“Right, but one of the assassins pulled out his gun and killed the other two.”
Silas froze. Avalon spoke up.
“Is the assassin one of ours?”
“Yes. Of course, we can’t share his identity at this time.” She continued. “He took Dr. Ezra back to his cabin. By that time we had a team there waiting for them.”
Avalon shook her head. “I know it looked like a small fortress by then.”
“We had the place secured, but we were discreet. There were a few other families on the island.”
“So..what’s next for us?”
Morgan took a deep breath. “You’re going back to the states. We have a hidden base in the Rockies.”
“Colorado. How long have this base existed?”
“Five years. It looks like a simple two-story cabin home, but inside and underground, it’s outfitted with both security and defense capabilities.”
Avalon looked down. She knew this would go beyond what she’s ever experienced.
Silas leaned back in his seat and whistled. “So, do we get a grand tour?”
“Of course you will. Now, let’s get into the terrain here.”
Avalon glanced over at Silas. “That means, we’re about to get our new plan.”
“Silas, I know that this is all new for you, but Avalon trusts you. Hannibal is joining us.”
Avalon almost knocked over her juice glass. “Magellan’s henchman?”
“A weapons specialist.”
Silas interrupted. “Anything, wherever you need me.”
Avalon argued, “Why take him with you? You’re an elite scientist.”
“Wait, you’re a top scientist?”
Morgan explained, “Some think so. There’s a reason for why—.”
“You just don’t know!”
“Avalon,” Morgan laughed, “Can we get through this, please?”
Avalon shrugged.
Morgan went on. “From now on, I am your point person. You’ll have two direct contacts for me. These are phone numbers with two extra symbols, which trigger a mechanism that make the numbers undetected.You’ll fly out to the base at noon tomorrow. You will be met by Hannibal and he’ll drive you to the cabin.”
“How will we get out of here undetected?
Morgan answered, “They’ve been using a satellite all along to track your movements worldwide. We jammed it before you saw Heinrich today.”
“That’s a relief,” said Silas.
“However, we’re going to un-jam the satellite. You’ll lead them to the cabin. They don’t know about the base yet.”
“So, they think we’re just hiding out in the wilderness,” said Avalon.
“Yes. See, we were playing cat and mouse with them. That ends today. They’re about to play on my turf now.”
Chapter 8
Bannister
Morgan was known in the secret societies including the phantom art world. She was an enemy to most of them. Only a couple people know her full birth name as Madeleine J. Barrett— the daughter of Grayson and Amelia Barrett. Her parents were American, but lived in Scotland as students of North Aberdeen University. They fled Scotland after the terrorist kidnapping and arrived in North Carolina— southeastern United States—during the late 1970’s.
Grayson left his wife and the toddler Madeleine in 1979 to protect them.
A big part of him died that night.
The terrorist network was dead after Grayson. He received a head’s up the day those killers set foot in the Carolinas from his friend Benjamin Ezra. He told Grayson that they were in state looking for him. Gray left 9pm that same night. He lied and told his wife Amelia he was running out for more animal crackers, Madeleine’s favorite snack.
He left a note in her play pen taped under her favorite peach blankie. Amelia would take the blankie to her wash basket for Thursday morning laundry day. It was Wednesday at 10pm. Amelia lightly picked up the blankie while little Madeleine played quietly with her blue teddy bear. Amelia saw the note. She unfolded it.
“My Beloved Amelia:
I have gone to keep you and baby Madda safe. Please forgive me for lying about the animal crackers; I had no choice. The network is in North Carolina. If they found me here, then you and the baby would be killed too. They haven’t found our town yet, so that allowed me to run without them finding both of you.
We’ll let them follow my scent right out of the states before I ghost them. Carrington arranged for my escape and exile in Asia, so I am in good hands. We’re okay now, but I don’t know how long I have to stay away.
My sweet Amelia, I love you so much and the pain I feel now is almost unbearable!
The thoughts of you and Madda safe and sound in our home, and near friends, help me to bear this pain. If I could kill every last one of those bastards, I would! They will pay the price someday! I promise you and babygirl that!
Never EVER give up hope, my love. I’ll come home as soon as possible. Please tell our babygirl how much I love her. Tell her how her parents continue to fight the GOOD FIGHT.
She is a born fighter too. I see both a glorious sweetness and that strong spirit in her already. She has the Light Of The Holy Spirit around her.
Please, I need you to do two big favors for me. When Madda finishes college, give her my pipe box and everything in it. No arguments, just give it to her. Also, never tell anyone her full name. Keep her original birth certificate in that pipe box under lock and key.
Second, tell Madda her middle name when she turns 16, or when you truly feel she is ready to know.
I know this is difficult baby. I am asking you for too much, but you are not alone. Carrington will look after you from afar. Whatever you need, contact him.
Besides, I have a strong feeling that baby Madda’s fascination with my Old World Maps book will turn into a keen interest in archaeology. Geoff Carrington will certainly point her in the right direction with that.
I carry photos of you and our baby girl with me. I carry you two in my heart always! I will fight to come back soon. Ezra will check in on you from time to time. He won’t be able to tell you much, but to let you know that I’m okay and forward a few letters from me.
You’ll also get money wired to you each month for household expenses and holiday gifts.
Keep Madda happy and yourself. Never give up. We’ll be together again soon.
“My Dearest Love Always, Gray.”
Gray never returned.
In 1980, Amelia and the baby had their names legally changed to Amelia and Morgan Bannister.
Morgan grew up having a ghost for her dad. She loved him, but only had a few of his belongings. She had some letters from him up until her 16th birthday and a hazy image of him.
Amelia took care to hide photos of Grayson, so not to risk outsiders seeing him. The burden of living like this made Amelia determined to raise Morgan to be secretive, fiercely protective of loved ones, independent, and driven.
She was freakishly afraid of her little girl becoming a target of this terrorist group, or others, who seek revenge against Gray. She made sure her strong-willed daughter learned international “street smarts”.
She was raised to be ready to leave the country at a moments notice or slip away from hostage takers. She learned self defense. Her passport was always at hand and a go-bag was always packed.
On the flip side, Morgan had this glorious sweetness like her father said. She was often invited to do the “Family and Friends” speech at church to welcome visiting family or friends of members. She made everyone feel at home.
Her smile can warm a cold day and laugh was infectious. Years of dance and physical training had given her a confident grace.
Underneath all that, she hid secrets that grew in number as years passed and especially after she became Dr. Francisco Magellan’s assistant and confidant.
As a graduate student at North Aberdeen University, Morgan became a force to be reckoned with.
Dr. Geoffrey Carrington had her in his
archaeology courses and fieldwork. He became an uncle to her in the absence of her dad. He beamed with pride seeing her out hustle even experienced archaeologists on digs.
She stumbled at first in her studies, but she worked hard and eventually became a star junior archaeologist. Carrington pushed Morgan to reach her best potential. He felt she was on a pretty solid path—until she aligned herself with Magellan.
Magellan
Dr. Francisco Magellan was a 40-year old scientist and professor who just joined the North Aberdeen faculty in 2000.
His controversial projects and arrogance rubbed many the wrong way. Colin Carrington, Geoffrey Carrington's brother, saw Magellan as a stain on the science department as rumors of him breaking laws and dalliance with unsavory characters surfaced.
He was a revolutionary with a disgust towards certain members of Big Pharma, government, and big corporations. He organized projects that threatened the powers of them all. He believed in "fighting the power" and that some laws should be broken for the common good.
Morgan was impressed with Magellan and even agreed with some of his beliefs and revolutionary tactics. She also saw in him a secretive-guarded nature, and genuineness, which seemed familiar to her own.
Francisco was a flawed man, but Morgan learned to judge carefully. When she registered for his course in bio-chemistry, Morgan was expecting an exciting class with a top-notch expert. What she received instead went far beyond what she bargained for.
Her partnership with Magellan exceeded her imagination.
Their story will become a big piece of this mysterious Damascus mission.
The Education Of Frankie
Francisco Magellan grew up fighting for his place in the world. His family was made up of proud immigrants from Mexico and Sicily. His father was Spanish and Italian immigrant Aristotle Magellan. His mother, Gabriella Ramirez, was a Mexican immigrant from Oaxaca.
When Frankie was 14 years old, Aristotle became sick from a rare blood illness. Gabriella took him to a plethora of doctors and specialists in Maryland with devastating results. They placed him on prescription drugs, which brought their own complications.
The young Frankie became the man of the house. He went to school and worked bagging groceries, delivering newspapers, and working at the local pizzeria. He saved up every dime he could to help his mom take care of daily expenses while she tended to his dad. He loved both parents, but he and Aristotle had a very close father-son relationship.
One fateful day, Aristotle began choking on his own blood while in bed.
“Frankie!” Gabriella screamed for her son.
Frankie stormed into his parents’ room. He rolled his father on his left side, so he could cough up blood into the waste basket. Aristotle began having seizures. Frankie pushed a folded washcloth into his father’s mouth to bite down on.
Gabriella called the ambulance and her neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Delvechio for help. They were the kind older couple who owned the pizzeria where Frankie worked after school. They came within seconds. All four of them helped Aristotle out of the bed and packed his overnight bag for the hospital. The ambulance took him away.
That episode led a desperate Gabriella to seek alternative medicine to help her ailing husband. Her once cheerful eyes and glowing brown skin became grey and aged. The light in her eyes darkened. She was in her 30’s, but looked worn and hunched over.
Frankie, from then on, went with his mom and dad to physicians who said they practiced alternative medicine. Many of them were simply snake oil salesmen, or charged the Magellan's too much, or both. Frankie hated it, but he hated them less than the horribly bigoted doctors who the Magellan family encountered.
Some of the traditional doctors who they saw were hateful to Gabriella, a Mexican woman. Aristotle faced some discrimination too as a slightly darker skinned immigrant, but his wife more often.
Frankie grew hot-headed in frustration to the pharmaceutical and medical industries. The alternative medicine physicians that they saw raised prices on their organic herbal treatments, which they swore would help ease Aristotle’s pain or were the “miracle cures”.
Those cures never worked.
Gabriella’s hope was trampled on regularly. She went to mass every week to pray and plead to God for help. Frankie wanted to believe, but every day that passed made it harder to do so. One day an exhausted Frankie was in Mr. Joseph’s chemistry class. He always fell asleep in class, but that day the teacher announced a new experiment.
“Okay class,” said Mr. Joseph in his monotone voice. “We’re going to study blood thinners.”
Frankie woke up.
“We’ll make aspirin and look at a few plants that, some believe, could help alleviate the affects of blood illnesses .”
Frankie's hand shot up. Mr. Joseph motioned to Frankie. “Do you think it’s true, that there is a cure?”
A smile creeped unto the teacher’s face. This was the first time Frankie showed a keen interest in his class.
“I’ll put it this way Francisco. People have used plants for healing since the beginning. Unfortunately, we believe that many of them became extinct. We also lost alot of our knowledge about these plants and their healing properties. Then, again, there are some species that remain undiscovered.”
“What about the prescription drug business—what’s their angle?”
Mr. Joseph began to understand what Frankie was looking for. “There’s a lot of money to be made.”
“Is there more money in ongoing usage of drugs than in curing diseases?”
His classmates groaned and giggled.
Dr. Joseph responded “I’ll let you be the judge of that.”
For the rest of the period Frankie hung on the teacher’s every word. When class ended, Mr. Joseph called Frankie to stay for a minute. When the last student left, the teacher went to his wooden cabinet behind his desk. He opened the cabinet door, pulled out two books, and set them on the desk.
“I heard about your father’s illness,” said Mr. Joseph as he pushed the books toward Frankie. “I want you to read both of these books by Dr. John Amahl.”
Frankie picked up one book, a green one, and flipped through it.
Mr. Joseph continued, “He’s an expert on illnesses that contaminate the blood. Amahl has been working in both traditional and alternative medicine to find treatments and eventually a cure.”
Frankie didn’t know what to say. This was “La Milagra” (the miracle) that his mom said would happen. He finally answered, “Thank you!”
Mr. Joseph smiled, but then frowned. He spoke a warning. “Dr. Amahl's work can be very controversial, so you should be discreet when handling these books. His research could make a lot of people invested in this industry lose a lot of money.”
Frankie laughed. “Those big wigs don’t live in our neighborhood. No one cares that I have these books.”
“Just be careful. Not everyone appreciates those who make waves or disrupt how things are.”
Those very words from Mr. Joseph continued to echo in Frankie’s ears, but they manifested into a painful truth on a cold October day.
Gabriella and Frankie took the wheelchair-bound Aristotle to a clinic four hours away. The clinic was new and funded by a growing drug company that was testing new treatments for rare blood illnesses. The clinic, Mason Medical Arts, was actually a 3-story brick building. Mother and son wheeled the ailing Aristotle into the lobby. Gabriella approached the front desk. “We have a 2 o’clock with Dr. Jim Hastings.”
The front desk assistant checked her schedule clipboard. “Yes, Mrs. Magellan. Please look over this form and sign.”
Gabriella took the form. Frankie took it from her. “Let me do that mama.”
Gabriella smiled.
Aristotle looked up at his son.”Our boy is good,” he said weakly.
The front desk assistant informed them, “You can have a seat. We’ll get to you momentarily.”
Gabriella wheeled Aristotle next to one of the empty blue cush
ion chairs. She sat her weary body next to him. Frankie, fixated on the forms, sat on the other side of his mom.
Their son was on the last page of the four-page form. He came upon two paragraphs. The first one said that the clinic will not be held liable for any side effects to their treatments. It went on to say that the physicians would be transparent of what was involved in these treatments within reason.
The second paragraph provided information about ways that the clinic could help patients pay for their services. The paragraph included monthly patients with high interest rates of 25% or higher. The third option suggested clients look through the pamphlets on the clinic’s resource table for additional financing.
Both paragraphs gave Frankie an uneasy feeling. He’s not the most trusting person. He saw how the doctors and alternative medical physicians have tried to swindle his parents or treated them rudely. He was about to say something to his mom about his objection to signing the form. His father, however, started coughing violently.
Gabriella grabbed her handkerchief from her purse and covered his mouth. Frankie jumped up and rushed to the front desk to get help. The nurse came out with a cup of water.
Another nurse squatted to the side of Aristotle. She had on latex gloves and took the handkerchief from his mouth. It was stained with dark red blood and clots.
Frank just stood motionless.
The first nurse gave Aristotle a sip of water. Gabriella was coaching her husband to take deep breaths. Dr. Hastings came out and checked his heart with a stethoscope.
Gabriella stood back. Tears streamed down her face.
Frankie picked up the clipboard from his chair. “Mom, sign the form. It’s okay.”
After a series of tests that took three hours. Dr. Hastings gave his preliminary assessment. The disease was spawning cancer-like formations in the lungs and heart. It was killing healthy cells and poisoning the blood faster than ever.
That explained how in the past two weeks Aristotle’s health took a nose dive. One day he was walking, the next day he was too weak to move.
The doctor sent them the final results confirming his assessment. The family went to the pharmacy where Frankie picked up his dad’s medication, which was only part of the treatment.
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