Politics of Blood (Gray Spear Society Book 8) by Alex Siegel

from the aluminum siding, and the rubber on the exposed wheels had rotted away. Stacked cinderblocks supported the sagging frames.
    The landscaping was not an improvement. There were gardens of bare dirt and weeds. Train tracks ran twenty feet behind the back doors. Some of the trees were completely dead and had become a fire hazard.
    "This is fucking depressing," Tawni said. "Do we have to go in there? I'm sure these losers are no threat."
    "We don't know that," Norbert said. "When I was a monk, we were taught to be humble. This is certainly humble. It doesn't mean they aren't dedicated to their cause."
    She rolled her eyes.
    He went to the door of one of the homes and knocked.
    After a moment, it opened, and a man with a shaved head peered out. He wore white robes that went down to the floor. The robes had a few stains and torn seams.
    "How may I help you?" the monk said.
    "We came a long way to learn the truth about the Antichrist," Norbert said in an eager tone. "Can we come in?"
    The monk's eyes lit up. "Please."
    Norbert and Tawni were ushered inside. He was shocked when he saw how many people were packed inside the home. Men, women, and children occupied every available spot, and some had to sit on the floor. Mothers were openly nursing babies. The odor of dirty diapers was pervasive. Everybody wore robes, but some were more yellow than white. Tall stacks of books suggested the cult spent a lot of time reading.
    "Tell me," Norbert said, "please."
    "Roy Haley is the Antichrist," the first monk said. "He was sent up from Hell to destroy the world."
    "Oh?"
    "His wife is a demon."
    "I thought his wife died of cancer," Norbert said.
    "No!" The monk leaned forward eagerly. "She was sent down to prepare Satan's army. If Haley is reelected, it will be the Apocalypse!"
    Norbert sighed. "What is your proof?"
    "His father lived in house number 969."
    "So?"
    "It's the number of the beast!" the monk yelled. "Just flipped around a little. And when Haley was in the Navy, he was wounded in the forehead. That's the mark of the beast."
    "It's so obvious. What are you going to do about it?"
    "Destroy him. Fate brought him to Chicago so he would be near us. We are the soldiers of God!"
    "Obviously." Norbert looked around. "I don't see any guns. Soldiers usually have guns."
    The monk looked down and clenched his jaw.
    "You have a weapon, right? One strong enough to destroy the Devil's spawn? Can I see?"
    "No stranger may see the divine weapon," the monk said.
    That statement got Norbert's attention. Maybe there was something here after all. He looked at Tawni, and she nodded.
    All the people in the room were staring suspiciously. Norbert wasn't worried. He was sure he could take the whole bunch without difficulty. Most of the cult members were obviously malnourished.
    "It sounds like you're embarrassed," Norbert said.
    "That's a lie!" the monk said. "The weapon shines with the Lord's glory."
    "I'll see for myself." Norbert walked forward.
    The monk grabbed his arm. "No!"
    Norbert knocked him down with a brutal elbow to the jaw. The others became anxious, and some of the men started to get up. Norbert drew a gun and fired at the ceiling. The concussion rattled the windows. All the babies started crying.
    "Stay where you are!" he bellowed. "I'm tired, I'm grouchy, and the stink in this place is making me nauseous. If anybody gets in my way, they'll get a taste of my divine weapon." He clenched his left hand so hard the knuckles popped.
    He and Tawni proceeded to search the filthy home. The bedroom had so many sleeping bags on the floor it was a joke. If this place had been a prison, it would've been considered cruel and unusual punishment.
    Norbert discovered a small shrine. Defaced pictures of Haley covered the walls. They showed the President with devil horns, tails, crazy eyebrows, and goatees. A thick haze of incense made it difficult to breathe.
    A wooden chest was in the middle of the floor surrounded by white candles. The divine