Chasing the Prophet Page 17

  He paused again to listen, then added, “The heads of the organization have threatened to find the prophet and slaughter his entire family.”

  Paul lowered the volume and said with appreciation, “Wow. The abducted children study at the same school as the boy I’m watching over. Well done. Now that’s what I call a perfect rescue operation!”

  Kate nodded vigorously. “Just imagine what must be going on in the houses of those rescued children right now. The sheer joy!”

  She turned her eyes away from the screen and looked at her daughters. The twins sat not too far from them, licking ice cream. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “It’s hard for me to even imagine how I would have reacted if…”

  Paul drew her close, and she responded by hugging him tightly. After a long moment, she raised her eyes to him. “When will we get back to being together? These past few days felt like forever.”

  “Soon,” he answered.

  35

  A Dynasty of Hunters

  “Fuck this shit, you can’t hear anything!” Jackie hissed and tapped the volume icon on the screen in front of him. He vigorously walked on the treadmill in the gym.

  Twenty treadmills were situated along the wall, each with its own personal television screen. He snatched the earphone cable from the socket and reconnected it. Still nothing but silence.

  It was eight at night and the gym was teeming with people. He looked at the other runners; the one right next to him was looking at his screen with a wide smile. The earphones worked fine for him, obviously.

  Jackie wore shorts and a tight-fitting undershirt. His feet were clad with the new running shoes his father had brought him from Madrid last week. He flew there with Jackie’s two brothers, and all three kept a strict silence regarding what had actually taken place during their stay abroad.

  Why would they share any information with him? They saw him as nothing but the little brother who couldn’t contribute anything.

  He increased his pace into a light run. What was he asking for? Just to run a little, break some sweat with music that would blast its way straight into his brain. Maybe that way he would be able to forget the day’s events.

  Damn it, he was so close to getting direct access to the prophet—but that little snake had ended up slipping through his fingers again. And the nerve he had! He had actually called his dad and they both spoke as if they were old friends.

  Jackie had been humiliated in front of his friends, but more than anything, he was angry—and that anger was rising into an intensity that was overwhelming, even for him. That sneaky bastard had even dared to smile right in his face and ask if he should say hi to his dad for him. The son of a bitch!

  Jackie couldn’t help himself and called his father a few hours ago to ask what exactly David was doing in his office.

  Clive sounded surprised by his question. “I need to tell you about your own class project?” his dad asked with amusement in his voice. “Good thing you have David as a friend so he can do your homework for you.”

  Jackie turned crimson, took a deep breath, and tried to answer in a matter-of-fact tone. “Of course I know about the project. I was the one who originally suggested we do it with the Richmond Group. It’s just that David is a little too diligent sometimes. After I specifically asked him to work on this together, he went to see you without telling me first.”

  Then Jackie analyzed the situation and realized nothing had actually changed. His dad didn’t know about the connection between David and the prophet. And why would David tell him about it anyway?

  He slowed down the treadmill, turned it off, and walked over to the exercise mat. He stood in front of a mirror, pulled up his shirt, and examined his abdomen. The muscles seemed less noticeable than usual. He lunged to the pull-up bar above him for a series of strenuous ab exercises.

  After twenty repetitions, he landed back on the mat and pulled his shirt up again to examine the results. “Much better,” he muttered. He raised his hands up, preparing to lunge up to the pull-up bar again.

  “What’s up, handsome?” Karen stood behind him with a beaming smile.

  The fitness instructor looked as amazing as ever, wearing a fashionable, full body leotard. Normally, Jackie enjoyed flirting with her, but today he was too preoccupied.

  “Hi,” he blurted indifferently and turned his attention back to the pull-up bar. He raised his legs up to a perpendicular angle.

  “New shoes?” Karen asked.

  Jackie wanted to focus on the workout, but when he saw her questioning eyes, he answered, “That’s right, from Madrid.” He panted. “From my dad’s last…” He started to explain, but she cut him short.

  “What happened to your leg? It looks like a bite mark.”

  She examined his ankle with concern, and Jackie recalled his painful meeting with Max three days ago. He finished the exercise and landed on the mat. “Actually, yes. I was bitten.”

  When he saw her concerned expression, he frowned and continued. “It was a dangerous dog. A huge one.” He noticed that she was standing very close to him now and added, pretending to hesitate. “I saw the dog attack a few children, and I couldn’t just watch and do nothing. I jumped right in, you know, to save them.” He touched his ankle carefully, as if suffering from pain.

  “My poor baby, so it attacked you instead?” Karen got even closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  He placed his hand on hers and looked into her eyes.

  “That’s all right, it could have been worse. I fought it and chased it away.” He lowered his eyes shyly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have put myself in danger, but I didn’t think about myself at that moment. I just wanted to keep those children from getting hurt.”

  “Oh, wow!” She gasped with excitement. “Not a lot of people have the heart or the courage to do something so unselfish for someone else. I really…” Jackie placed his finger on her lips and she turned silent.

  He nodded and said quietly, “I don’t think I’m a hero. Anyone would have done the same. That dog is dangerous. It could have killed those children.”

  Karen intended to say something, but then came a loud cry. “Yo, Ja-ckie! Wassup?”

  The two turned in the direction of the voice and saw Thomas marching toward them. He wore a baseball hat and waved a towel in the air.

  Jackie looked him over and thought his friend’s sportswear was way too tight.

  Thomas reached them with a wide smile on his face.

  “What’s happening?” he asked.

  Jackie could tell that Thomas had drowned himself in cologne before coming to the gym.

  “What’s up with you?” Jackie answered dryly. Couldn’t Thomas see that he had something going on with Karen? First chance he’d get, he’d have a serious talk with Thomas and teach him a few things, like not interfering when your friend is talking to a girl.

  “Hey, Tomas.” Karen smiled. “I didn’t know your friend is such a hero!” She looked at Jackie appreciatively.

  Jackie hurried to explain. “She’s just making a big deal out of that bite I got the day before yesterday.” And before Thomas could react, he continued. “You remember, when that dog attacked the children and I had to save them?” Jackie gave Thomas a meaningful look and prayed that he’d get the hint. Happily, Thomas quickly caught on to it.

  “Oh yeah. Well, if you ask me, I think what you did was awesome.”

  Jackie nodded and flashed a humble smile when a commotion suddenly spread through the room.

  “Turn up the volume!” someone shouted and everyone gathered around a television screen.

  The news bulletin boasted a dramatic headline: “Drama in the factory—hostages safely rescued.”

  Cheerful cries echoed in the gym as the images of crying children in the arms of their parents flashed on the screen.

  “Say, Jackie, those kids are from
your high school, right?” Karen asked with excitement.

  “Yes, they’re from the junior classes,” Thomas answered for him.

  Jackie didn’t react. He was glued to the screen. The television now showed a panel with several journalists and experts. The commotion in the club made it difficult for him to hear what was being said, so he focused on the titles at the bottom of the screen: “All abductees have been rescued.”

  There was a lot of excitement in the gym now. A young woman ran past them with tears in her eyes. “Those are my sister’s friends! I can’t believe it.”

  Another title appeared on the screen: “Factory owner directly involved with the attack.”

  “Son of a bitch!” Jackie screamed and kicked the training bench beside him. People stared at him in surprise.

  Jackie walked away angrily, digesting the latest news. He had seen David sending a message. What was it he’d written exactly? Check the factory owner, or something similar. He thought he heard Karen and Thomas calling his name, but he could only think of one thing—he had to get his hands on that cell phone. He had to catch David.

  36

  Dispersing the Fog

  “Mr. Prophet, everyone is waiting for your statement. Are we facing a nuclear conflict?” The news anchor straightened his eyes to the camera, and with him, millions of viewers all over the world waited for an answer.

  Just like every Wednesday evening, the prophet was interviewed live as part of the eight o’clock newscast. The news began with much praise for everyone involved in rescuing the hostages from the Green Pines factory, but the temporary sense of euphoria quickly dispersed and the discussions began to revolve around the main concern on everyone’s minds. The screen was split in two: the host in the studio was on the right-hand side, while the prophet’s famous hooded figure was shown on the left.

  David wanted to answer the question more than anything, but he still did not have an answer, even though he had fed the software with that inquiry numerous times. This was unusual—and on such a fateful subject. He had instructed his finest programmers to fix the malfunction as soon as possible, but unfortunately, none of them had come up with a solution.

  He stared back at the screen, silent.

  Earlier, when he had come home, he had managed to slip from his parent’s eyes. They hadn’t noticed his wet clothes, nor his flushed face. He hurried to get into the shower and tried to wash off the memories of the day’s events. The bruises Jackie had left on his neck had faded a little, but the searing pain in his throat and head became worse with every passing moment.

  A knock sounded on his door. “David, is everything all right?” It was his mother.

  He cleared his throat and answered loudly, “Yes, mom, I’m doing homework.”

  “Why don’t you take a break and come watch the news with us? The prophet is about to say whether we’re going to war.”

  “In a bit, maybe.” He stifled a cough.

  “All right. I baked some cookies.” She drew away from the door, but David still heard her muttering under her breath, “I can’t believe he’s not even interested in something so important.”

  David returned his gaze to the screen as the anchor impatiently urged him. “The whole world is waiting for your answer.” Then added sarcastically, “Perhaps, Mr. Prophet, instead of flooding us with weather reports, you would be kind enough to disperse the fog surrounding questions that concern the lives of millions?”

  David lowered his eyes to Max. The dog crouched at his feet on the carpet and his ears flicked as he listened attentively to the storm raging outside. The wind made the raindrops strike the windowpane, and lightning zigzagged across the sky and illuminated them.

  David did not notice that spectacular sight. His eyes filled with tears and he sneezed once, then a second time. “There’s no choice, I have to give them some sort of answer,” he muttered and blew his nose. Max looked at him with complete agreement.

  He took a deep breath and typed the only answer he could think of. “All vital information has been passed on to the relevant authorities. Those who need to know—already do.”

  The television screen played his reply with a robotic-metallic sound simultaneously translated and broadcast in dozens of languages. David hoped with all his heart that his plan had worked.

  The anchor turned to the viewers with a dramatic tone. “Well, it looks like we have a scoop on our hands. Even though the public knows almost nothing about the details of the nuclear war we may or may not be facing, it seems that some senior officials actually know quite a lot!” He turned to the secretary of defense sitting in the studio. “Mr. Secretary, we have just heard that you received that information, why won’t you share it with the public?”

  The panel participants muttered murmurs of agreement. “If government officials are withholding information from the public, it is inexcusable!”

  The secretary of defense’s face paled under the heavy makeup. When silence finally settled in the studio, he cleared his throat. “As you well know, some matters that involve national security can’t always be openly discussed. And as our close ally the prophet has said, those who need to know already do. I think everyone needs to calm down.”

  There were cries of disbelief from the panel, and the secretary of defense raised his voice when he said, “Rest assured that those in charge are doing everything in their power to protect the citizens. When the time comes to divulging all the information to the public—we will do so immediately.”

  David let out a sigh of relief. His plan had worked even better than expected. The secretary of defense did not deny the prophet’s claim, earning David a little more time to find out what the hell was going wrong with the software. Until then, the public’s criticism would be turned to the Defense Department.

  Max rose and placed his large head on the boy’s knees, his wise eyes looking up as if to say, “Yes David, you did well.”

  David stroked the head of his best friend and his fingers brushed against the ugly collar, the present he had received from grandma.

  The newscast took a commercial break, but not before the anchor promised, “We’ll get back to discussing this crucially important subject right after the break, including an in-depth analysis of the security situation, and right after that: love dogs? Don’t turn your television off before seeing our next item.”

  David logged out of the software and turned off the television.

  Max went to the door and looked at him expectantly. David nodded, and then Max pushed it with his front paws and they both exited the room.

  ***

  “Look who finally decided to show his face.” Emily looked at her son. “My, David, you don’t look so well. Do you have a fever?”

  “Yeah, I think I might have caught a cold today. I stepped in a puddle.” He waded over to the armchair and collapsed on to it heavily.

  “I knew it!” said Emily with concern. “You’re letting me take your temperature and drink some warm soup—no arguments!”

  She didn’t wait for an answer as she rushed to the kitchen. “Now where did I put that thermometer?”

  37

  A Knock on the Door

  Edna Emerson sat in front of the television and brushed Gustav’s fur with her fingers. The ginger cat closed his yellow eyes and purred with pleasure. Same as every evening, he insisted on being the one jumping to sit on her lap and exclusively win her affection.

  “You’re addicted to it, aren’t you?” she said with a smile.

  The commercial break finally ended and the evening edition moved on to the next item about the SOS Pet Rescue of California. Edna knew the place well. The television screen depicted dogs running around in the mud. They looked miserable, shivering from the cold with their large eyes staring back at the camera in a silent plea.

  She sighed and clucked her tongue. Shirley Wallace appeared on the screen ne
xt. The association’s chairwoman was sitting on a bench in the middle of the dog yard, hugging a small brown puppy. The dogs on the ground curiously examined the camera crew. The television reporter was wearing a khaki outfit with a broad-brimmed straw hat, like some brave jungle explorer.

  He stood in front of the camera and dramatically spoke into the microphone. “For the past thirty years the SOS Pet Rescue of California has been struggling to help homeless cats and dogs, and its situation isn’t simple.”

  He lowered his eyes for a moment to look at a curious dog sniffing his shoes. “The problem, as always, is a budgetary one. The association is in a deep deficit and things appeared to be hopeless—until today.” He paused and nodded dramatically before continuing. “Shirley Wallace, the association’s chairwoman, has never been interested in football, and certainly never gambled on any games. But amazingly enough, the first time she tried—she won the jackpot!”

  Edna watched the screen as if mesmerized, her eyes shining with excitement. The headline on the screen said: “Lucky Dog.” Shirley smiled happily and promised, “This money will help us with some comprehensive new programs for improving the lives of animals waiting for a miracle for so long, and this is truly a miracle.”

  The reporter nodded with a smile. “Tell me, Shirley, what made you suddenly gamble on a football game?”

  “It wasn’t me. Someone filled the form in my name…” Seeing the reporter’s bewildered look, she added, “I think I can guess who it was, but I feel uncomfortable about disclosing his name without his permission.”

  The reporter was silent for a moment. He looked embarrassed, but regained his composure and dramatically turned to the cameras. “Well, we have an unexpected development in this story.” He cleared his throat. “An unknown hero has correctly guessed the game results—and donated all the money to this rescue. I have to admit I don’t really get what happened here. Anyway, back to the studio.”