Read Raymond Benson - 2012 - Hitman: Damnation for Free Online Page A

them to create his own. And it
worked.
                 The
Church of Will had branches all over America. It had spread like wildfire over
a few short decades. And with Charlie Wilkins’s charismatic charm, his showbusiness acumen, and his good looks, he had conquered a
sizable percentage of the American population. Some said he should run for
president, but Wilkins was happy to let Senator Dana Linder do so. After all,
she was a member of the Church. Wilkins did his part to campaign for her and
was one of her biggest contributors.
                 Helen
was convinced that the country needed the influence of the Church of Will’s
doctrines. The past decade had been hard on America. The high rise of
unemployment to 23 percent, the unacceptable gasoline prices, the failing of
much of the states’ infrastructure, and the general dissatisfaction among the
people had contributed to the worst depression since the great one of the
1930s. It was no wonder that various militant groups had sprung up all over the
nation. Masked, armed militias periodically conducted terrorist attacks on
federal and governmental properties. So far, there hadn’t been many lives
lost—only man-made structures—but the situation was becoming worse. The media
usually focused on the New Model Army. Secretive and deadly, the NMA seemed to
have the means and ability to strike anywhere at any time. Led by the
mysterious outlaw known as “Cromwell,” the New Model Army was wanted by the FBI
and the police in every state, but on the other hand they had a Robin Hood
mystique that ordinary citizens embraced. Helen was certain the American public
was protecting the NMA by helping to hide and transport its members from place
to place.
                 When
she was done watering the plants, Helen pushed aside the thoughts about the
state of the union. It was 5:45. She needed to hurry to her apartment so she
could catch Wilkins’s television program. She never missed it if she could help
it. Helen locked his office door, scampered down the long hallway, and entered
the mansion’s main rotunda. She said good night to the two security men
stationed there and left through the front door.
                 The
mansion was a small palace, separated from the rest of Greenhill by a tall,
electrified wire fence. Wilkins was such a celebrity that he needed protection.
While most Church members were trustworthy and worshipped the man, there had
been a couple of instances in which mentally unbalanced persons had tried to
get into the mansion to cause the reverend some harm. Hence, the electric fence,
security teams, and extra precautions had been installed. There were also a few
other buildings on the inside of the fence—a barn, which was both a storage
facility and a garage for Wilkins’s personal limousine, and a guardhouse.
                 The
gate was unmanned. Anyone who wanted to open it had to have a keycard, which
was issued to only a few select staff members. Helen slipped hers through the
magnetic slot, and the mechanism clicked. She pushed open the gate and stepped
through. It locked automatically behind her.
                 She
then walked down the paved path to Greenhill’s Main Street, where Church
members congregated for various activities. There was a general store, a
medical facility, a recreation hall, a gym, and other amenities one would find
in any subdivision of an American city. Three apartment buildings held over a
hundred units for singles and families. As Greenhill was the Church of Will’s
main headquarters, many members lived in the apartments and worked for the
organization. Wilkins owned a private jet and thus had an airstrip built on the
premises. The main attraction was the beautiful church, a large sanctuary used
for Sunday services and other meetings. It resembled a massive Roman Catholic
cathedral, and every side was covered in gorgeous stained-glass windows. When
Wilkins was in town,