The Code of Darkness

By Russell Brandon

This is a story about three people who come together in circumstances that could easily end in their becoming enemies for life. Instead they learn about Jesus and become friends. The demons that would have held them captive are dispatched through prayer that empowers angels to turn our heroes’ lives in a whole new direction.

Later, circumstances bring them together to make a stand against evil. This is a book about the ever raging battle between good and evil that happens not only in the world we all see, but in the supernatural realm where it began the day Satan tempted Eve and Eve convinced Adam to defy God.

Our heroes take on what is surely the worst type of evil on our planet. It has been confronting for me to write about it. But, as Christians, we cannot just ignore the things we don’t want to know about. When we hear about these things we need to make a stand.

In this book I have described a process where people become involved in child pornography and child exploitation. I have no idea if this is anywhere near what really happens. I suspect not. But unlike one of our heroes, I have no intention of getting anywhere near that type of research. So I made up a plausible story.

This is a novel. It is a piece of fiction. I make no claim whatsoever to know what goes on in the world of angels and demons. I know they exist because the Bible tells me so. The rest I made up. I have no knowledge, either of what goes on in the world of child exploitation apart from what I see in the media. Again, I know it exists. The rest I made up.

I did research some articles on the hurt and damage that children suffer at the hands of people who call themselves men but have no right to do so. My heart bled as I read about a girl who escaped the horror at age ten after three years in a Cambodian brothel. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Russell Brandon
• Release date: Jul 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310795619

Russell Brandon

Russell Brandon is a grandfather who lives near Brisbane in Australia. He has written plenty of business proposals, training materials, industry submissions and reports. One day he looked at the world and said, “This is not the world I want for my grandchildren”. Night after night, the News is full of violence and hatred. It was violence against women and children in particular that gave Russell a heavy heart.He believes the Bible holds the secret to a better world. So he wanted to use the writing skills he picked up over the years to compose a little piece of fiction. It was to be a tale that would help his grandchildren understand the joy of living a life that follows the example that Jesus set.So “A Rainbow in my Heart” became a reality and Russell has since completed more books.

Book preview

The Code of Darkness

by Russell Brandon

Published by Russell Brandon at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Russell Brandon

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

This is for all those superheroes out there who see a wrong and do something to make it right. You know who you are!

About this book

This is a story about three people who come together in circumstances that could easily end in their becoming enemies for life. Instead they learn about Jesus and become friends. The demons that would have held them captive are dispatched through prayer that empowers angels to turn our heroes’ lives in a whole new direction.

Later, circumstances bring them together to make a stand against evil. This is a book about the ever raging battle between good and evil that happens not only in the world we all see, but in the supernatural realm where it began the day Satan tempted Eve and Eve convinced Adam to defy God.

Our heroes take on what is surely the worst type of evil on our planet. It has been confronting for me to write about it. But, as Christians, we cannot just ignore the things we don’t want to know about. When we hear about these things we need to make a stand.

In this book I have described a process where people become involved in child pornography and child exploitation. I have no idea if this is anywhere near what really happens. I suspect not. But unlike one of our heroes, I have no intention of getting anywhere near that type of research. So I made up a plausible story.

This is a novel. It is a piece of fiction. I make no claim whatsoever to know what goes on in the world of angels and demons. I know they exist because the Bible tells me so. The rest I made up. I have no knowledge, either of what goes on in the world of child exploitation apart from what I see in the media. Again, I know it exists. The rest I made up.

I did research some articles on the hurt and damage that children suffer at the hands of people who call themselves men but have no right to do so. My heart bled as I read about a girl who escaped the horror at age ten after three years in a Cambodian brothel. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

*

As usual all characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real life persons is purely coincidental - well, maybe not totally coincidental in regard to my friends Jim and Michele, who appear late in the book (because they inspired part of the ending).

If you share a name with one of the characters, I hope it is with one of the goodies. If not, feel free to take a pen and cross out the name in my book and replace it with someone else’s name - except of course if you are reading this on an electronic device!

I hope you enjoy my book. But more so, I hope it makes you think. No! I hope it makes you do something.

***

Chapter 1 - Prologue

Felicity cowered in the corner of the bedroom. The pain was intense but she refused to give in to it.

The day had started out so well. Kyle went off to work happy, which was unusual these days. He left a shopping list which gave her permission to leave the house alone while he was working, and this was also unusual these days. She should have known that this was an omen and her day would not end so well.

While shopping she had met her best friend, Charlotte and they had sat to enjoy a coffee and chat. They hadn’t seen each other in months. Kyle monitored all her calls so they couldn’t even catch up on the phone. Today they had been talking about old times and Felicity had even managed to laugh at some of their school day antics. She hadn’t smiled, let alone laughed, in months.

Suddenly she had frozen in fear. Over Charlotte’s shoulder she had seen Kyle watching her. There was rage in his hateful eyes. He should have been working but he had obviously taken time off just to check up on her.

I’ve gotta go, she had muttered, grabbing three bags full of groceries.

Soon after they moved in together Kyle had told her that she now belonged to him and he would not allow her to have any other friends but him. She had protested, and that was the moment she discovered that Kyle wasn’t the kind charming boy she had fallen in love with.

She had hurried towards him on this fateful afternoon. She knew she had to apologise and beg his forgiveness but he had turned and headed for the carpark before she was close enough to say anything. By the time she reached the car park he was in the car and as she neared he had reversed out of the bay and had taken off with tyres spinning. She was left breathing in the acrid smoke from burning rubber.

Idiot driver, growled a shopper who had been walking past where she stood.

Felicity had looked at the ground not even game to look at the other shopper. Then she had trudged, trembling with fear towards the bus stop.

When she arrived home, she had been relieved that Kyle’s car wasn’t there. She put the groceries away and tried to busy herself by starting to prepare his dinner. Each morning he left the instructions for dinner and very early in their relationship she discovered that it had to be exactly to his recipe and ready to put on the table as soon as he arrived home from work.

An hour later she had everything prepared and was trying to work out when to start cooking, when the door burst open. She knew she was in trouble. She could smell the alcohol from the next room as soon as Kyle walked in the door.

He had walked straight to where she stood and slapped her with a force that knocked her sideways into the bench. She had cried out from the pain of the slap and knew that she would surely have a serious bruise where her hip collided with the bench. Kyle had turned away, opened the fridge and taken out a beer.

How many times do I have to warn you? he had roared. You’re not to stop and talk to anyone when you are out. And I’ve told you repeatedly that you are no longer to associate with that whore you were with today.

But, was all she had managed before his fist had connected with her jaw with a resounding crack. She hadn’t been able talk after that.

As she slumped to the floor she had known that her jaw was broken. But before she had time to think about that, he had lashed out with his boot. He had kicked at her legs before aiming at the side of her chest. She would be covered in bruises and was pretty sure ribs were broken.

Get up! I haven’t finished yet, Kyle had shouted.

He had turned back to the fridge for more beer and she had taken the opportunity to limp into the bedroom. Fear had driven her through the pain barrier. As she reached the room, she had placed a chair behind the door with its back lodged under the door handle. She didn’t think it would stop Kyle but she had seen heroines use the chair trick in movies and it had seemed to work for them.

Now she was cowering in the corner of the room furthest from the door. She sat on the floor trying to curl into a ball but the pain wouldn’t allow her to do more than hug her knees to her chest. Occasionally she jumped in fright as she heard a bottle smash against the door.

She screamed as Kyle tried the door. He swore when it didn’t open and went away for another drink. She knew her scream would enrage him even more but she just couldn’t help it. The pain was becoming unbearable.

Suddenly the door burst off its hinges, the chair disintegrated, and Kyle landed on top of the debris. Felicity screamed, louder this time. There was pounding on the main entrance door but neither Kyle nor Felicity noticed.

Kyle stood and stumbled towards her. Then she saw it. He had the longest, sharpest knife from the kitchen. This time her scream was blood-curdling. She knew she was about to die. He lunged towards her with the knife aimed at her chest. She only had time to lurch sideways before the knife pierced her shoulder and her world went black.

*

Charlotte sat in the small hospital room. She had been there holding her friend’s hand for more than five days. The police had found her name and address hidden deep in Felicity’s handbag. They sent a car to let her know what had happened and had brought her to the hospital.

Every day she cursed herself for not having done something to help Felicity before it came to this. She had known that Kyle was treating her badly but just didn’t know how bad it was and didn’t know what to do about it.

Now she wondered if Felicity even knew she was there. She hadn’t regained consciousness by the time she was rushed to surgery. The doctors had induced a coma after that to allow her jaw to begin the healing process. She was being fed through a tube and would be for several more days before the brace could be taken from her jaw.

Charlotte had refused to leave Felicity’s bedside. The nurses had tried to enforce visiting hours but Charlotte refused to go. She told them she couldn’t leave her friend alone again and they understood, smiled, and made sure she had the most comfortable chair in the ward. After the first day she slipped home to get some clothes and other necessities. She slept in the comfy chair beside the bed. When the nurses came to change dressings and bathe Felicity, she slipped out to the visitors’ shower, visited the canteen and in no time she was back holding Felicity’s limp hand.

She looked at her friend now. Her jaw was in a brace that prevented any movement. Her shoulder had been stitched. Her ribs were wrapped in tight bandages. One leg had required surgery where one particularly vicious kick had damaged blood vessels.

After five days, no one other than Charlotte had been to visit. No one had sent flowers or even cards.

Who would come if it was me here? Charlotte asked herself. No one but Fliss! No wonder we are best friends. We are all each other has. It was so lonely while Kyle kept us apart.

Charlotte stood back as the doctors and nurses fussed around Felicity. They were bringing her out of the coma. Her eyes opened and she looked around. One doctor hurriedly told her not to try to talk yet. He explained what had happened to her over the previous five days. When he finished, a nurse placed a note pad and pencil where Felicity could reach and told her they were for her questions and to communicate until her jaw brace could be removed.

As the carers moved away, Charlotte moved to the bed and took hold of her friend’s hand. Felicity turned towards her. Her eyes widened in fear and she reached for the pad and pencil.

GO! He can’t find you here

Charlotte held the hand that didn’t have a tube attached in both of her own hands. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Felicity’s forehead. She had no idea how her next words would be received.

Kyle’s dead, Fliss, she said. He will never be able to hurt you again.

A variety of emotions passed over Felicity’s face as her eyes asked ‘how, when, did I do it, I loved him’ and so much more.

Charlotte explained that neighbours had called police when Kyle started shouting. The officers had broken down the door at Felicity’s final scream immediately before she passed out. They had rushed to the bedroom with guns drawn and shouted for Kyle to drop the knife, just as he was about to stab her a second time. Kyle had turned and lunged at the female officer with the knife aimed at her chest. Both officers fired in self-defence.

Tears were running down Felicity’s cheeks. Charlotte knew they were tears of grief but also tears of relief. She wanted to embrace her friend but knew she couldn’t so she just held on and vowed to be there for Fliss during the long recovery time ahead.

*

Remember ‘Schoolies’, Felicity said four days later when her jaw had finally been released from its prison cell.

The police had just been to take Felicity’s statement. There would be a Coroner’s Inquest. There was little doubt about the findings but Felicity might be required to retell her story in the court.

Kyle introduced himself, she continued. He was all charm. He was generous and seemed kind. His mate kept trying to cart you off so we could be alone. I was seventeen and in love.

Yeah, Charlotte replied with a giggle. His mate was all slobber and hands. I wouldn’t have let him get to first base if he was the last single male on the coast.

As soon as Felicity turned eighteen, Kyle had convinced her to move in with him. That was the beginning of a yearlong nightmare that ended with Felicity being in hospital and Kyle being dead. Charlotte was just thankful that her friend had come out alive. If the police had been ten seconds later arriving at the bedroom door…… No! she didn’t want to think about losing her friend that way. It hadn’t happened.

When I saw the knife, Felicity interrupted her thoughts, I knew I was about to die. I always thought if you knew it was going to happen, all sorts of thoughts would go through your head. People talk about your whole life flashing before your eyes. The only thought I had was ‘I’m going to miss Charlotte’. Isn’t that weird?

That’s so sweet, Charlotte said with tears in her eyes. It’s not weird at all.

Yeah, but I would be dead, Felicity said. You would be missing me - I hope. Have you really been here the whole time - day and night?

Charlotte nodded and took her friend’s hand.

We’re best friends, she said. I won’t ever leave you alone again.

Just then Felicity’s parents walked into the room. Charlotte had sent a message to them as soon as she found out what had happened. That was ten days ago. The parents were holidaying in Hawaii and obviously hadn’t thought their daughter important enough to interrupt a holiday.

How are you feeling? Felicity’s father asked with the same enthusiasm he might use when greeting a business associate.

Pretty sore, Felicity answered, and a bit dopey from the constant pain-killers they are pumping through me. But I’m alive and thankful for that.

Well! her mother started what Felicity knew was going to be a lecture. I told you that boy was no good for you. But would you listen to your mother? No of course not.

But I loved him, mum, Felicity said.

Bah! There is no such thing as love, her mother exploded. There are liaisons for mutual benefit. You must learn to keep emotions out of relationships. You just get well and we’ll find a few nice, well connected men for you to choose from. This time we’ll have a wedding.

We need to go, her father said impatiently. I need to check on the business.

Then they were gone. Charlotte and Felicity looked at each other with stunned expressions, for a long time. Then they laughed until Felicity grabbed her jaw in pain.

What was that? Charlotte asked with a shake of her head.

Welcome to my life, Felicity answered. But she might have a point about love. I’ll never get married, of course. Maybe all men are evil, possessive and violent. I won’t tie myself to one again.

Then what will we do? Charlotte asked. Men do have their uses.

That’s it! Felicity exclaimed. Let’s make a vow to use men for our own pleasure and never become attached to any of them.

******

Chapter 2 – Five years later

"The Sydney Stadium crowd is erupting. Brisbane is on the comeback. They are on the attack and their fans are going wild. Over to you Roy."

"Thomson is first receiver. He runs across field, straightens up.

Almost breaks through the tackle! Ooh! He gets a miracle pass away to the winger who is unmarked. It’s a try to Brisbane, Bill! We’ve got a ballgame on our hands."

"We sure have, Roy. Eighteen minutes from full time, Sydney led 28-14. Two quick tries engineered by Billy Thomson and now it’s 28-24, kick to come. This rooky half-back has taken the grand final by the scruff of the neck. He knew exactly what he was doing there. He stepped inside the centre just enough to poke his nose out the other side. That caught the attention of the Sydney fullback and winger, allowing him to put his own winger away unmarked. Who’s gunna win, Roy."

"Brisbane’s got momentum, Bill, and there’ll be five minutes left by the time Sydney kicks off. Watch out, it’s going to be a huge five minutes!"

***

"The ball comes back to Thomson. He runs back into the ruck. He jinks and steps between two tired big men, ducks under the swinging arm of a third, and he’s in the clear! Fullback to beat! Support looms up on the outside. Thomson draws the fullback and passes to the winger. Cover defence comes across, back to Thomson. They won’t catch Billy! He’s over the thirty! He’s over the twenty! He’s under the posts, slams the ball down. What a try! It’s gone 70 metres. Billy started it and Billy finished it. 30-28 and if anyone deserved a try, it was Billy Thomson. That’s the grand final Bill!"

"Sure is Roy. The siren will sound by the time the kick is taken. But what about this kid Billy Thomson. Eighteen years old, his first year in the top grade and he’s been an absolute star in his first ever grand final. He could be the new king of Lang Park."

*

On the top of the grandstand roof, five dark figures dressed in black were interested watchers. No one could see them.

That’s the man the boss wants, said the leader of the group. He’s going to be really popular now so he will be a prize that will lead more to our side. Everyone will be talking about him so your tasks should be easy.

It might be harder than we think, Captain, said one of his henchmen. He seems to always have somebody praying for him.

Yes, but it is Sunday, the Captain replied with a sneer. They will all be in church singing praise and praying for missions. They won’t be thinking about Billy Thomson. Let’s listen to what’s happening down on the field.

Announcements were being made. Billy wasn’t listening properly and almost missed his name being announced as winner of the man of the match award. He was praying that his performance could be used for the glory of God and not for his own glory.

Pride, you’re on, said the dark Captain who had heard the man of the match award but missed Billy’s prayer. Get down there and convince him that he is more important than God. And Idolator, go whip up some hero worship in the crowd.

Pride swooped down towards Billy and was about to land on the young man’s back to whisper in his ear when he came to an abrupt stop. He bounced back like he had run into a brick wall. Flat out on his back, he looked up, way up and groaned. He had slammed into the broad chest of a huge man in pure white. Pride knew there was no way through.

Who prayed? he asked the big angel who stood over him with hands on his hips.

Billy prayed, said the angel. He always does because he loves God and believes in Jesus. Tell your boss that he won’t get Billy Thomson.

The angel kicked out. Pride found himself flying through the air, landing back on the roof beside Captain. Captain did not look pleased but Pride was more concerned about the bruise left by the big white boot of the angel.

I want to thank my team mates and my coach and all the club staff. The boys played really well tonight and I wouldn’t have won this without them, Billy shouted into the microphone, holding up his bright new medal. The Brisbane fans who had stayed after the game erupted with cheers. Thanks to all my people, but particularly my mum, dad and my little sister, Alyssa. Special thanks to my girlfriend Taylor. I love you sweetheart. Most of all, thank you to my God who gave me all my abilities and to Jesus who died to give me life.

Billy left the stage as the announcer called up the losing team to be presented with the runner-up medals.

Billeeeee! Billeeeee! the crowd were chanting. Some were bowing with arms outstretched.

Billy waved, holding his medal high. Then he held a finger to his lips, asking the fans to show some respect to the Sydney captain who was on stage speaking. Soon it was Brisbane’s turn to gather on stage and they were called up in number order. They each received a gold Premiership Ring from past players Billy once longed to emulate. When number seven was called, the crowd started chanting again.

Billeeeee! Billeeeee! Billeeeee! echoed through the now half empty stadium. Fans were bowing. Billy tried not to notice. When the whole team was on stage, the captain was handed the trophy and the crowd cheered again as he held it high and made a speech.

After what seemed like a lifetime of photographs and backslaps, the team set out on a long, slow lap of honour. Just as Billy was about to join them, a television reporter stopped him. It was a contract condition that he had to chat with the reporter, so he stopped. No one could see the dark figure on the reporter’s back. That figure was directing the questions. There were a few simple questions about the game. The reporter made sure he buttered Billy up with praise in the questions. Billy mostly deflected the praise onto the other players who helped him do the things that got the attention.

So, you’re a Christian, Billy, the reporter said towards the end of the interview. How do you feel about playing footy on Sunday?

Get out of that one, the demon Captain said with a snarl as he watched with interest from on top of the stadium.

Billy hesitated. He said a quick prayer before he answered. The reporter and his demon were sure he would either embarrass himself or, better still, compromise his beliefs.

Well, Billy said. "As everyone knows, I don’t accept any payment for Sunday games. Out of everything I earn playing football on other days, I keep fifty percent. Of the rest ten percent goes to God through my church, ten