The Pilate Scroll

by M. B. Lewis

  Brian gazed at Kadie, his eyes pleading to go. Kadie faced Duke. “Will the guys with the guns mind?”

  “No,” he said as he stood. “They’re harmless unless we start to cause trouble.”

  Curt slid over to them. “Is there a problem?” he said, his voice stern.

  Duke glanced at him. “Nope.” He pivoted on his heel and strutted toward his airplane with Brian in tow. Duke inspected the engine with the bullet holes while Brian stood back and watched, his hands on his hips. The pilot pointed at the bullet holes in the engine and spoke to Brian, who nodded eagerly. Brian asked a question, and Duke knelt next to him and tried to answer it with his hands. She wished she could hear what they were saying. It warmed her heart that Duke paid attention to him. Too many people stare at Brian with pity, disgust, and even fear. And they’re so wrong.

  Curt moved closer to Kadie and shook his head. “Typical pilot. All ego, no common sense.”

  Her eyebrows raised. “Why do you say that?”

  “All pilots are the same. You know, girl in every port.”

  “I thought that was sailors.”

  “Same thing. You know how these guys are . . . try to impress you with their daring deeds. They’re all jerks. I don’t trust any of them.”

  Kadie smiled. Curt acted like an overprotective teenager. “Sounds like the green monster is rearing his head.”

  Curt jerked his head toward her, grinning. “Oh, a Red Sox fan. We’re more compatible than I thought.” He slid an arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle hug.

  Ugh. He missed that one by a mile.

  “Sorry, Curt. I grew up with Derek Jeter posters on my wall.”

  Her tone was a little sharp. Curt dropped his arm and backed off, perhaps aware he may have pushed a little too far. Maybe she was too harsh.

  “I’m sorry that came out a little stronger than necessary.” She tapped his arm. “You don’t have to try so hard. Just be yourself.” A subtle smile crept across her face.

  Curt blushed. “Yeah. That’s easier said than done sometimes.”

  About the time Brian returned, an Israeli officer approached the team with Mac.

  “Shalom. I am Major Ben Shahim of the Israeli Defense Force. I’m sorry for your predicament, but we are doing everything we can to accommodate you. If you can gather your bags, we will process you through Customs and Immigration. Once clear, we will need to take statements from each of you. I realize you’ve had a long day, but I will tell you upfront, it’s going to get longer. Please be patient, and things will work out.”

  Major Shahim spoke to Duke. “Please, come with me. We understand you have weapons on board the aircraft.” The major escorted Duke to another group of men, who appeared to hurl question after question. Major Shahim returned. “If the rest of you will follow me, we can start.”

  Kadie picked up her go-bag and slung it over her shoulder and grabbed Brian’s hand. Her terrifying night was about to evolve into a miserable day.

  8

  Kadie trudged her way through the security line as she waited for her turn. Jedidiah Hamilton had been first, followed by the pilots and everyone else. Her focus was on Brian to help him overcome his nervousness. He was fine when he met the pilot, but the slow process of security coupled with the lack of sleep, food, and water started to overwhelm him.

  Curt rolled his bag through the X-ray machine and walked through the portable metal detector. He was patted down on the other side, even though the detector did not go off. These guys were taking no chances.

  Kadie put Brian’s bag and the Pelican case with his drone on the rail, pushed them into the X-ray machine, then sent her bag through.

  Curt lingered beyond the rails.

  “Go ahead, Brian.” She encouraged him to walk through the metal detector. He marched through, was also patted down, then turned around on the other side. Kadie followed Brian through and waited for her bag.

  The technician working the machine looked up at her. “Do you have a laptop in here?”

  Kadie’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I should have removed them. I’m so tired. It’s been a long night.”

  “No problem.” The officer handed her a plastic container to set them in. “Just run it all back through.”

  Kadie pulled out two laptops from her backpack. One was hers, the other belonged to Samuel.

  Samuel.

  She hadn’t thought about him in hours. Their whole predicament began with his murder at the hands of ISIS. What could he have discovered? Was it related to ISIS? If so, why would they kill him for his discovery? Too many questions clouded her thoughts as she laid the two computers in the plastic bin. She left his phone in the backpack, along with her own, and sent everything back through the X-ray machine.

  Everything came through with no issues, and Kadie gathered the laptops to put back into the backpack.

  “What’s that?” Curt said.

  “What’s what?” His stern voice rattled Kadie.

  “The laptop. You’ve got two. Where’d you get the other one?”

  His disposition surprised her. “It’s Samuel’s.”

  His eyes narrowed, his forehead scrunched. “What are you doing with Samuel’s computer?” Curt grumbled through clenched teeth.

  “I-I don’t know. He left it in my room by accident.” It was a lie, but she just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

  “That’s company property. Give it to me.” Curt snatched the laptop from her hand. Kadie stood wide-eyed. Where was the caring guy jealous of the competition from a few minutes ago?

  “Take it,” she said, the anger in her voice evident. “Here, you can take mine, too.” She held her laptop at arm’s length.

  Curt shoved Samuel’s laptop into his backpack. When he saw her face, he must have realized how mad she was.

  “I don’t need that one. I just needed to account for Samuel’s. The company—”

  “Save it,” she said, stuffing her laptop back into her bag. She zipped it up and stormed past Curt with Brian right behind her. Duke and Mac stood off to the side, watching the entire exchange.

  Once the group gathered again, they were all taken to separate rooms for an interview with Immigration. Who were they? Why were they in Egypt? Why did their plane leave so early in the morning? How did ISIS know they were going to the airport? Why were they shot at? How did they end up in Israel?

  Some interviews lasted longer than others. Kadie and Brian were the first to finish and sat in the bland hallway on a bench to wait for the others. Duke exited a room, saw them sitting on the bench, and walked over.

  “You two doing okay?” he said.

  “Yeah.” Brian forced a smile, but his droopy eyes gave him away.

  “How about you?” Duke asked Kadie.

  She nodded. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

  Duke sat next to her. “I understand.” He paused. “I know it’s none of my business, but what set that guy off about the laptop?”

  Kadie sighed, embarrassed Curt’s actions were so obvious. “It’s the company computer issued to our colleague who was murdered last night. I-I guess he’d been looking for it.”

  “I understand that, but he was kind of a jerk.”

  Kadie remained silent for a moment. “Curt is . . . Curt is kind of intense. It’s his background, I think.”

  “What’s his background?”

  “He’s a former Delta Force Commando.” Kadie felt herself speaking with the same pride and confidence Curt had when he’d told her.

  Duke laughed, deep and hearty. “Delta Force Commando? Is that what he told you?”

  Kadie’s head tilted to the side. “Well, yes.” She squinted, and her lips tensed. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

  Duke continued to laugh. “I’m sorry, miss, but no self-respecting Delta guy would ever refer to himself as a Delta Force Commando.”

  Kadie got angry for the second time this morning. “Well, he is. You didn’t see him fighting off ISIS outside the plan
e.”

  “Oh, you mean the guys shooting at us from a mile away?”

  Her face flushed, and Brian leaned over to watch them. “You’re just jealous. You pilots are all alike. Your egos are bigger than your airplanes.”

  Duke’s eyebrows raised. “Oh, I clearly hit a nerve I wasn’t aiming for. My apologies.” Duke stood and meandered to the end of the hallway and poured a cup of coffee.

  Kadie then realized that Brian had been paying attention to the entire conversation. The sadness in his eyes broke her heart. “Why w-were you mean?” The disappointment in his voice made her eyes water. “I-I want to invite him to my—birthday pawty.”

  “I’m sorry, Brian . . . I don’t know.” His birthday was eight months away. That was something that probably wouldn’t happen, but people with Down syndrome loved their birthday and cherished the people they invited to it. She glanced down the hallway at the lanky pilot, as confused by her actions as his.

  Three hours and twelve minutes after landing at Tel Aviv, Duke and Mac were on a bus with what remained of Team Egypt from Global Disease Initiative on their way to the closest hotel with rooms for all of them, the Market House Hotel in Jaffa. The oldest part of Tel Aviv, Jaffa, is linked with the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomon, and Saint Peter. The small but lovely hotel stood next to the Jaffa Tower and flea market a couple of blocks from the coast.

  The sun perched well above the horizon, and the heavy traffic made moving slow. The morning commuters were on their way to work in Tel Aviv. Duke turned to Mac. “I think we’re gonna be here a while.”

  Mac nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Any plans?”

  Mac shook his head.

  “I was thinking about going to Jerusalem tomorrow. Visit the Garden Tomb.”

  The smile on Mac’s face seemed to wake him up. “That would be good for you. The Garden Tomb is an incredible experience. You might call it the pinnacle of your spiritual journey.”

  Duke focused straight ahead. “There’s no telling how long it will take to fix the plane. It may take one day; it may take two weeks. I wish I had a better idea of how long we’ll be here. There is so much to see in the Holy Land.”

  Mac patted him on the shoulder. “Well, my friend, if you only had one day and one place to go, the Garden Tomb is the right place as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been there several times. It’s reaffirming.”

  “Meaning?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “How many times have you been to Israel?”

  Mac gazed into the distance. “Six. Three times with the Air Force and three times on tours. First tour was with an independent outfit. Fantastic, first-class operation. The second and third times were with my church. They were not as well-organized as my first excursion, but good nevertheless.”

  Just talking about it got Duke excited. He had begun his Christian journey three years ago and going to Jerusalem would be a bonus. For most of his life, he had been what most Americans had evolved into—a casual Christian. He had never read the Bible and only went to church on Christmas Eve and Easter—maybe. Like most Americans, he never thought about God or salvation until something drastic happened. And like most Americans, something drastic did happen to him.

  “Have you talked to the security guy from GDI?” Duke said.

  “No.”

  Duke checked behind him for anyone close enough to hear what they said. “So, I was talking to the young lady—”

  “Thatta boy.”

  Duke grinned. “Stop. Please. Anyway, I was talking to the young lady about the jerk and the laptop coming through security.”

  Mac scowled. “He was a jerk. I’m not impressed with the guy at all.”

  “Yeah, well, she said his disposition was because of his background.”

  “Which is?”

  “He’s—get this, and I quote . . . a Delta Force Commando.”

  Mac cackled out loud. So much so, the two jerked their heads back to see everyone staring at them. Duke started to chuckle as they faced forward.

  “Well, I feel safe now,” Mac said. “Don’t you?”

  “Yeah. I think we may need to keep an eye on him.”

  “Stolen valor?”

  “Probably. He may be a vet—could have some experience, but I suspect he’s not what he says he is.”

  9

  Tel Aviv, Israel

  Market House Hotel

  * * *

  The company had made hotel reservations for the team while they were getting interrogated, then had them take cabs as soon as they were cleared by the Israeli officials. Kadie and Brian stepped from the cab and walked through the hotel lobby. The sun was perched overhead, and they were both hungry. When they checked in to the hotel, the first thing they did was order room service, then took quick showers. By the time Brian finished, the food had arrived. They ate quickly, and both fell fast asleep. Upon waking up that evening, they put their filthy clothes back on and took a cab to the nearest mall. Kadie, still mad about the luggage they left on the runway in Egypt, bought them both some clean clothes. Who knew the airport was controlled by ISIS as well? At least they were alive.

  When they returned to the hotel, they passed the bar, and Brian paused. “Hey, there’s Duke.” He turned and scurried inside.

  “Brian, stop! That’s a bar. You can’t go in there.” She hurried after him. Could he go to the bar? It was more like a restaurant than a nightclub. Maybe it was okay. It was, after all, a hotel. It would be okay in the States, so perhaps it was okay in Israel, too.

  Duke looked up as Brian approached. “Hey, Brian.” He stood and hugged the young man. That impressed her, although the thought crossed her mind that he catered to Brian merely to impress her. It could happen, but she dismissed the notion since it had never happened before. Most men were either dismissive of him or uncomfortable around him. Her college boyfriend went so far as to dump her when Brian came to live with her after her junior year in college.

  Maybe this Duke fellow was just a nice guy. She sized him up as she entered the bar. He remained kind of scruffy: unshaven, hair kind of tangled, his clothes—the same he had on last night/this morning. Ugh.

  “Hello,” Kadie said. Brian sat next to Duke. “We just returned from shopping. We needed new clothes.” She held out her two hands that gripped the shopping bags.

  Duke smiled. He had a friendly smile. One that seemed genuine. “Well, I was about to order some dinner, then call it a night. Please, join me.”

  Brian’s eyes grew wide. Kadie could tell he was fond of the pilot. “Thank you, but we ate downtown.” Her brother appeared sad, and Kadie sighed as she sat down. “But we can visit for a few minutes while you wait for your food.” Brian brightened up again. She turned back to Duke. “Did you not have the opportunity to clean up?”

  Duke chuckled. “No, I apologize for my appearance. As soon as I went to my room, I received a phone call from the IDF. It appears other agencies in Israel were curious about our experience in Egypt. They were kind enough to meet Mac and me here at the hotel.”

  “Other agencies?”

  “Mossad.”

  “Oh. Who are they?”

  “Israel’s version of the CIA. Only better.”

  “Oh.”

  “After that, my boss back in the States wanted me to fill out an after-action report on the airplane’s damage. They’re working on getting an engine for us. They’re not sure if they can find one here in Israel or have one shipped in from somewhere else.”

  “You flew that plane with only—one engine.” Brian asked. “You must be—the best pilot in the world.”

  Duke chuckled again and patted Brian on the back. “Thanks, but we train for situations like that.” He leaned in toward Brian. “I may not be the best pilot in the world, but I’m one of the best.” And he gave Brian a wink.

  Kadie’s heart swelled. If he only knew how much he helped Brian. “What’s the plan?”

  Duke shook his head. “Your Delta Force Commando was trying to ge
t commercial tickets for the team to Istanbul, but there is nothing available for at least a week.”

  Kadie felt her face draw in and her lips tighten at the jab Duke threw her way. Any goodwill he built up, he just destroyed.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. Her reaction was apparent, her message received. “My opinion isn’t a reflection on you. It’s on him.”

  Kadie gritted her teeth, and her eyes narrowed. She wasn’t sure why this guy didn’t like Curt, but Curt did fight the ISIS attackers at the hotel in Port Said and the airfield. “How long do you think we’ll be here?”

  “Minimum, two more days,” Duke said. “And that is if they can find an engine locally and a maintenance crew available for them to replace the engine. That would be about a five-hour job. Then we’d need to give it a functional check flight to make sure everything works before we put you folks on board.”

  “What are we supposed to do until then?”

  Duke took a sip of water, then sat back. “I’m going to Jerusalem tomorrow.”

  Brian’s eyes lit up. “Jeru—salem?”

  “Yes. I’m going to visit the Garden Tomb.”

  “Awe you a Christian?” Brian said.

  “Yes.”

  Brian got excited. “I want to go. That is where—Jesus rose from!” He leaped out of his chair and pleaded with Kadie.

  She smiled, but she didn’t know how to tell Brian they weren’t invited. “Brian, Brian, settle down. We’re not—”

  Duke leaned forward and touched her arm. “You two are welcome to come with me if you’d like.”

  Brian looked at Duke, his smile stretching across his face. The boy was so happy, he started dancing in place. He hugged Kadie, then rushed over and hugged Duke. Kadie’s eyes began to water. She was delighted Brian would get this opportunity. He was going ninety-miles-an-hour when he suddenly stopped and started to sway.

  “Brian?” she said. The smile was gone, and her heart skipped. His eyes started to flutter, and his muscles began to spasm as his eyes rolled up in his head. Kadie pushed away from the table as Brian’s body went limp and collapsed.