by J C Ryan
While they waited for Vartan to arrive, Ben continued to talk to her to keep her calm, asking fundamental questions. Where do you work? What do you do? How old are you? Her English was broken, but she answered as best she could.
When Vartan arrived a few minutes later, Ben could see that his covered face had frightened her again. He tried to reassure her that neither one of them was going to hurt her; they only wanted to talk, to ask her a few questions. As Vartan translated, adding a few assurances of his own, the fear left her eyes, but Ben could see the doubt in them and got straight to the point. “Meryl,” he said. “I know you were involved in the disappearance of the Sirralnnudam from the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts.” He held his hand up when she started shaking her head. “Meryl, it’s imperative that you tell me the truth. You should not lie to me. We know you took that book. All we want to know is what you did with it?”
She started crying softly and shook her head.
Ben leaned forward and took her hand. “Meryl, I won’t tell anyone that you took the book, I promise. You will keep your job. I just need to know the truth.”
After listening to Vartan’s translation, she shrugged her shoulders and started talking. Ben and Vartan listened carefully and did not interrupt while she told them what happened.
Over the next hour they learned that the man who contacted her and offered her money was probably of Arabic ancestry but she had no idea from which country. They met twice and spoke English on both occasions. The description she gave Ben: dark hair, medium build, about thirty or so, and olive skin, matched almost any young Arabic-looking male on the planet. She had no idea if he had accomplices or if he was working for anyone else. All she knew was that the day when she lost the book, there was another man with him. He was the one who ripped her laptop bag with the laptop in it out of her hand when she was on the ground.
Ben also discovered that she had been recording Mackenzie and Harry’s conversations while they were working and stored it on the laptop, so those conversations were now in the hands of someone else.
***
James sat back in his chair, sipping a cup of bitter, black coffee while he considered the conversation he’d just had with Ben. He allowed his mind to review Ben’s report on his trip to Armenia and the meeting with Taline ‘Meryl’ Jafarian.
Well, now we know we’re right about our suspicions that a third party is also interested in Mackenzie’s respi- thingamajigs. He was about to call Irene to discuss the latest development when she walked into his office. She had another worried look on her face, the same as a few days before.
“Irene, I saw that look a few days ago, and it wasn’t good,” James grinned. “I was about to call you, but I think you have something more pressing on your mind than what I have to say.”
Irene walked over to the coffee machine and made herself a mug of coffee while she started talking. “It’s Liu Cheun,” she said. “Something isn’t right.”
James had a frown on his forehead. “What’s up with her?”
“Well I’m not sure, but here is what I’ve managed to find out so far.” The coffee was ready, and she took the mug and sat down in the chair opposite James’ desk.
“After our discussion the other day I tried to get hold of Liu at the University in Boston, but they told me she took a few weeks leave to visit family in China. I rang her secretary and asked when Liu was expected to be back. She told me that Liu was supposed to be back a week ago.”
James was shaking his head. He was beginning to understand why this job had destroyed Hunter Patrick’s health.
Irene continued, “The secretary told me she had been in contact with Liu’s family in China through some of Liu’s Chinese friends in Boston, and the family told her that Liu went back to America as planned. They are worried about her because they haven’t heard anything from her since she left.
“I just got off the phone with border control, and they confirmed that they have a record of her leaving the USA for China, but no record of her re-entering the country.”
“So she’s been missing for a week already?” James asked.
“Yes,” Irene nodded. “In fact, it’s been eight days by my calculations.”
Jim stared into space as he tried to put some sort of reasonable hypothesis in place that would explain her absence.
“She’s a senior lecturer at the University. She has an unblemished work record there.” James was talking slowly as he went through the facts. “I personally vetted her to work for A-Echelon with Will Devereux years ago. I know her. She wouldn’t just up and leave without telling someone. Something is wrong here.”
“I agree. I’ve read her file. She has always been a reliable and trustworthy worker, beyond any reproach. The fact that she didn’t turn up for work means either she is in some sort of trouble or her family is lying.”
James closed his eyes as he let out a sigh. Another red light on his Devereux’s dashboard just started flickering.
Chapter 14 -
She called silently into the night
When Mackenzie and Liam were reunited, she felt truly blessed. Even though their living quarters left a lot to be desired, it was acceptable, all that mattered was that she had her son with her.
Having two bedrooms made her feel as if they were living in the lap of luxury after the cramped one-room prison cell. They even had a kitchen where she could make tea or coffee, and prepare meals. The available food wasn’t much as they were supplied by whatever someone felt like delivering to them, but cooking for her son returned a small feeling of normality and control to her, so she wasn’t going to complain.
There was a total of seven people living in this part of the floor, two other women with children, Liam, and her. The other women were friendly, and the children got along, as children always do no matter the circumstances.
When they had first arrived, Mackenzie told Liam the truth about their situation; at least as much as a six-year-old could comprehend. It was the only way he would understand just how much their lives had changed.
“But Mommy, we can still think about the people we love can’t we?”
She nodded, “Of course we can, dear. That will never change!”
“Good! Because I talk to Dad and Jeha, and Bly and Ahote, and Nelly, my pony all the time and I know they can hear me, can’t they?”
She smiled, “Well, I can’t imagine for one moment they couldn’t hear you, darling; they've never had any trouble before have they?” Her own joke gave her cause to smile.
“Don’t you talk to them, Mommy?”
“Yes, I do all the time, and Grandma and Pops too.” She didn’t add how often she communicated with her wolves, so often, in fact, that she felt they were standing right beside her every night, guarding her and keeping her strong.
Some nights she’d frown in the darkness thinking, I must be imagining this surely? I can almost feel their fur in my fingers and their breath on my cheek.
Then she’d turn over and mutter, wouldn’t the scientific community love to know that a woman who is working her guts out to discover a way to bring hope to the ill with a new souped-up blood speaks to wolves every night. I must remember never to say anything. Then she’d smile to herself and go back to sleep.
Mornings were always busy, as she had to get herself ready for work and Liam ready for school. They frequently ate breakfast with the other women and children in the compound. A daily vitamin D supplement was provided to make up for the lack of sunlight they suffered from being underground all the time, but when Liam wasn't with her, she worried whether he was being given the proper food a small boy needs to grow. However, he seemed happy and healthy, so maybe the vitamin D supplement was sufficient. It’s still not the same as fresh air and sunshine. At least, it prevented rickets in the children and provided them with the essentials found in liver and fish oils. She tried to console herself thinking that there were many children in the world whose lives were nowhere near as good as Liam’s.
In recent mornings, she tried to eat breakfast but often felt nauseous so she’d skip the meal and eat later in the day. After their morning meal together, she’d get Liam ready to go to another section of the compound before showering and getting herself ready for the day. She had to force herself to dress in the black garments. Oh, how she hated them, and the niqab that covered her face made her feel as if she was losing her identity, she felt like she was becoming a non-person. I am NOT Johnny Cash, and if we ever get out of here, I will never wear so much as even black socks ever again!
One afternoon Liam came home excited, it seemed the children would be taught to speak Arabic. There were ten children altogether in the building, and although they were not allowed to talk about their families, they went to school and played together. For Liam things were so busy in his world, he barely noticed as the days slipped by.
Mackenzie began to learn Arabic with Liam, and they also started doing exercises every day. Every morning, when they woke up the two of them would do the Five Tibetan Rites. It was an ancient exercise routine that originated amongst Tibetan monks and took about fifteen minutes to complete. Carter had taught it to Mackenzie years ago, and she had been following it ever since.
The Five Rites had been touted by many as the ‘secret’ to memory improvement, sleeping soundly, waking up refreshed and energized, improving physical strength, endurance, and vigor, and improving emotional and mental health. Some even claimed it cured medical problems such as back and arthritis pain.
The first few days Liam was not too enthusiastic about the idea of waking up in the mornings and having to do exercises while still half asleep. He didn’t want to disappoint his mother, though, and joined her in doing the exercises. To his surprise, he soon found that he actually came to like it and looked forward to it.
For Mackenzie, the nights were the hardest. No matter how much she tried to draw close to Carter, she couldn’t feel him near at all. She put it down to the idea that wherever he was and whatever he was doing must be wearing him out. Nevertheless, she was worried sick about him. Since there was nothing she could do about it, she’d mentally take herself back to Freydis and the land, visiting the creeks and trees in her mind, enjoying the golden colors of autumn and the blanketed world of a snow covered winter. Snow, how she missed it. Here below the ground, there was just one season – FARCE: Florescent, Air-conditioned, Regulated, Confined, Environment. All of it was artificial: air, temperature, lights, friends, even the day time and night time cycle, and there was no sunshine. As someone who loved nature and was used to four seasons, living in this artificial environment was severely depressing.
At night, she could smell the pine scent from the mountains surrounding Freydis, hear the birds in the trees, see the eagles as they lazily soared on the air currents high in the blue sky and even laughed at Liam’s pony as she tried to trick Liam into falling off.
Mackenzie occasionally caught the scent of Bly’s cakes and craved for Ahote’s kind, warm treacle brown eyes as he carved small animals out of bits of wood he’d pick up on his rambles.
She visited the cave, swam in the river, watched salmon leap in the stream as the bears fished for them.
Then she’d turn over in bed and sob quietly into the emptiness in her soul, longing for her home. She wished her mind would stay in Freydis and not bring her back to the laboratory and the complexities of her work. She wished she didn’t have to deal with the three stooges.
No one deserved three stooges in their life. Then she would dream of them all falling into a deep hole, as the floor of the laboratory opened up with a thundering crack. There she’d be standing on the edge watching them as they tumbled over and over, finally disappearing into a fog.
“Carter, where are you? Will I ever see you again?” She cried silently into the night.
Chapter 15 -
Out of the hospital
While Hunter Patrick was away on stress leave, James and Irene had their hands full. They not only had to find replacements for the Devereuxs’ project, but also had to continue the investigation into the perpetrators of the explosion, the loss of the Sirralnnudam and their growing suspicion that Mackenzie and Liam might still be alive. And there was the mole issue to contend with as well.
They’d used all their contacts with the Department of State to raise the issue of Liu Cheun’s disappearance through diplomatic channels with the Chinese government. But it was as if they were hitting a brick wall at every turn. Although it was not official Chinese policy, it quickly became apparent to James and Irene that Chinese officials did not take kindly to any of their citizens taking up residence in other countries.
After three weeks of back and forth, and miles of red tape, they had only one piece of information. Liu Cheun had not left China. As far as China was concerned she was still in the country and if she wanted to remain in China and not return to her job at the University in Boston that was her prerogative.
They left out the part that should have been said, and we would be delighted if she didn’t return, James thought when he read the latest message from the embassy.
The phone on the secure line started ringing, and he answered, it was Ben Friedman.
“Jim, how are you holding up in the new job my friend?”
“Only by the skin of my teeth, Ben,” James chuckled. “Hunter had better get his ass back in this chair soon. In the past few weeks, I’ve done enough desk-jockeying to last me a lifetime.”
“I know the feeling. Since they brought me in and tied me to a damn desk, all the fun is gone,” Ben lamented. “Jim, I’m sending you the latest tidbits of information we’ve collected. You already know it all, except for one bit. Anyway, you’ll get it after we’re done with this call.”
“So what is this new bit you’ve got? I guess that’s why you called?”
“There was an old man, early eighties, who was injured in the explosion and taken to the hospital,” Ben explained. “The injuries he sustained during the blast were moderate, but unfortunately, he was already pretty fragile. Shortly after his admission, he had a stroke. It’s a miracle that the poor man didn’t succumb to all the trauma. However, he got through it, and the investigators were able to get a statement from him.”
“I’m all ears, Ben. Continue.”
“According to his statement, this guy was walking up the street towards the restaurant, and he noticed a white van pass him. He says it stopped right on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, and he saw three men with stockings over their faces jumped out, grab two people, and bundle them into the van. Then the van took off. The old man says he was hurrying towards the scene, but suddenly another van came from the same direction as the white van and drove right into the restaurant. He remembered the explosion, but nothing after that until he woke up in the hospital.”
James could feel the excitement starting to bubble within, but he kept it under control. “Ben, you said this guy is in his eighties, his health was not good before he was wounded, then he sustains all these injuries and on top of that he suffered a stroke which incapacitated him for weeks. How reliable do you think his memories of the events are?”
“Jim, I had the same concerns and phoned the investigator who took the man’s statement. He said it was difficult to understand him for two reasons; one the man’s native language is Yiddish, and his ability to speak Hebrew is not that good. Secondly, his speech is still moderately impaired from the stroke. But the investigator assured me that although he had difficulty understanding the guy, his mind was lucid.”
“Okay. Let’s assume for the moment that is the case.” James replied. “Was the old man able to get a look at the people who were hustled into the van?”
“According to his statement, he could see one of them was a woman…” James could feel his heart racing with anticipation. “He said she had long blond hair.” James felt his heart drop to the floor. If there was one feature about Mackenzie that no one could ever miss, it was her stunning red hair. “He
said that he couldn’t see the other person clearly – he has no idea if it was a man woman or child.”
James heaved a long pain-laden sigh. “I guess that accounts for two of the missing people then, but unfortunately not the two I’m looking for.”
“I’m sorry Jim. You needed to know that bit of information before I send you the documents.”
They said their goodbyes. James got up and walked down the corridor to Irene’s office to share the latest bit of information with her. It was as if a black blanket had been dropped over him. Maybe it’s time to make peace with the facts. Mackenzie and Liam are dead. We will have to move on.
***
It was taking weeks, but slowly Carter was beginning to recover, physically anyway. Spiritually and emotionally he was a mess; he was fully aware of the fact, but there was little he could do about it.
He tried to put his thoughts aside as he worked in the hospital’s rehabilitation gym. Under the watchful eyes of the physiotherapist, he was regaining his strength and learning to walk again. His arm was out of plaster, and his leg had a partial cast up to his knee, so he was free to hobble around with a walking stick.
The physical pain was something he could master, but not the awful, haunting, agony, deep within that he had no idea how to let out.
A Grief Counselor visited Carter every few days, and although he was knowledgeable and did his best, he had no personal experience with such a loss as this. He did have lots of experience helping people who were going through the grieving process of losing a loved one, so Carter tried to work with him. In his moments of raging anger, he considered the man full of ‘psycho-babble’ as Carter had screamed at him one day. But, from the depths of his despair, he reached out to and welcomed the man’s wisdom and compassion.
His in-laws, Mary and Steven, visited him almost every day. He knew they were suffering deep pain just as he was. Some days it drew them together in comfort; other days it brought a sullen silence between them that none of them understood.