Humility

by Magdalene Hornbeam

  Her flight London - Paris was in two hours. The handsome black twin did not ask anything, just mumbled something like "OK" and that was it. He understood, as any intelligent person, of one word only. Anna Zanesheva already had a fake passport under another name. French. Currently she played a bleached French entertainer. Her adrenaline was rising high, because if they discovered it was a fraud, she wouldn’t know what to think and do. Alex Batashki assured her that this was a much smaller risk than to be left at the mercy of their enemies. He was her co-student at the University of Sofia, but he continued his studies in London and she hadn’t seen him for a long time. When she pick-pocketed Nigel while he was sleeping, she found a piece of paper with a phone number and a sentence: "A call for coffee from Batashki." Among all the tasks, he managed to call him and arranged a meeting - this venture proved very useful for the moment. In the conversation she interjected that the deceased eccentric Eisenstein wrote her as an heiress of Company "Marketing and Social Strategies", and Alex bluntly said he was sure that their famous colleague was alive. At this point Anna remembered that even when they were still students there was a rumor that Batashki is an agent of the offices. She decided to trust him. They immediately stepped into action. It was amazing how much can be accomplished in only one day.

  She felt like laughing when she remembered how she left France as a criminal before, but now she was using a fake name and was planning to go to France. She did not want to think if at London airport they catch her – what she was supposed to do and how was she to react.

  ***

  Things went surprisingly smoothly. The very next day she was in the hospital in the Alps and paid for her hospital treatment, introducing herself as a Frenchwoman with a false name. Of course, before taking anything, she visited the tomography office to thank first Dr. Musa Ziyad for his forward-looking and precise diagnosis and apologized to him first that he acted this way, but she simply was in a state of some amnesia and did not know what she was doing.

  For Musa’s honour, he managed to control himself and not to say anything in front of the elderly nurse who hurried out and spread the news that Jane Doe had emerged, alive, healthy and solvent. She was speaking French - official, apparently she came from a family of intellectuals.

  Chapter 29

  The two brothers Hyulal and Baz moved into a hostel in El Alto. Here, at this vegetable market, all know the big brother who used to buy vegetables from here for a period of four years. They easily managed to borrow a dilapidated truck to move to the camp unnoticed. Hyulal wanted Baz to stay at the hostel waiting for him, but failed to convince him. They drove during the night. They went along some dirt roads. Baz wondered what an experienced driver his elder brother was. Eventually, they stopped on a forest road and walked away. Very soon they reached the fence of the farm "Communications". They jumped over it quietly. The little one moved like a shadow of his brother. They waited patiently and the two armed guards were disarmed. Hyulal was very experienced in this. Baz only distracted the attention of one of them. They put on their camouflage uniforms and took their weapons and radios. Then they walked round a bunker where there was a very heavy security. They didn’t notice them. They found the pass. Baz saw the entrance first. It seemed strange the gathering of so many live trees in one place. They got in. They met no one and went almost straight, but it was obvious that the tunnel was being used and was likely to encounter more soldiers. It was a good decision that they had taken the special backpacks of the soldiers because they found flashlights. They walked for too long, or so it seemed. When they heard moans, they both instinctively felt that this was their brother Illal. He lay wounded and was blocking the passage. He was conscious.

  - Hyulal, you came for me! I knew you'd come. I see you double, which means that soon I’ll be gone from the world. They are raising up monsters in the bunker. They are still small, young, because these are our children from farm "Reproduction". Cross--breeds between humans and animals. Flawed, weird work! I had no choice, I had to stop them. Sorry I have not trusted you and hid some things ...

  - Hush, Illal why did they leave you here? - Asked Hyulal.

  - Because they think I'm dead and observe the twenty-four hour minimum sanitary period, if I had arranged and set up clock bombs. They waited for me at the entrance to the bunker, but then I moved inward.

  - Where does this tunnel lead to?

  - Right in the maternity ward of the hospital.

  - Are there any outlets?

  - Yes, a hundred meters away from here, but I have no more strength ...

  - Stop wasting strength, we need you to be conscious and show us the vent! - Hyulal turned to Baz - Baz, hold his feet, I'll take him by the shoulders.

  They carried him away. These were the most difficult one hundred meters, which they covered in their lives. But Illal proved to be very strong and fit. He gave them a sign and they managed to open the lid, to cut out the net and make a wide enough opening. There were no alarm sensors, apparently they were relying a lot on the military guards. They got out. They had a hard time pulling Illal. At this point the forest ended, but there was no fence to divide the territory of the camp from the mountainous forest. There was high only around the bunker. The terrain was not very steep, and Hyulal was very experienced in orientation. Now they dragged the wounded who was unconscious. They were listening hard all the time, so that they walk unnoticed. Only when Hyulal drove back the truck with its small body, where they laid his brother, they heard the siren at the camp. Apparently, at midday inspection they had found the bound and naked soldiers with rags stuffed in their mouths. They got out.

  Late in the evening they arrived in a mountain hut. The Indian who inhabited it, was a friend of Hyulal’s. He asked about nothing. They settled the hardly breathing Illal in an improvised pallet and left him in the care of the Indian.

  They set off on the way back to La Paz and they were moving all night. They parked the vehicle in a suburb and walked an hour to reach their hostel.

  Baz immediately fell asleep on the bed, fully clothed. Hyulal called Anna Zanesheva. He told her what had happened and what they had learned from Illal.

  - Congratulations! Good job! Get a taxi, quickly and go back to Peru. Do not stay in Bolivia, not even a moment. I take care form now on.

  - Illal could die. I come to bury him ...

  - But you didn’t enter from the main entrance of the camp, right? Do not disappoint me! Your twin brother has chances to live. Especially if they don’t find him. And he will not be found if they don’t find you. Go! - Anna sounded angrily.

  Hyulal did not know her this way. She stared at the sleeping Baz and thought that he was obliged to her. She called a taxi. She almost carried his exhausted younger brother into the taxi. It was good that she knew Spanish and the local dialect. She had cash, too. The appropriate bribe at the border helped them a lot to cross it quickly.

  Only an hour after they came to ask if a handsome black man had passed the border. They answered them that two black people had crossed, but they couldn’t judge whether they were beautiful or not. This information made the pursuers surrender. They were sure that the terrorist Illal was dead and there was no way for the other twin to have revived him and the two of them to have crossed the border.

  The two brothers, who have found each other very recently, had no idea how lucky they were.

  ***

  Anna Zanesheva telephoned the office of the Corporation in Hong Kong. She had got the number from Mo Lin.

  After she has been transferred and connected through several secretaries, she finally contacted the "banker". He sounded very greasy, cheeky and informed her that they already knew that she was the authorized person to complete the project.

  - Sir, I'm calling in an emergency! I received an anonymous call that military officers sent by you are guarding the illegal military laboratory in camp "Anthill" where experiments of the "Frankenstein." type are being conducted. Because I am going to take measures, I ask for assista
nce. Recall and dismiss those special troops, they have already done their work, the terrorist is killed, and the project participants have already left Bolivia, I’ve already started payment of their fees.

  - Yes, ma'am, this afternoon we will hold a meeting of the enlarged council of the Management Board of the Corporation. Mr. Lin will also attend, he has already arrived in Hong Kong. I will put your proposal to the vote. Then we will contact you, no later than tomorrow morning.

  - Thanks, I'll be waiting.

  The banker was very surprised by what he heard, but he kept his temper. He has long been suspecting the "mediator" and the "general" in doubtful affairs and backstage actions, but didn’t have the courage to start a war with them. Now the case and the things were on his side. He could have the "general" of his side and first to try to eliminate the "mediator".

  ***

  The general accepted him willingly in his office. He expected the usual pleasantries and formalities before the meeting when everyone was testing opinions for the agenda. Even he thought of hinting to the "banker" that it is not a bad idea to visit the "tycoon" in advance to know what they considered so urgent, that it was his proposal for the grand jury to meet. But even the first sentence of his colleague took him by surprise.

  - I learned about some laboratory "Frankenstein" to the project of the unfortunately deceased Mr. Eisenstein. And I learned that directly from his heiress. Can this unknown fact be the occasion for convening the today's meeting? Do you know anything about that?

  - This cannot be true! It is true what the lady says? – The General showed sincere surprise, because for him, the public announcement of their secret project, done with him and the "mediator" was equal to losing positions and status.

  - It seems the famous Eisenstein has used our money not on purpose. I suppose that's why he was blown up in the air.

  - So this is the reason why the "tycoon" urgently convened an enlarged council meeting? – The General asked the question with the secret hope that the man against him be more aware and informed, and in that time he was frantically pondering over the situation.

  - I just met the "tycoon". He just wants to report the "Anthill" as completed and proposed the creation of a commission to analyze the results. I have not told him what I was told on the phone by Mrs. Zanesheva. As far as I know, he has already been in contact with her and the fact that he rang directly to the Corporation, and not personally, I found eloquent and showing more than enough about their relationship –the "banker" accompanied his words with emotional gestures and at this point the black military grasped that he had a Latino descent.

  Another thing he was certain about - he felt it by his remarks. And he need no special flair to understand where he was beating at. The "Banker" could not tolerate the "mediator", what is more, he couldn’t stand him. Although he did not demonstrate it, it was clear to each of the five general managers of the Corporation. Behind this resentment one could sense the blatant lust for the chair of the Chief Executive. Yes, perhaps his greed would work this way.

  - Mmm…yes ... I’ve already been reported that the terrorist who held hostages in the hospital for reproduction in "Anthill" was killed by a sniper. Perhaps the lady has learned some gossip regarding the experimental work of the doctors who were kept there as hostages. I will investigate this information and in the afternoon session I will report on the matter – in the taut military posture of the superrich arms-dealer one could read readiness for action.

  - I would like to emphasize that Wolfgang Muller had personally taken this major project. It has been quite some time since any information has come out on the common platform where all gave and received reports. And personally, I donated a huge sum for its implementation. I intend to raise the issue of the personal responsibility of our Chief Executive Director, about the poor project completion – the gestures of the "banker" betrayed nervousness and some overexcitement.

  - I totally agree ... – the "General" deliberately kept his tone, stressing that currently he was considering the proposal of his colleague. - Yesterday I learned some disturbing information and I still cannot appreciate its influence... - he stared at his companion and decided that the time has come. - It turned out that the chief commander of the project, who had been carrying out the project “Anthill” for four years in Bolivia is the son of Wolfgang. But I understand, ultimately the main decisions were made by Eisenstein. But the appropriation of a large sum of money by the son of our director is something else, something that smell a rat.

  - Here, I've wanted to protest against the decision made only by Wolfgang Mueller! I was late with my actions! I may even assume that he was aware of the "Frankenstein." project. I think that the money invested in the project "Anthill" is much more than the estimates according to plan!

  - This lady, who came out of nowhere, the heiress of the manager Eisenstein is inexperienced, probably something has been reported to her from the camp in Bolivia, which is an exaggeration, but considering that the failure of the project is a fact and if you put the question of changing the Chief Executive director of the Corporation, you can count on me to support you! – The "General" sounded solemn, like in a parade.

  The Greedy "banker" looked at his platinum watch and expressed his satisfaction:

  - I think we agreed, I’m going to my office to prepare, I will certainly ask for the resignation of Wolfgang Mueller.

  The black arms-dealer, the super-rich board member of the Corporation, could hardly wait for his colleague to get out of the room and picked up the phone. He commanded his elite military officers to blow up the bunker, along with the doctors and "creatures" and to ascribe all to the terrorist. They informed that the latter will be easy, because few employees had still remained in the camp and they had been informed that the body of Illal Saadi is not removed from the maternity ward of the hospital because it can be connected with multiple explosives on the principle of the domino and it was necessary to wait for two days. The commander requested a permission to also blow up the hospital in the air, so that the explosion in the bunker may not make any suspicious impression. He got the permission easily and without any problems and questions asked.

  When the conversation ended, both parties were satisfied. The general was pleased that all traces of "beings" and their secret project with the "mediator" will be destroyed, and he managed to avoid a big failure in the very last minute.

  And the commander of the elite troops operating in "Anthill" was in his turn happy that there was no need to report the strange theft of the corpse of Illal Saadi and the big failure of his people taken by surprise, disarmed and tied as plain and ordinary folks by the brother of the terrorist.

  ***

  At the meeting of the board of directors of the Corporation, the Chief Executive Director Wolfgang Müller or the "mediator", as he wanted to be addressed, was ousted and replaced by the elected "banker". At the suggestion of Mo Lin, or as he was already known by his nickname the "tycoon", they selected a committee reporting the results of the completed badly project "Anthill".

  The call made by Anna Zanesheva, the heiress of the deceased governor of this project, was not discussed at all at the meeting. Because right in the middle of lively discussions about the runaway of Fritz Muller and his large abuses, they called the "general" that the corpse of the killed terrorist farm "Reproduction" had been linked in the principle of domino with particularly powerful bombs and the hospital had been lifted up in the air. The tragedy had been even greater, because doctors had not listened to the advice of the military officers and were in the hospital during the big explosion. But there were no other victims.

  All of the Board of Directors congratulated the "tycoon" Mo Lin that he had taken decisive measures and had dismissed the people of the camp in record time.

  The Broken-hearted "mediator" Wolfgang Mueller promised to everyone that he would find his adopted son and would reimburse the amount of money that he had taken inappropriately.

  Chapter 30
r />   The Two angels - guardians BellX18 Blackx18 wondered why they had been called by the archangel SixWingsXX.

  - Look, Sixi, thank you for your cooperation, but we had nothing else near at hand, so we connected our philosopher with that dubious man Alexander Batashki.

  BlackX18 supposed that the archangel was calling them to rebuke that they did not comply with the "line of development". That is to give advice to their trustee only in guidelines that may put the person into the required orbits of social networking, to facilitate the implementation of the predefined mission, including the fruitful realization of talents. Not that by following these rules Anna was walking on the right path by now, but in this case the mistake was entirely theirs.

  The White Angel said nothing, but stood dutifully to his Superior as a sign of respect. He was grateful for the assistance so far. The Black Angel felt he was rushing things and he stood in the same way. The Archangel exuded a playful mood and they were slightly tightened, because they were troubled and confused.

  - I’ve been requested by Sudar to blow the trumpets in your honor!

  Anna’s Angels could not believe their ears. They often performed their tasks and their trustees managed to carry out the purpose of life, but such an honor has not been rendered for a long time. Now their Senzor18 had not even begun to work on the issue when such thing happened to them. They both felt mistrust, because they thought it might be a joke by the archangel. At that moment other angels started to come up. The blowing of the trumpets in the kingdom of heaven has always been attended by all the angels –guardians, whose people, even indirectly were connected with the person awarded with this honor.

  BellX18 and BlackX18 last attended the ceremonial blowing of the trumpets when Nicolas Copernicus died. Then the white angel was the guardian of his brother Anjei and the black angel - of his uncle Lukasz.

  -Let there be pompous trumpets in honor of our brothers who help Senzor18, thanks to whom the danger of reproduction of genetically modified human freaks has been eliminated. I have personally witnessed the difficult decision that our Superior Light XXX took during the civilization of Atlantis. When they created the centaurs, Minotaurs, cybrids, cryptid and the man - goat, known under the name "devil", which still bear the legends in the folk beliefs and the process has become unmanageable and uncontrolled, we had to make Atlantis sink. Once again, congratulations to our brothers working at the time under the codenames BellX18 and BlackX18!