by Orson B Wolf
“Maybe it’s the rain?” Paul suggested. Rachel had an umbrella, and he was bundled in a coat, but he felt sorry for the little dog, who was dripping with water.
“That’s not it. She loves water.” Rachel wrinkled her forehead. “Maybe she doesn’t really want to get away from here, but go somewhere else.” She gathered her wet hair with her hands and tied it with a hair tie, then she leaned over Buffy and asked softly, “What did you hear, tiny? What would you like to tell me?”
Paul stole a glance at the girl beside him. He admired her intelligence and was surprised by her cooperation. An hour ago, when he had approached and introduced himself, he was afraid of what her reaction might be. He had decided to be frank with her and tell her all that he knew about Edna Emerson’s kidnapping. He shared his feeling that David had actually gone to look for his grandmother before he had disappeared.
Rachel was quiet at first and simply allowed him to speak. Paul saw that his words had deeply affected her. While he spoke, her suspicious expression softened into a trusting and accepting one. She appeared to be extremely excited by what he was telling her.
When he had finished, it was her turn to speak. He was stunned by what she told him. It turned out she had already known about Edna Emerson’s kidnapping, as well as the fact that David himself was missing. Furthermore, she herself had been involved with those two events.
It seemed that Rachel was happy to unburden her heart. She was riddled with guilt. “I helped them catch David,” she confessed, and Paul noticed the tears in her eyes.
She described in great detail how Jackie and his gang had caught Buffy and threatened to kill the little dog unless Rachel cooperated with them.
“I’m so stupid.” She shook her head with regret. “How could I have believed Jackie’s lies?”
Paul knew that Jackie was no angel, but the exploits of the youngest Richmond son surprised him.
“Jackie insisted that I go away so I wouldn’t see what they were doing to David. You think they’d hurt David? Jackie really hates him.”
Paul tried to calm her down. “I don’t think they want to harm David.”
“So why? What does Jackie want from him?” she asked, while carefully avoiding a puddle.
“That’s what I want to know, too,” he answered. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”
Paul quickly analyzed the new information he’d just received. Assuming Rachel had told him the truth, now he knew why David could not be found.
Those same boys had probably taken David’s grandmother, too. He still found it hard to believe that high school students could carry out such crimes. This was crucial information he would immediately report to his superiors. He took out his cell phone and dialed Matthew’s number, and the latter answered after a single ring. “There’ve been some developments,” he began to say.
That moment, Buffy began to bark wildly. She acted as if she had smelled or heard something that excited her. The small dog pulled Rachel away from where they were, to the opposite direction of the animal shelter.
“Let her lead you,” Paul heard himself saying.
The dog began to pull on her leash with an even greater intensity, directing to a far-off single-story building.
“Talk to me,” Matthew ordered from the other end of the line. Despite the heavy rain and the poor reception, Paul could hear the tension in his voice.
“I know who kidnapped the grandma and is probably holding David too,” Paul told him.
“I’m listening.”
Paul updated his superior with the new findings. He raised his voice while quickly following the girl and her dog. He did his best to keep pace. The girl began to literally run. This was almost too much for his still injured ankle.
“In short, the key is Jackie Richmond,” he finished his report, panting.
Matthew answered with a single brief word, “Thanks.” Then disconnected the call.
Paul knew that over the next minute, several investigators would receive instructions to concentrate their efforts around Jackie; his family and friends. Certain cell phones would be added to the surveillance list, more people would be looked at.
“She found something!” Rachel shouted excitedly as they reached a dead-end. The path down which they had been running ended with a row of simple concrete buildings. The intensifying rain struck the tin roofs with a deafening noise.
“This was where I left them,” Rachel exclaimed and pointed at the yard to their right. “After Jackie and his gang had caught David.”
Paul turned his head slowly. “Show me the exact spot.”
Rachel began to move to the right, but Buffy thought differently. The dog howled and pulled her to the left. The girl gave in and allowed her dog to lead.
“All right,” Paul muttered and followed the two. They quickly walked into one of the yards and passed between two walls. Paul walked past one wall, then another. Suddenly he saw the two standing before one of the doors.
Buffy scratched the door with her tiny paws and whined.
“Someone must be inside,” Rachel cried and tried to open the door unsuccessfully.
Paul tensed. He quickly walked to Rachel and gently moved her aside. She looked at him with understanding and retreated, removing her frantic dog away from the door.
Paul tried the handle. The old metal door was locked. He examined it. It was well secured into the wood doorframe. He saw no hinges, which meant the door opened inward.
He pressed his ear against the ice-cold surface of the door and tried to listen. The falling rain and the drumming of heavy drops on the tin roof combined to form a deafening orchestra. It was impossible to hear anything. Paul took a deep breath and tried to order his thoughts. Undoubtedly, the dog had smelled or heard something.
“Move aside.”
Rachel nodded, took Buffy in her arms and stepped back. The dog yelped loudly and struggled to jump to the ground. Paul took a few steps back, then ran forward and kicked the door, lending all his weight into the motion. The wood doorframe was torn from its place with a loud noise and the door smashed into the room.
Paul looked inside and saw nothing. A dark space gaped in front of him. The door slowly rotated back and closed. Behind his back he heard Buffy whining and barking loudly.
“What did you see?” Rachel asked nervously. “What’s inside?”
He turned to her and quietly instructed, “Wait here.”
The girl wrapped her arms around her dog and whispered soothing words into her ear.
He turned back to the opening, slowly pushed the broken door aside, and carefully walked into the dark space. He squinted and wiped the water off his eyes, but he still couldn’t see anything. He took out a penlight from his pocket and directed its beam forward. It fell on the wall in front of him, revealing nothing but bare bricks.
He moved the penlight left and right and saw nothing.
Paul strained all his senses, attempting to discern something meaningful. The circle of light moved across bare bricks. The room looked empty. He saw nothing and heard nothing that could account for the dog’s behavior.
He directed the beam upward and saw that a large part of the roof was missing, allowing the rain to easily fall inside.
He pointed the penlight down to the ground and gasped with surprise. The room had no floor. He was standing on the verge of a huge hole, flooded with rainwater. Paul directed the penlight’s beam downward, slowly, carefully examining the surface of the water.
Then he saw it.
57
A Volatile Situation
Edward stood in the major’s office and stared at the officer.
A moment ago, they had spoken with David’s parents. He truly felt for them, it must have been terrible to have the grandmother kidnapped and the son go missing on the same day. When you receive such news, the troubles of the rest of the world sud
denly seem inconsequential. The thoughts running through one’s head could lead to insanity. He shivered.
Additionally, he wasn’t feeling very comfortable with the major’s attitude. The tough officer spoke to them without an ounce of humanity. Edward just couldn’t understand it. Lincoln put down the handset and spoke in a pensive tone.
“You know, I’ve been looking into the background of David Robertson’s parents. I asked myself a few questions.”
Edward didn’t answer. He watched him sitting and scratching his two-day stubble.
“One of the questions I asked myself was how they could afford to live in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in this city.”
Edward tried to guess what the officer was getting at. He was tired and began to feel sick of this whole thing. He realized why the major suspected there was a possible connection between David Robertson and the prophet, but there were more important things to deal with right now.
Many students had arrived at the school in the past hour, accompanied by their parents. They went into the shelter and settled in, but Edward knew the situation was volatile and could get out of hand at any moment. It was enough for someone to scream, for a blast to sound, and chaos would instantly reign in the school. He had a heavy responsibility and he had to be present at the shelter, with all his staff. His wife and son were making their way here as well. With all due respect, Major Lincoln could go on with this investigation on his own.
“Listen, Major,” Edward said. “I have to get back to my work. Lots of people have arrived in the shelter.”
It seemed as though the major wasn’t really listening. After another moment of deliberation, it looked as if the major had reached a decision.
“Come, we’re going to pay David Robertson’s parents a visit.”
Edward opened his mouth to protest when suddenly, the deafening wail of a siren rang out.
58
Armageddon
Jackie sat on one of the chairs at the edge of the tent and couldn’t stop smiling.
This was an impressive event. The Order of the Prophet’s gathering place was packed with thousands of believers. Everyone looked with mesmerized eyes at the stage, constantly cheering.
Jackie’s plan had worked beyond anything they had hoped for. The prophet truly did not go on the air. It was bigger than life. There was the proof he had been looking for.
The prophet apparently needed David for his television appearances. David must be helping him with technical issues, like that trick of speaking on the television with this obscured, robotic voice, and the prophet compensated him somehow, maybe even paid him. That would surely explain the Robertsons’ expensive place.
The televised event on the stage now reached its climax. A press panel with the Order’s leader, Moses Morse, ensued. Five chairs were placed on the stage, facing the crowd, occupied by four journalists and a host. The star of the evening stood in front of them, behind the podium.
The image on the giant screen zoomed in on Morse’s tanned face. He looked sure of himself as he expressed his personal concern for everyone’s safety. “As I said earlier, the prophet has asked me to convey in his name that he would not be able to give an interview today—”
One of the journalists cut him off. “Yes, we heard you. And everyone should donate lots of money.” Jackie recognized the reporter. He could not remember his name, but saw him on quite a few current affairs and news shows, so he must be a senior journalist. He held the microphone and spoke in a mocking tone. The crowd reacted with loud booing. Someone even tossed a cup of coffee at the stage.
“Friends,” said Morse, trying to calm things down. He raised a hand and smiled with understanding, like a nursery teacher forgiving an errant child. “Friends. This is perfectly all right. Some people are still nonbelievers. They are entitled to remain behind, but we—” he motioned at the crowd, “—we who do believe grow stronger with every passing day. Our numbers multiply by the moment. Together, we have strength. Let us show the prophet that we’re with him. Only he can restore the peace, save humanity from Armageddon.”
The applause resumed, and some of the audience stood on their feet. The journalist shrugged, accepting the fact that this just wasn’t his home turf.
Jackie still found it hard to believe that Morse had made such a gamble based on his promise, and announced to the whole world that the prophet would not go on the air tonight. No doubt about it, Morse deserved all the admiration and respect he was getting.
Jackie examined the large crowd in attendance. None of them could guess that their star, Mr. Morse, had allied himself with him. Furthermore, Morse now completely depended on Jackie and believed that Jackie could truly influence the prophet.
As far as Morse was concerned, this was a huge gamble. If, for instance, Jackie decided to allow David to log onto the internet and do whatever it was he was doing, the prophet would suddenly appear on screen—and Morse would be in a real bind.
A few minutes ago, Thomas had called Jackie and updated him that the grandmother wasn’t cracking under the pressure. That batty old fruitcake still pretended she didn’t know anything about the connection between her grandson and the prophet. This surprised Jackie, but it wasn’t important. They had David, and that was what mattered.
He got to his feet and walked along the row of chairs to warm himself up. Soon, he would have to go back and check on David. He’d already been awake there an hour, in the dark, deep in his own thoughts. He must be all soft and ready to spill the beans by now.
Another round of applause thundered as the giant screen depicted Morse’s smiling face. It looked like Morse was looking straight at him. Jackie knew that this was merely an illusion; Morse didn’t even know what he looked like. But they would undoubtedly meet soon.
In a burst of excitement, Jackie took out his cell phone and dialed home. Someone answered after a single ring. Jackie immediately recognized the voice of his brother, Brandon. “Richmond residence.”
Jackie remembered the fact that he was using a disposable cell phone with an unlisted number.
“Hey Brandon, it’s Jackie.” He tried to hide the excitement in his voice. The noise in the giant tent made it difficult for him to hear. He pressed the device against his ear and covered it with the palm of his hand.
“Jackie!” his brother’s voice boomed. “Wait a second, here’s dad.”
Jackie waited patiently as his father took the phone. “Jackie, is that you?” The tension was audible in his father’s voice. “Where the hell are you? Your mother—all of us—we’ve been worried sick about you.”
Jackie heard his mother in the background—“Let me talk to my son!”—but his father continued with a stern voice, “Haven’t you heard what’s been going on? They’re going to tell civilians to get into the shelters any moment now.”
“It’s all right, dad.” Jackie tried to calm his father, convinced that as soon as he heard the news, he’d stop being angry and start appreciating him. “I have something important to tell you.”
“Where are you? What phone are you using? Why did you leave yours at home?” His father asked the questions rapidly, leaving Jackie no room to answer any of them. The conversation wasn’t going as expected.
“They called me from the police now, said they were looking for you,” Clive continued. Now there wasn’t any tension, just anger in his voice. “Good thing I have friends at the precinct and everyone has more important things on their minds right now. You know what would have happened if they came here to interrogate me because of you?” His father didn’t wait for an answer, “You think I need negative publicity right now?”
The words struck at Jackie’s heart. Nothing had changed. They kept treating him like a child. He gritted his teeth and suddenly lashed out. “Dad, for once in your life, just shut up and listen to what I have to tell you!”
His father went silent as Jacki
e fired the words. “I know what I’m doing! I’m taking care of your company’s future. You’ll know everything about it soon enough. I can’t give any details yet, but believe me—I’m onto something big here. Something huge!” He couldn’t contain himself and blurted, “This has to do with the prophet. It wasn’t a coincidence that he didn’t go on the air tonight. I took care of it.”
Jackie paused, panting. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said that last sentence. God only knew who else might be listening to the conversation. His father didn’t answer. His mother sounded in the background again, “What’s he saying, Clive? Is he coming home?”
A moment of silence followed, then his father’s voice returned, calm and businesslike, the tone Jackie knew so well.
“I couldn’t hear that last sentence. I guess reception must be poor.” That steady tone proved to Jackie that the opposite was true. His father had definitely heard it all.
“You take care of yourself, son. Do you at least have a proper shelter nearby?”
Jackie relaxed. He felt that his father now completely understood him. They both shared a secret now, and even if his father wasn’t thrilled about it—at least he hadn’t strictly forbidden him from pursuing this further. What he had said about the poor reception was just the sort of thing an experienced person would say, one who knew how to handle himself in legally sensitive situations.
“Sure, Dad. There’s a shelter close by. Tell mom everything’s fine with me.”
“Of course, Jackie.” Now his father sounded as calm as ever.
“Bye, Dad.” Jackie disconnected the call. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. For the first time, he shared this huge secret with his father. It was an incredible feeling. All the anguish and anxiety that had haunted him for so long now drained out of him.
He checked the time and looked outside of the enormous tent into the cold night. Walking quickly, he could get to that irritating nerd in just a few minutes. And this time he was going to get it all out of him. It was time. He hurried to the tent’s opening. Outside, the rain intensified, and lightning flashed. He grabbed the hood of his coat and pulled it over his head, then buttoned the coat itself. He had no umbrella and was about to get soaking wet, but he couldn’t care less. He reached the edge of the tent and prepared to start running, but then the sound of the siren struck his ears. Stunned, he stopped and looked back.