“I’d be more into it if I thought you believed in me.”
“You know I —”
“Stop. I heard what you said back at the house. I could never repay you for what you’ve done. What I want to know is why are you going through this charade on my behalf? If you think I’m crazy, why the trip?”
“First of all, I never said you were crazy. Do I have reservations about your story? I visited you, and you were on the bed, so yeah, I have my doubts. You’re asking people to believe the unbelievable. That’s a tough pill to swallow. Maybe I’m nuts or have too much money, maybe both. They say you can’t take the money with you when you die, so here we are, headed to Israel. Besides, Israel is the center of the universe for three main religions. You can’t say that about Durango.”
Billy needed more than that lame excuse to justify the trip, “You’re missing the point. I understand my physical body never left the bed. There’s too much evidence for me to deny that. I’m not stupid. Most people don’t believe we’re alone in the universe. They’re right! If another humanoid race was able to travel the universe safely, isn’t it reasonable that they could build some type of vault, or video time capsule? I’m the insignificant human who grabbed it, and I’m telling you that one of those orbs stayed on the planet. Somehow it ended up in the southern part of Israel. When that earthquake hit, there I was. Seven billion people in the world and what are the odds that one of us would be unlucky enough to be teetering on the edge of an earthquake and fall into a hole, but not die, and find it?”
“It’s ten billion now, but I get it. Those are some long odds. Vegas wouldn’t touch it.”
“My point has been made for me. You haven’t answered the question. Why are we going?”
Greg finished the last of his Diet Coke. He chewed the last two remaining ice cubes and stuffed the plastic cup in the pocket attached to the rear of the seat in front of him. A drop of water spilled on the safety sheet of the Boeing Air Bus. He sighed, reclined his seat all the way back, banging the knees of the man in the row of seats behind him and gave Billy his explanation.
“There are two reasons for the trip. First, and foremost, even though the world may not be able to come to grips with your version of reality —”
Billy flared, “What do you mean ‘my version’?”
“Please, let me finish. Your experience took you back before mankind, our mankind anyway, was here. That’s simply too much for people to comprehend. People like to see the video, or see pictures, or at least, read written reports of an event. It there was a video of Moses parting the Red Sea, half would say the video is a fake. When you returned to us, I decided to believe what you said no matter how insane the story sounded. I wanted to make sure that as long as you lived, there would be one person in this entire world that would believe in you. I apologize for what I said to Ballard. I said the orbs were ‘nonsensical.’ I didn’t mean that. If I can get you to Israel, show you the area that you landed in, and when we can’t find that shiny metal orb, perhaps you’ll believe what happened in the inner recesses of your head wasn’t reality. I hope that will allow you to move on. We’ve seen the press and the television, and the internet communities label you as a nut. Others hold you in such reverence that it scares me a little. That’s not the kid I played football and baseball with at Gesu church. That’s not the kid I sang ‘We got to get you a woman’ by Todd Rundgren with. I’ll stand by you forever, because that’s what friends do.”
“What’s the second reason?”
Greg checked on his son. He was out cold, head bobbing back and forth as the plane moved. “Think he’s asleep?”
Billy peeked over, and assured Greg it was safe to talk without Ballard listening.
“He’s asleep. Go ahead.”
“The second reason is Ballard’s friend, Robbie Wachter. They were best buddies for thirty years, they had a falling out, something about a dig site in some remote part of South America, and now they don’t speak anymore.”
“When was that?” asked Billy.
“A few years ago. After dinner that night, I told Ballard that whatever Robbie did that made him so mad could have been resolved, but my kid was too damn stubborn. I want Ballard to understand what I’ve gone through with you… for you… perhaps he’ll see that when you have a lifelong friend, you do whatever it takes to keep them. I’ve got a little surprise waiting for Ballard when we get to Israel. Perhaps I’m sticking my nose in where I don’t belong, but I’m going to try and save their friendship before it’s too late. With all the relocating I did as a younger man, Ballard didn’t get a chance to make a slew of neighborhood friends. He had Robbie in his life no matter where we lived. All the social media and communication advances made it easy to keep in touch, but now, they don’t even speak to each other. We’re not going to live forever. In fact, I’ve been meaning to find the right time to tell you. Get ready for a blockbuster…I’ve got cancer. We’ve licked some of them. Lucky me got one of those that enter your body and fucks you up real bad. Life’s unfair that way. That’s why I’m always tired. That why the drive from Chicago to Colorado was a bitch. When you suggested we stop in South Dakota, I practically kissed you.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier, I would —”
Greg raised his hand and warded off the rest of the comment.
“Don’t go there. I have no complaints. I’ve had a good life. I’ve done some rotten things that I’d rather not discuss. The doctors won’t say how long I have, but I may not be fit for travel next year. Hell, I may not be alive next year, so we’re going to Israel to get closure for you, a new outlook on life for Ballard, and a trip for me, that with any luck helps two important people in my life. I’ve never been to the Holy Land, and if I play my cards right, maybe a trip there will inspire me to find religion, even at my advanced age. Then I can die a lucky man.”
Before Billy could speak, the flight attendant approached.
“Would you gentlemen like a cocktail?”
Greg was always ready for a drink, “A shot of Jack Daniels for me, and a Diet Coke for my friend.”
CHAPTER 35
November 24, 2060 - Tel Aviv, Israel
After getting their luggage and a quick stop at the car rental booth, the trio from Colorado were on their way out of the airport in a fire-engine red Volvo.
“Thank you for your efforts and the money you’re spending on this trip. I’m a little behind the times and with what things cost these days. When I was kid, a 2-liter bottle of pop was two bucks,” said Billy.
Ballard laughed, “What’s ‘pop’?”
Greg helped Billy out, “That’s what Ohioans call soda.”
The drive to the Sadot Hotel was short. The men washed up, and headed to the conference room for the prearranged meeting with the hired Israeli team. When they arrived, three men and one woman were already waiting for them.
Billy eyed the Israeli team with caution. He assumed they thought he was crazy, and in this case, he was right. The leader of the crew stood six feet, four inches tall. His body fat index was under ten, and he wore casual attire. The blonde hair was a misfit in the heart of the Mediterranean. His Israeli accent was slight and he glanced at the Millers, but barely gave Billy a glimpse.
“My name is Jacob Epstein. You can call me Jake. I’m the man in charge of this expedition and I expect you to understand my role. If I say it’s time to head in, we go. If I tell you to drink more water, you drink. If you bother me while I’m working, I’ll send you to the car, like a parent would send a child to their room. I may be half your ages, or more than that in the case of you two older gentlemen, but this is how I work. Ballard knows my reputation and he respects how I work. Any questions?”
Three heads nodded in unison, Jake continued his instructions.
“Good, that’s settled. My people will be doing the physical labor. We don’t want anyone to have a heart attack in the middle of the Negev. Let me introduce the rest of the team. The man in the grey sweater i
s Mochmar. He was born in Turkey, trained as an engineer, speaks several languages fluently, and knows people that can cut through government red tape. The man next to him is Lincoln. He’s a former Israeli military commander and our electrical equipment technician. I’m glad we have him on our team, and of course, we have Giza. She’s from Beersheba. A town located not too far from our destination. She knows the people from the surrounding area. She knows all the local customs and that may come in handy if we bump into trouble.”
The room fell silent as Jake unfolded a map and placed it on the table.
“I don’t believe in wasting your time or your money, Mr. Miller. I made a dry run to the dig site yesterday. Our equipment will be there tomorrow morning. The documents are in order. Mr. Miller, I’ve spoken to your old pal from Mossad Robbie Wachter. He spoke highly of you.”
Ballard interrupted, “What’s he got to do with this dad?”
Greg stammered a bit, and then said, “I felt enough time has gone by that the two of you should patch things up, become friends again.”
“It’s not your place to do that. This trip is about Billy!” shouted Ballard.
Jake continued, “Forgive me gentleman. It’s clear you have other issues at hand, but as I was saying, get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow will be a long day. Goodbye for now.”
Ballard closed the door and verbally went after his father, “I can’t believe you dragged me all the way from Colorado to Israel to see Robbie. I’m too pissed off to even discuss that with you. Was this your plan all along?”
Greg tried to reason with his son, “Forget about it. Let’s try to focus on why we’re here. I hired Jake because but he’s proficient at what he does. If I wanted bedside manner, I’d have chosen another guide. He’s organized and he’ll keep us safe. Try to overlook the exterior and trust his acute skills.”
Billy nodded his approval. “Let’s get out of this place and check out the sights. My dad and I never got the chance to see the country. We drove to Marrick’s house immediately after we bought our supplies, and then we went to the Negev, and you know the rest.”
CHAPTER 36
The crew honked the horn in front of the hotel. Three jet-lagged travelers staggered out of the front door and climbed inside the minibus. Ballard was pressing Greg about why he brought Robbie into this expedition in the desert.
“If we find anything, don’t you want your friend to get some credit?”
“We’re not friends anymore, dad.”
“Oh, but you are. You have too much history to write each other off without one last attempt. Maybe seeing him will do the both of you good?”
“You’re speaking like a matchmaker.”
“I’m not playing matchmaker, maybe match-saver. Robbie and you were close. He stood by you after your divorce. You were best man at his wedding. You can’t throw all that away over a foolish argument.”
“I don’t think allowing his brother to take credit for my discovery is a ‘foolish argument.’ He stole it right from under me.”
“I think his argument was that the Israeli’s stole it.”
Ballard threw his hands in the air. “Whatever dad, we’re not going to find anything there so we won’t have to deal with anymore heroics from Robbie, if he even shows up.”
Jake interrupted the discussion, “Welcome aboard, gentlemen.”
Ballard’s vision moved to the rear of the vehicle, where thousands of dollars of electronic equipment filled the last ten feet of the truck.
“What do you have back there? He asked.
Jake kept his answer brief, “Enough electronics to find whatever we’re searching for. You name it, we’ve got it.”
“How about a metal detector?” asked Billy.
“What century are you from?” asked Jake, “Today the catch phrase is DPI, or depth penetrating imagery. We use this technology to get hi-resolution images of alloys, bones, pottery… whatever is there. We’ve advanced past the point of spending ten hours with a shovel, pushing piles of dirt around. This technology saves us time, which saves the customer money.”
Billy was dumbfounded, “I’m anxious to get going. How long until we get there?”
“A couple of hours. I have a saying…nothing is too far from Jerusalem, except peace.”
Billy thought, “My father was right, they’re still fighting.”
The men spent the rest of the ride talking about politics, sports, and women. Those three staples could carry a conversation from any century, even the ones that Billy witnessed long ago. When they approached the end of the ride, Jake turned to Billy.
“Does any of this look familiar? The maps indicate this is the vicinity of where your father’s vehicle was found.”
Billy scanned to his left, and to the right.
“All I see is sand. I don’t recall this area specifically.”
“That’s okay, we have to start somewhere. This is as good as place as any. Billy and Greg, stay in the vehicle, I’ll keep the air conditioning running while Ballard and I, and the rest of the team set up shop.”
“Works for us,” said Greg.
One hour later Jake returned to the vehicle. “Come on out. Let me show what we did.”
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his t-shirt.
Billy slowly exited the truck and walked to the makeshift camp the crew had established.
The rest of the crew had been working alongside Jake. They stopped their work briefly to greet Greg and Billy, and resumed their assignments.
“Love to chat, Mr. Callahan, but you know Jake, the slave master. He thinks we’re in Egypt, twenty years before Moses came to set us free,” declared Lincoln.
“Can you focus on the cables, please? Daylight is going to limit our efforts. Hurry up,” said Jake.
Greg cocked his head to one side and eyeballed Billy, “Hey, did you ever have sex while you were in that other earth?”
“Come on, you said I was lying on the bed, remember?”
“How convenient. Did you see Hargudus having sex?”
“That’s what you want to know? I have the most amazing, historical experience in the entire world, and you want to know if I saw two people fooling around?”
“I never said I was a history buff.”
Jake said, “I hate to break up this fascinating conversation, but it’s time we talk about this site. Billy, come over to the desk and check out these pictures.”
Billy made his way over and grabbed the black and white pictures that his father showed him the last time he stood in this area. He turned the pictures to and fro, getting his bearings on his position today compared to the picture.
Jake took his arm and moved him east.
“I think you’ll find the rise in the field to the east matches the one on the picture. Anything recognizable?”
“Sure, we examined a bunch of them.”
Billy pointed due south.
“Let’s go,” said Jake. “Mooch, Linc, grab the gear. Giza will stay here and keep an eye on things. The rest of you, check your remote sensors. I don’t want anybody getting separated out here.”
Each participant on the site was fitted with a remote GPS finder. They scaled back the sensitivity to a ten foot range.
“No reason to soak up battery power tapping into the ultra-high channel band width on the satellites. Ten feet will do. If we can’t find each other with that rating, you’ve likely been consumed by the desert monster.”
“Stick close to the group and we’ll be fine. Nobody is going to kill a group of researchers in the middle of the desert. We’re not military and we’re not building settlements,” said Mochmar.
Greg raised his hand to block the sun. “It’s a desert. How long are we going to walk around?”
Jake wasn’t a happy camper, “Till we find something or the money runs out, whichever comes first. Billy, take a peek at this one.”
Billy strode to the front of the line and took the snapshot from Jake.
“Water lines,” said
Billy. “I remember something about that. I can’t put my finger on it, but we’re close.”
Greg tapped him on the shoulder. “Can you sense it?”
“No, it doesn’t work like that,” said Billy.
Greg peeked at the sky. “I was thinking if that orb still had a little hold on you, maybe if you wandered close enough to it, I don’t know, maybe you’d get a weird feeling inside or something?”
Billy shook his head in amazement at his friend.
Jake interrupted the argument, “Can you two knock it off and stick to the plan.
“What’s that?” asked Lincoln. He was pointing to the west. A trail of sand rose into the air.
“It appears we have company,” said Jake. “Let Mochmar handle the talking.”
Billy wiped the perspiration from his face. “We’re screwed. Terrorists. Not how I wanted to die.”
Jake took a swig of water from the canteen. “Trained assassins? Or Jeep rental customers who strayed too far from the route? We’ll know in less than two minutes. Stay calm. There’s no reason to assume we’re in danger.”
As the car approached, Ballard’s nerves eased. It was an official Mossad vehicle.
The truck continued to move toward their current location. A short man exited the vehicle. He stood no taller than five feet, six inches. His belly tested the limits of his uniform. If the buttons popped, someone might lose an eye.
Ballard recognized the man at once. It was Robbie.
“I’ve got this,” said Ballard, staring at Mochmar.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You don’t want to piss off a man from Mossad. He can make you vanish into thin air.”
Ballard’s voice was firm. “I said, I’ve got it!” And he walked to meet his childhood pal.
“What brings you to the middle of desert, Robbie? Are you hoping we find something you can claim for yourself?”
Robbie extended his hand in a gesture of goodwill, but withdrew it as he measured Ballard’s heated tone.
“You look good, Ballard. It’s a shame you don’t understand the Peruvian thing.”
The Two Worlds of Billy Callahan Page 15