Jeremiah 19 : 9.

It went like this:

The buildings tumbled in on themselves
Mothers clutching babies
Picked through the rubble
And pulled out their hair

The skyline was beautiful on fire
All twisted metal stretching upwards
Everything washed in a thin orange haze

I said, "Kiss me, you're beautiful -
These are truly the last days"

- "The Dead Flag Blues," Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

I've tried going back to the Bible to make sense of all this, and I'd like to say it helps. Obviously it does for some; but I feel that I have a gift that I've been asked to share - a closeness to the Heralds that few others seem to have.

I can hear them still, and I guess I have spent time wondering just what they are. Ultimately though, I don't really think it matters - what does matter is the Mission. Hell, for a long time I hated them for what they'd done to me, and really its only now that I understand. I'm to be a martyr to their cause, I don't agonise about good and evil like the others seem to - I don't have time, and this isn't my purpose.

I have no illusions that the road I must walk is one of evil to serve the greater good. I will lead humanity through the war that is to come, into the light of the new world - but I hold no false hope that I shall find a place there when this is finished.

I would envy the fact that others have time to worry about right and wrong, had I the time.

For the time being, I perch beyond the light cast out from the barn. Hidden in the foliage, my hood pulled up; now that I've had time to plan I've had the opportunity to pull on my surgical gloves and pull my baton from my bag.

Tonight I've bore witness to Sodom or Gomorrah. The Heralds would have me burn it all to salt - but here is my stand, here is where I do things my own way. I shall become your anger, your hate only on my grounds from now on - you don't give a fuck whether I live or die, whether I get caught doing this by the Police, or whether those Imbued I do envy so much try to stop me from doing your work.

Permanently. Hell, I guess its the closest I'll ever get to R&R.

The unrepentant sin in Billy's eyes had made me lose my cool. The mere suggestion of fighting for money made me feel sick to my stomach. To fight, to kill - these are things we do to protect an ideal, our country, our families. Next time Billy won't have a chance to run, and those ideals will be all the stronger for his passing.

Still, there’s no time for me to rest here. I step up behind the second target, and hit the back of it's skull with my baton as hard as I can. It slumps to the ground.

I drag the body away with me, towards my car that I've parked a way away. Idly I hope that Jack will be pleased if I find out something new or interesting for him.