Cursed Blessing

by J. M. LeDuc

Once inside his office, Brent shut the door and walked to the bookcase. Chloe glanced around the office, noticing that everything was exactly the same as the last time she’d been there. “I love what you’ve done to this place,” she said sarcastically.

  “Now who’s the smart aleck? You’re going to love this, though.” Brent said, removing the copy of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from the shelf, pushing the button that unlocked the bookcase. He slid it open, exposing the door behind it. Using the key from his utility knife, he unlocked the door. Stepping inside he flipped the lone breaker on the wall that turned on the lights, and the room lit up. He slid the bookcase back into place and shut the door. From the front room, they walked through to the back one.

  “Are those the books?” Chloe asked.

  “Yes, and you’ll be amazed. When this is over, I promise I’ll give you a lifetime to study them.”

  “I’m gonna hold you to that promise,” she said and squeezed his hand.

  The second room contained a table large enough to fit six chairs around it. On it sat a lamp that not only shined an extremely bright light, it also gave off a great deal of heat. “My God, that looks like an interrogation lamp from some old spy movie,” Chloe commented.

  “At this point, nothing would surprise me,” Brent said.

  He placed his backpack on the table. “No time like the present,” he said, referring to the scroll and envelopes he’d laid down next to it. “We have one hour before I have to let Miss Smith in the back door.” He handed the parchment one to Chloe. “You’d better open this. I don’t want to ruin it.”

  Chloe closely examined the envelope. “Let me have your Boy Scout knife.”

  “Give a girl a little power and please goes right out the window.”

  Smiling, Chloe repeated sarcastically, “May I please borrow your Boy Scout knife?”

  “Yes, you may. And it’s not a Boy Scout knife. I stole it from a Brownie I was…”

  “Save your fantasies for later,” Chloe said.

  She laid the envelope on the table so that the seal faced up. Carefully placing the knife beneath the flap, she slowly followed the exact line of the flap, preserving the seal in the process. “I’m glad you’re so anal about keeping your knife razor-sharp. That cut didn’t even disturb the wax.”

  “I’ll consider that a compliment.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t let it go to your head.” Next, she delicately slid the letter out of the envelope and carefully unfolded the two-page letter that had been written on personalized stationery. They both gasped when they eyed the name at the top. “Is this for real?”

  “Like I said…nothing would surprise me at this point.”

  “Here, you read it. Out loud.”

  Dear Brother,

  It is with great honor and sadness that I write to you. I have been given the privilege, though much earlier than I wish, to be the next Keeper of the Keys, the next Ambassador of the Endowment. The last Keeper was taken from this world in an abrupt, brutal manner. Last night, my dear friend and mentor, President Abraham Lincoln was shot to death while attending the theater, by a coward by the name of Booth. Trust me; he will be dealt with severely.

  As tragic as that is, it is not the reason for this correspondence. If you are reading this letter, then you, my brother, have been chosen as the new Keeper of the Keys. You, too, have been given this honor, this responsibility, in a very abrupt manner. I have instructed all future ambassadors that this ancient ark is only to be opened, this letter is only to be read, if the new Keeper, you, my brother, has not been instructed on what it is he is keeping. So, with heavy heart and great honor, it is my privilege to relate to you the greatest secret this world has ever known.

  The letter went on to describe the origin and the truth behind the secret. It told of its beginning in the Garden of Eden. Of God’s wrath and punishment on a morally corrupt world and of his compassion by sparing the only moral and ethical man left in the world, Noah. The letter continued with the telling of the flood and the dove. It told of the plant the dove carried in its beak and how this plant was never to be ingested again by man or animal. It related how man’s years on this earth would be limited and how sickness would be much more prevalent in the world because of the lack of this plant. And finally, it told of the evil that would be released on this earth if the plant was ever ingested in any way, and how God’s wrath would be utterly complete next time. Then it went on to say,

  The plant to which you are now entrusted has been the cause of some of the world’s greatest strife. The Crusades were fought over its existence. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand occurred because he was mistakenly thought to have The Endowment in his possession. It is true that it had been held by other members of the Royal family, but it had passed to others at the time of his death.

  Some of the past Keepers include Charlemagne, Leonardo daVinci and King Arthur. So you see, my brother, you, as the Keeper of the Keys, have been given a great honor, and an even greater responsibility. You have been chosen as the one man of his generation with enough moral and ethical fortitude to be trusted with this secret, with the plant of life and death.

  I must emphasize that you are now, and forevermore, a marked man, so be careful with whom you associate. It is a cursed blessing to which you are entrusted. Always have eyes in the back of your head. There are those in every generation that somehow know of the secret, like Mr. Booth, who will stop at nothing, and use any means to steal the plant for personal gain.

  My prayers and my heart go with you. God be with you.

  General Ulysses S. Grant

  Brent folded the papers and handed them back to Chloe without looking up. “So that’s why Joseph was killed. This is unbelievable.” He looked up from the table and over at Chloe who had tears in her eyes. “Please don’t cry. I know it’s scary, but we’ll get a grip on it.”

  “I’m not scared, you jerk. Well, at least that’s not why I’m crying. I’m crying because I’m so darned proud of you. To be chosen as the Keeper of the Keys is such an incredible honor. I love you so much, I—”

  “I know. Me, too.” Taking Chloe by the shoulders, he looked straight into her eyes. “Don’t get soft on me. I need you to focus one hundred percent on this situation.” He kissed her forehead, adding, “I’m sorry for ever getting you into this situation, and I—”

  Chloe grabbed his head and kissed him full on the mouth. “Shut up and open the next one.”

  Brent hugged her tight then said, “Which one next?”

  “The faded one addressed to ‘Keeper.’”

  Brent picked it up. Inside, there was only one piece of paper, with a short message written on it:

  Brother and Ambassador,

  I will dispense with formality since I’m sure you are fully aware of the secret and the duty that you have been given.

  I write only to tell you that the plant that has been passed down from generation to generation has become very brittle, and is in the mid-to-late stages of decomposition. I have taken on the added responsibility of analyzing it and breaking it down into its chemical formula, so this formula can then be passed from Ambassador to Ambassador. I’ve rechecked my results to make certain of its accuracy. I’ve destroyed all the plant except for the tiny remnant contained in this envelope to make certain it would not fall into the wrong hands. Thus, in your possession, you now have the formula to the secret of life and death.

  It is to your good health I pray.

  Sincerely, your brother,

  Albert Einstein

  “Einstein! Are you kidding me? The people who were Keepers of the Keys, or Ambassadors, or whatever you want to call them, are way out of my league. Is Joseph sure he wanted me?”

  “I’m sure he knew what he was doing when he appointed you next in line. Just like the person before your grandfather knew what he was doing. Don’t go soft on me now, Venturi.�
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  Smiling at Chloe, Brent said. “I’m just overwhelmed by the letters.” He took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. “There are two priorities, as I see it: one, find the formula and secure it from whoever killed Joseph and is trying to find and kill us, and two, get Lucille out of that hospital tonight and bring her here without anybody seeing us. Hopefully, the other envelopes will contain the information we need. At least, for the first one.” He looked at his watch. “But that will have to wait a few minutes while I go let our guest in. Stay here and I’ll be right back.”

  “You’re not bringing her back here, are you?”

  “If Joseph said to trust her, then I think she needs to know what we’re dealing with.”

  “Be careful. Remember what Lucille told you about her.”

  “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll be right back with our company.”

  Brent didn’t quite shut the bookcase all the way when he walked back into his office. That way, he wouldn’t have to unlock it from the wall by using the button behind the books.

  Brent called Joan from his office to assure himself that nothing suspicious had been going on, and then he headed for the stock room. He wasn’t cutting Maddie any slack, so he waited until it was exactly eleven o’clock, and then he opened the door.

  From behind the dumpster in the alley stepped a noticeably demure Maddie Smith.

  CHAPTER 30

  Brent watched Maddie cross the alley and step into the library. She held out her hand, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Thank you for your invitation. I hope we can start fresh.”

  “Me, too, Miss Smith. But in order to do that, we need to be totally honest with one another. I need to know everything, and I mean everything, you know about this situation.”

  “Well, then, Mr. Venturi, or would you prefer to be called Captain, you should know that I was able to pull your confidential dossier and I know of your background.”

  “In that case, we both know something. I know that your government clearance is well beyond just top secret, and you know what I’m capable of if pushed the wrong way.”

  “I don’t plan on pushing, Captain. I want to be of any assistance I can be in helping you get Lucille out of danger.”

  “Good, then follow me, and please call me Brent.”

  “And call me Maddie.”

  “Done.”

  Maddie followed Brent through the library and into his office. “Everything you see or hear from this point on never happened. Understand?”

  “Like the Phantom Squad?”

  “Yeah, like that. You did your homework, didn’t you, Maddie?”

  “It’s part of my job.”

  “I can’t wait to find out what your job is.”

  Brent walked to the bookcase and moved it aside to reveal the hidden door. The look in Maddie’s eyes told him this was a total surprise to her. It told Brent she didn’t know everything.

  They walked into the secret room and Maddie’s attention went directly to the boxes of books. Brent saw her look at them. He assured her that the formula wasn’t in any of the boxes, so there was no need to search them. She nodded and they walked to the back room.

  Chloe heard them talking. When Maddie saw her, she smiled and extended her hand. Chloe shook it, but didn’t return the friendly look.

  “Hi, I’m Maddie,” she said, “it’s nice to make your acquaintance, Miss…?”

  “Adler, Chloe Adler.”

  “Ahh, the girlfriend.”

  “Your friends wanted to kidnap and kill me. So, pardon me if I’m a bit standoffish. I’m not quite as trusting as my boyfriend.”

  “I guess I’ll have to earn that trust, won’t I, Chloe, as I’m sure I will with Brent.”

  Maddie looked from one to the other. “I owe you an explanation for my actions and I promise you’ll get it, but right now, I’m more concerned with Lucille’s well-being. I assume that’s why you contacted me. Am I right?”

  “Not quite,” Brent replied. “While trying to hunt down the formula and at the same time stay one step ahead of the dynamic duo, we came across an envelope from Joseph addressed to you. Attached to it was a note asking me to get it to you as soon as possible.” Brent nodded to Chloe to give Maddie the note. “He also said that I should trust you. I hope he was right.”

  Maddie took the envelope from Chloe, thanked her and said, “I’ve done a lot of things in my life, Brent, but I have never let Joseph Conklin down. I don’t plan to start now. On my life, I swear, you can trust me.”

  “That would be about right, Miss Smith.”

  Maddie swallowed hard, knowing that Brent could make good on that statement and she wouldn’t even know what hit her.

  “Joseph also gave me a letter which we, Chloe and I, have not read yet. So I suggest that we both do that now and then we can get down to the matters at hand.”

  “Before you came, Miss Smith, we had already opened and read two other letters. I’m sure Brent will let you read them later. I think it’s extremely important that we know what Joseph had to tell the two of you. We found we could save time if we read them out loud. Do you have any problem with that?”

  “Well, I—”

  “If there was something personal between the two of you that you don’t want us to hear, we’ll understand.”

  “It’s not that. Joseph was like a father to me. It’s just that I…oh, never mind, it’s fine. May I start with the one he addressed to me?”

  “Please.” The three sat down at the table, and Maddie began to read.

  My dear friend,

  I am saddened that you are reading this letter, for, if you are reading it, I am no longer of this earth. Please do not mourn for me, for I have gone to a much better place, a place where I hope you’ll one day join me.

  I know you must be confused about how things were left. Let me try to clear them up. If my departure was not due to natural causes, then it most likely had to do with The Endowment, which, my dear, Maddie was the only thing in my life I kept secret from you. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me after I explain.

  What has become known as the Endowment was originally a plant, now a chemical formula, which has been mistaken throughout the centuries as the infamous Fountain of Youth. Although it does promise long life—two hundred to six hundred years—and health to all who ingest it, it also promises such great evil to be released on this earth and in man that God will again destroy the world. This time, he will show no compassion. No one or nothing would be spared. The Endowment, in truth, is a covenant between man and God that says we’ll abide by his laws and that we’ll believe in what he says to be true. By believing in his word, we are to trust and to trust blindly. We accept what has been passed down from one generation to the next concerning God’s laws and the Endowment, and we will not try to prove its worth. Adam and Eve already tried that, and we all know what happened to them.

  The Endowment has been passed down since the time of Noah. It is held by one individual of impeccable stature, one who stands above all others in moral and ethical fortitude. Though I can’t say that I fall into such a category, I was chosen, by the last Ambassador of the Endowment, Jacob Venturi, to be such for my generation. I, in turn, have passed the gauntlet, as it may be called, to his grandson, Brent.

  Maddie, knowing you as I do, I have no doubt that you have already been into the Pentagon’s top secret files and you’ve pulled the dossier on Brent. Trust me, what is in that file is only half the story. It tells of a soldier, the best of the best, as it may, a man so cunning and stoic that he was chosen to lead this country’s most covert military entity known as the Phantom Squad. For the last fifteen years, he and the other three members of the squad have been personally responsible for saving this country and the free world from terrorism and from things so horrific that I can’t even mention them.

 
Brent himself, though he doesn’t even know it, saved my life once eight years ago. I was deep undercover in Beijing when a simple reconnaissance mission went completely wrong.

  “Beijing? Eight years ago? I never met a Joseph Conklin,” Brent said. “I was ordered to free and bring home the director of the S.I.A., a…my memory is a bit foggy. His name was Jonathan, um, Jonathan—”

  “Swain, his name was Jonathan Swain. He was the director of the S.I.A., and in his civilian life, he was known as Joseph Conklin.”

  “Well, no wonder you were able to pull my file, Miss Smith,” Brent said with a sly grin on his face. “I’m to assume then that you, too, are an operative of the S.I.A.”

  “I am, or was. I was second in command of the alliance under Joseph.”

  “Wait, hold on, you two. I’m just a little confused with all the spy talk. Clue me in. What’s the S.I.A.?” Chloe asked.

  “The S.I.A., Miss Adler, is the Strategic Intelligence Alliance. It’s the most secretive intelligence agency this government has.”

  “They make the C.I.A. look like child’s play, Chloe.”

  “Okay, that explains Ms. Smith’s background, a little. But I’m still lost about your involvement in all this? I thought you were in the Special Forces, a member of Delta Force, when you were in the army?”

  “I was, am, in a very specialized, highly-secretive branch of Delta.” Brent could see the confusion in Chloe’s eyes as he continued. “It consisted of four troops, and we were only called upon when all legal means of reconciling a situation were exhausted.”

  “I thought you said you had never met Joseph, or Jonathan, whoever, before meeting him in the library.”

  “I didn’t, or at least, I never knew I did.”

  Maddie looked at Chloe and they both looked at Brent. “Now even I’m confused,” Maddie said.

  “Okay, let me try to explain. It was July 1998, and the Phantom Squad was getting some well-needed R and R in Bahrain when we got orders that the director of the S.I.A. had been detained in China and was to be made an example of. The Chinese government had a little bit of knowledge of what the S.I.A. was, and they were making up the rest as they went along. They planned on trying Mr. Swain on trumped-up charges in a tribunal-type court of law on worldwide television, and then executing him as a show of strength to the rest of the world.”