by R D Hathaway
“Do you think he’ll have any problems with it?”
Rennie thought for a moment.
“In the past, he’d give me a hard time on some things, but pretty much rolled over with only modest changes. But he’s been acting really nervous. It’s like he’s threatened by something. I need to prepare for this more than I normally do. Did you get the journals?”
“What journals?”
“The ones Matthias … Okay. Forget it.”
Rennie realized that Angie might be concerned someone may be listening to them.
“When can you be here? We need to visit before Matthew gets here.”
“How about six o’clock? I was thinking that since you got dinner last night, I’ll bring something tonight.”
“Sounds good. Angie, I’m feeling anxious. Say a prayer for me.”
“You’re covered. Maybe you should say one just before you see him.”
Rennie grinned. “You’re the best. From the mouths of babes, as they say. See you tonight.”
Rennie dashed upstairs and prepared for the office. When she returned downstairs, she felt the need to do something she rarely did. She closed and locked all the windows and doors. Standing in the front doorway before walking out, she scanned the interior of her home. She shivered. The tin box in the basement was more vividly present than anything else in the house.
She was so focused thinking about her story, she didn’t notice the drive to the office. Striding down the hallway in her office building, she walked as though she were marching into battle. Her gaze was steady. She gave a slight wave to people who greeted her as they passed. When she reached her desk, she immediately went to work saving her story file to the computer and then reviewing the text.
She decided that she would see Bud before sending it to him. Rennie grabbed the folded pages from her notebook. She stood and looked in the direction of Bud’s office. She paused and put her hand over her face for a quiet moment. Then, she stepped out of her cubicle and marched away to find Bud.
He was just returning to his office when she arrived at his door. “Rennie, nice of you to stop this year. Mind if we visit for a moment before you go away again?” Bud gestured a welcome into his office, but his face showed no delight.
“What’s going on, Bud?” Rennie asked as she sat in the guest chair at his desk.
He grabbed the back of the chair next to hers and snapped it around to face her. He sat down. He looked detached and serious.
“Let’s stop the game playing. This is a business and we have to produce. The old days are gone. We adapt or we die like the dinosaurs.”
Rennie was surprised with her sense of calm. She saw the intensity that oozed from his pores.
“What you are talking about? What are the games, and what is it you need?”
His face reddened and he clasped his hands. “It’s not what I need. It’s what the people who run this place want. You prance around here talking about the significance of what we do. You proclaim, ‘We’re journalists. We must live up to our profound standards of truth and justice.’ Where do you get that garbage? This is a business and 99 percent of the people who get our product don’t care about truth and justice. They want the Sunday funnies, local and national gossip, television listings, and the classifieds so they can sell their junk. That’s it. That’s what we do. We maximize revenue and minimize cost and risk. It is that simple.”
“Bud, am I not producing for you? Do you want to fire me, or do you want me to do other things? What do you want?”
Bud rubbed his face and looked around. He took a deep breath. “Look, we’re going through changes here. They’ve been going on for some time and you haven’t been paying attention. The truth is, I wasn’t paying attention. You and I are among the few who believe we’re journalists or were.”
Bud leaned forward. “They’re snapping my chain, Rennie. Now and then we can do a meaningful story to remind ourselves of our trade and let the public think we’re still looking out for them. But our real job is to produce earnings, just like any other business.”
“Hello in there. Is Bud around? I’d like to speak with him please.” She observed panic on his face.
“Bud listen, I’m sorry you have so much pressure on you. You know I’ll protect your backside. You want pulp? I can dish it out, baby.”
Bud looked down, “Listen kid, I don’t know if I can protect you. I value you more than just about anyone, but they can swoop into anyplace now and pull the cord on anyone.”
“Who are we talking about? Has someone threatened me? I told you about that guy.”
“I’m talking about the ownership; whoever they happen to be today. I don’t think they’re after you, but we’re in a different business, today. Listen, I’m blowing off steam and you’re the only person I can do this with.”
“Bud, I’ve learned over the past week that the world is a dark and dangerous place. Our job is to be who we were made to be and do what we were made to do in spite of the world. We must not give in to the powers that want to manipulate us. Having integrity is being the special person God made and not the one the world wants you to be.”
He sat up. “What are you talking about?”
“Bud, here’s the question. Are you happier being someone other than the authentic person you are? I don’t believe anyone is. Being yourself gives peace and joy. Any other way is painful.”
He stared at her. “Don’t you see the problem here? Don’t you see the clash between you, and this organization? Rennie, wake up.”
“Bud, the clash is you trying to be someone you’re not.”
“Rennie, we need to adapt to a new world. Okay?”
She smiled. “Fine. We’re on the threshold of a new world. Do you want to know my story about Professor Matthias Justus of Simpson College?”
He relaxed. “Do I have a choice?”
Rennie’s voice was nearly a whisper. “This story may be one of the most powerful that will ever come from this or any other newspaper. It may have more impact on the personal lives of the people who read or even hear of it than anything else in their lives.”
He pushed back against his chair. His hand gripped the cushioned arm. “What are you talking about?”
“Here it is. Three simple pages of the greatest story ever told. Well, maybe the second greatest.”
She handed him the sheets of paper. “This story reveals the truth of the murder of Matthias Justus when he was in London. It unlocks the extraordinary discovery of the greatest archeological discovery known to humanity, found by Professor Justus. The story confirms that Jesus lived and offers his own words on his mission for humanity. How about that?”
His mouth opened slightly, but he said nothing. He blinked but didn’t move.
“Bud, I see this as a three-part story. The first part is about Matthias. The second part is about his discovery, which is a bundle of personal letters written by Jesus. The third part may be the most powerful. It’s what happens to people after reading the first two parts. What do you think?”
He got up from the guest chair and walked to the chair behind his desk. He looked down and seemed to be uneasy. Putting his hands on the high back of the chair he said, “You must either want me dead or you want me committed to some looney bin. I must have heard you wrong because what I heard is simply crazy.”
“Bud, it’s incredible. You cannot believe what I have been through in discovering all this.”
He turned the chair and collapsed into it. As it rotated, he looked at Rennie as if in a daze. “Have you totally flipped out? This professor found letters written by Jesus? What proof do you have? Why has no one else ever heard of this? I don’t know if you’ve gone crazy or I have in listening to you.”
“The story is absolutely true. Read it yourself. The story’s in your hands, and when the world reads it, everything will be different.”
“Don’t you get it, Rennie? People don’t want life to be different. They struggle to keep what they have.” He shook the papers in his hands. “I don’t have a clue what you are talking about with this fantasy about letters from Jesus. Do you know what you are saying? Did you not hear what I was saying just minutes ago?”
“I heard every word, and you heard mine. It’s real. Jesus is real. His letters are real. His mission was real. People need to know that.”
He had a painful look on his face.
“Bud, do yourself a favor. Go for a walk. Cool down and get back to the real you. Then come back here and read my story. I’ll be at my desk.”
“Rennie, just go to your desk. Leave me alone so I can rejoin the real world.”
His head fell back against the chair.
“Take a break, Bud. You’ll need it. This exhausted me when I first realized what I found. Since then, I have been getting in touch with that peace all people search for. It changes everything. I want you to have it, too. Take a break, and then read the story.”
He closed his eyes and waved her to leave.
She got up from the chair and placed her hands on his desk. “Bud, the story is true. Once you take that in, life will have a different meaning. It’s where you really belong and can live out your true purpose.”
“Rennie, leave. Go.”
She reached over and patted his hand. “Big things are about to happen my friend.”
Des Moines, Iowa
Offices of the Des Moines Record
X - 4
Rennie checked her meeting schedule and finished reviewing her new email. She enjoyed the fresh perspective she found in her cubicle. Even the typical mid-afternoon lethargy passed by without stopping her. Her phone rang.
“Hi, Rennie, this is Floyd in Information Systems. I need to give you a heads up. I’m going to shut down your connection for a little bit. I’m doing a system recovery.”
“Okay. How soon?”
“As soon as possible. Could you close whatever you are in so I can take care of this?”
“Sure. Could I have just a minute or two? Do I need to call you when I’m out?”
“No, I’ll see when you’re down. You won’t be able to get back in for a while. Sorry.”
“How long will this take? I’ve got some critical stuff to finish up.”
“I don’t know. It depends on what’s found in the system.”
Rennie listened very carefully and did not respond. This did not sound right. Floyd’s voice sounded nervous. She sensed darker strategies at work.
“So, if you could finish up, I’ll get going with this.”
“Floyd, what’s this about? What’s really going on?”
“What do you mean? I said what we’re doing.”
“How big of a system shut down is this? How many others will be affected?”
“Not many. I need to do this now, so if you could close up, we can get started.”
“Okay, I’ll take care of it. I’ll be a minute. Let me know when I’m up again.”
Rennie stared at her computer screen. She opened her e-mail file and forwarded to herself her new and old messages from the past week. She opened her recent documents file and copied everything onto a flash drive. Then, she did a screen shot of her list of email messages and printed it. A message appeared on the screen advising her to shut down immediately. Another message appeared, and then her computer went dead.
Rennie stood up and surveyed the people in the cubicles around her. Everyone was busy and their computers were on. She walked toward Bud’s office and observed that everyone had functioning computer monitors. One of the department’s administrative assistants came by.
“Steve, do you know of any computer system problems, or shutdowns?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Do you know where Bud is?”
“No, he left about an hour ago. You might try his cell phone.”
“Thanks.”
Rennie hurried to her cubicle. She tried to start her computer. It was still dead. She found Bud’s cell phone number and called it. She left a message.
She dialed Angie’s office number. “Hi, I didn’t expect to get you. How you doing?”
“Good, thanks. This is a better day. I retrieved the books, and I’ll bring them over tonight. Did you hear anything from Matthew?”
“No. He’s probably over the Atlantic right now.” Rennie glanced to the side. Quietly, she said, “I need to talk with you, but I’m not sure what it is. I think there’s something going on here. I talked with Bud this morning about the story and he kind of freaked. I gave him my copy of the story but didn’t hear anything from him. Now, he’s gone. Also, a few minutes ago, someone from IT called and said they had to shut down my computer. He didn’t give me a good explanation. I’ve checked around. No one else is down. Something’s going on.”
Angie gasped. “I should have called you.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Some guy called from the paper. He had a weasel kind of voice. He said his name was Terry. He said he was a fact checker and he wanted to double-check a few things.”
“Like what? They don’t do that on my stories. It’s rarely done.”
“It seemed innocent, and I was going to call you. Then, I was called into a meeting and just got out of it when you called. What’s that about?”
“What did he ask? What did you tell him?”
“His questions seemed harmless enough. He asked about the archived materials for Matthias, and I confirmed we still had them in reserve. I’m so glad I got the journals. He asked about the letters, but he came at those very indirectly. I’m sure he wanted to know where they were. Naturally, I acted ignorant and innocent. This scares me. So, they’ve shut you off the system?”
“Yeah.”
“Rennie, we’ve been given a mission. This will work out.”
“Angie, I can’t help but think that Matthias said the same thing, and he was killed. The dark world is very powerful.”
“And it gains power when we operate on its terms. Center yourself. Find that peace we found.”
“Amen, sister. Sorry, I had to say that. Angie, I feel like I’m gearing up for whatever we may have to face, and I’ve got to say I like it. We need to be very careful, at least until we sort out what’s going on. That includes phone calls and email. Can you move the journals to a safe place? It might be best to give their whereabouts deniability.”
“I will. We also have to think about Matthew. If things start to get sticky, we may need to protect him. Rennie, I don’t like this.”
“Me neither. Good thought about Matthew. Okay, we need to think big picture and tactically at the same time. I have to find Bud, then I’ll call you back. Good luck.”
“You, too.”
Rennie grabbed her water bottle and drank it down. She got up to refill it at a water fountain when an admin came to her.
“I got a message that Katherine wants to see you. They want you up there right away.”
A cold chill went down her spine. “What for? Who told you that?”
“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger! Her secretary called and said she tried to reach you and your phone was busy. So, she said I should tell you. Hey, it’s the eighth floor. When the boss calls, you jump. Maybe you won the Pulitzer or something.”
Rennie’s mind raced as he disappeared down a hall. She sat down and took a deep breath then another. She closed her eyes.
Okay, review. They knew I was on my phone. How did they know that? Did they hear me talk to Angie? What do I need to do? Whatever happens, I do what I need to do. Be peace. Breathe.
Rennie put a hand over her face. When she finished, she stood, grinned with determination, grabbed her notebook and water bottle, and headed for the elevator.
She got off the elevator on the eighth floor, introduced herself to the receptionist, and asked where the rest room was located. She needed a moment to settle her emotions. When she returned, Bud was standing by the reception desk.
“Bud, what’s going on? They say I’m up for a Pulitzer.”
An awkward smile creased his face. “What? I don’t know. Who knows? I guess we need to go in there.”
“Before we do, you owe me at least a ten-second explanation. I’m not going anywhere until I get it.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. This is way over me. All I did was share with the chain of command the gist of your story. It went up fast.” Bud stroked his thin hair. “I don’t know what happened next. Come on. They’re waiting.”
He did a quick pivot and went into the publisher’s office.
Bud sat in a chair away from the desk area. Katherine was standing in front of her desk, speaking with a man in a tailored suit. Rennie glanced around at the luxurious suite and the view of the city.
Katherine smiled and held out her hand as she stepped toward Rennie. “Rennie, I am so delighted to finally meet you. Your work is highly regarded here. I am glad you are on our team.” She turned toward the man. “Do you know Larry? Larry, this is Rennie Haran.”
Rennie shook the man’s hand and looked him in the eye. She carefully managed her breathing.
The publisher gestured to a burgundy leather guest chair. “Please come and sit down. Bud said you’re working on a new story. It sounds very exciting. I’d like to know more.”
Katherine stepped around her massive desk and sat in a high-back, black leather chair outlined with brass rivets. Larry sat in a chair off one corner of the desk. The expression on his face was pleasant but unreadable. Rennie glanced at Bud. He strained a smile.
Rennie eased into the chair. “I am delighted to meet you Katherine. It must be very challenging to be the publisher of a paper like this.”
“It is, yes. It is also very worthwhile when one thinks of the responsibilities we carry. Without the people’s right to know, our society is threatened. Don’t you think?”