looking for? Could you give me their description again?"