“We’ll get as many people out of town as we can,” Zip says, as we walk back to the lake. “There aren’t many children, but they’ll go first. We’ll probe along the northern perimeter every time a group leaves, as an added distraction.”
“The group from Bethany House will stay in the barn and escort them all away. James is looking into repairing an old grain truck to shuttle them to another town,” Martha says.
Zip looks at me.
“Here’s an intercepted message that Hank thought you should see. I hope you know what it means.”
She holds up a small screen that is showing what looks like an intercept of a government communication. It says: ‘Target 314X termination authorized,’ followed by an address in Philadelphia.
“You know what it means, don’t you?” Zip asks.
“Aislin lives in Philadelphia, and 314X was the number on the private tube car where we met with her,” I reply. “Henry found Aislin, and has ordered her execution.”
I turn to Martha and Cindi.
“How quickly can we get there?”
*****
The address provided by Zip is for a luxury apartment in a building overlooking the Delaware River. Aislin lives in one of the four massive apartments that share the top floor. We arrive in the early evening and manage to get lost in the dinner crowd that’s walking around the nearby shopping district, as we try to come up with a plan. Eventually we sit on a bench overlooking the river.
“Her building has tight security,” Cindi says. “Hacked coms might get us through the front door, but there are face scanners in every hallway and elevator. With the right gear, I could hack the system; but with just a com and a computer pad, it can’t be done. I can’t even see a way into the underground maintenance areas.”
“Any luck contacting her?” I ask Martha.
“Sorry. She uses some sort of drop-box system that’s not linked to her com. It would sometimes take days to get a response.”
“Can we find her tube car?”
“I already thought of that. It’s listed as ‘taken out of service, location unknown,’” Martha says.
“Does she have a private hover car?”
“I already thought of that too. It’s parked in the basement of her building right now.”
Martha smiles. She likes that she’s already a step ahead of me.
We sit in silence, each trying to figure out a way to find a woman who’s very good at hiding. As Martha and Cindi start discussing ways to overcome the various security devices, I remember something Martha once said: ‘Not all technical problems have a technical solution.’ I allow my mind to wander and just watch the river. A large yacht has passed the area three times, and now drops anchor in the middle of the river. With the sun starting to set, I keep seeing something shiny reflecting from the top bridge.
“How did Aislin find us when we were hunting for Garai?” I ask, interrupting their technical discourse.
“She was watching Garai too, and we just happened to get in the way,” Cindi replies.
“That’s right. She was watching the watchers. If we can’t find Aislin, maybe we can find whoever is watching her, and they’ll lead us to her. If I’m not mistaken, the yacht that just anchored has a telescope trained on Aislin’s apartment.”
I excuse myself from the bench and walk towards Aislin’s building. Not far from the entrance to the underground garage, I see a man sitting in a private car. He reminds me of the Corps guys who would sit in front of my house, waiting for me to come out.
I put my com in my ear and call Cindi.
“Hey, Cuz. You said the security is tight inside the building and you can’t hack it with a com; but would it be possible to hack something that has low security? Could you turn on a light in Aislin’s apartment?” I ask.
“Probably. Why?”
“I think I found a watcher. Let’s see what he does when the light goes on.”
“Give me ten minutes,” she answers, and hangs up.
I pace for what seems much longer than ten minutes before my com finally rings in my ear.
“Ready?” she asks, when I take the call.
“Go ahead,” I reply.
She turns on the light, which is visible from both the yacht and the hover car. A few moments later, I see the man in the car sit up straighter and stare at the entrance to the private garage.
“I found a watcher,” I say.
“Cephas!” Cindi says. “The light went back out. It was done manually by someone inside the apartment.”
“I figured she’d already left. She must be hiding up there, and now we’ve revealed her.”
“Her private car just activated. She’s going to run,” I hear Martha say in the background.
“Meet me at the hover line entrance,” I say.
I hear Martha and Cindi running up behind me, just as the large door begins to open. Martha has always been the fastest runner in Bethany House, but today - she’s lagging behind Cindi - the effects of pregnancy.
As the private car glides past, we can only see a dark figure inside. I wave, but get no response.
Normally, the system controls the maximum speed of even a private car in order to maintain the flow of traffic; but if you have enough money and influence, such inconveniences can be overridden. I see the car jump to an abnormal speed.
“What now? We’ll never keep up,” Cindi says.
“Let’s jump the guy who was watching,” I reply.
I begin to run to where he’s parked; then stop short.
“What is it?” Martha asks.
“If you knew your assassination had been ordered, would you leave by the front door - in a car with your name on it?”
I see a small boat approaching the riverbank behind the building. The engines on the yacht roar back to life, and the anchor rises out of the water.
“There she is,” Martha says.
Aislin is running for the small boat.
“They’ll never get away,” I say. “The yacht is too close.”
Five men climb onto the top bridge of the yacht, carrying kinds of weapons that I’ve never seen before.
“Cover fire,” Martha says.
We draw stun guns and take cover behind the bench; but it’s too late. Aislin is about to step onto the small boat, when we hear a small pop sound, followed by a ‘whoosh’ and see a smoke trail heading towards the shore. It’s almost pretty - until it hits Aislin’s boat and explodes in a fireball. Aislin is thrown backwards by the force and rolls on the ground. She tries to get up once, but then puts her head down and doesn’t move.
As the yacht moves closer, the men on the bridge begin to fire stun rifles at her.
“Now,” I say.
I take two men off the top bridge, and Martha takes one. The other two return fire; then take cover. One leaves his arm exposed, which I hit before he crawls out of sight. The driver guns the engine and we fire as they retreat.
I look to my left and see that Cindi has been hit and is on the ground, with Martha looking over her.
“I can’t move my left side,” Cindi says.
I get my arm around her and lift her to her feet.
“Can you get her to cover, while I get Aislin?” I ask Martha.
We switch places and I watch them hobble away. Downriver, I see the yacht turning back towards us.
I expect to find that Aislin is just stunned; but it’s much worse. There are pieces of jagged metal sticking out of her leg, abdomen, and chest and there is a lot of blood on the ground.
“Cephas?”
“Hi, Aislin. We need to get you out of here.”
I start to lift her, and she moans loudly in pain. I withdraw my hands and find that they’re covered with blood.
“I’ve never been hit with a stunner before, you’d think it would stop the pain,” she says. “I wonder if they planned it that way - just to be cruel.”
She coughs.
“I’m going to try to pick you up again and get you to a doctor.”
“It’s too late for that,” she replies. “Cephas? Do you think the mark in my DNA will keep me out of Heaven?”
“Did you ever visit Brill at Capon Springs?” I ask. “Or did Austin ever bring you some water from there?”
“I met with Austin many times. He always had water with him, and I drank it on many occasions. Why is that important now?”
“It’s important because it means you’re not marked, Aislin. Four put vaccine in the water that kept your DNA free of the mark of the beast. You’re free.”
A look of peace comes across her face and stays there until it’s clear that she’s gone.
As the yacht approaches, I feel an electric charge, as it passes my shoulder and hits the dirt bank. I don’t want to leave Aislin here; but I have no choice but to run.
I find Martha and Cindi a block away, in an alleyway that’s partially hidden by a tree. When they see the blood, they don’t ask where Aislin is.
“As soon as Cindi can walk, we’re finding the next cargo car to Chicago,” I say.
“I take it we’re going back to Sheridan?” Cindi asks. “Why?”
“It’s time to finish the puzzle before anyone else dies.”
*****
“You’re back,” Cameron says, as he meets us at the entrance to a Gethsemane House escape tunnel. “I thought you were gone for good.”
No you didn’t. You’ve been praying for us to return.
“But you’re glad we’re not,” I say. “Did you maintain silence, as I asked?”
“Yes. Our only communication has been with Hank.”
Cameron speaks to me as if he’s reporting to a commanding officer.
“Was there any unusual Federal activity here in Sheridan after it was clear that we had left?” I ask.
“As a matter of fact, there was. A team of cult hunters searched...”
“… the Sheridan Museum and Historical Society,” I complete his sentence.
“It was never reported anywhere. How’d you know?” Cameron asks.
“I stored a lot of my parents’ things there when I was twelve. It was only a matter of time before Aunt Jennifer figured it out,” I say. “She should be feeling very confident about now.”
“You think she found the notebook page?” Cameron asks.
“Yes.”
“So what’s next?” Martha asks.
“Another family reunion. If I contact her, she’ll come to Sheridan - if only to gloat,” I say. “So, who’s ready to go on offense for a change?”
Everyone smiles.
*****
We travel to the shack that acts as the backup to Gethsemane, and I’m glad to see that Andrew has moved excess equipment and a sizeable amount of water there. Martha sets up the hacked com to call Aunt Jennifer, again making it appear to be Henry again. She bets that the signal will be recognized as fake, and rejected; but the call goes through easily.
“Cephas. How good of you to call your old aunt again.”
The way she smiles, it’s clear she knew it was not Henry calling this time.
“Aunt Jennifer. How nice of you to wear more clothing this time.”
“I’m thinking you want a certain piece of paper that has recently come into my possession,” she says. “It was so nice of your old babysitter to keep it safe at the Historical Society. I’d love to show you my new home. Why don’t you stop by?”
“I’d prefer a more nostalgic meeting place,” I reply. “The only place I’ll meet with you is in my Father’s house in Sheridan.”
“You’re making me come to Sheridan as a punishment, I assume,” she says. “Did you know that the name ‘Sheridan’ means ‘wild’ or ‘untamed’? What a fitting name.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow at noon in Sheridan, at my Father’s house; and if a single boot from The Corps walks on Hickory Street, the whole thing is off. Do we have an agreement?” I ask.
Aunt Jennifer gets a self-satisfied smirk on her face.
“I hear you, Cephas. Noon - in your Father’s house.”
*****
My parents’ old house on Hickory Street is again put under surveillance to see what sorts of traps are being set up. Andrew keeps me busy watching surveillance footage on the assumption that I’m best able to spot disguised cult hunters; but there’s no visible Corps activity anywhere in Sheridan.
“Do you have a final plan?” I ask, as I enter the command center.
“They’re all bad,” Cameron replies. “The escape routes and cover are both limited, and they control the hover lines, the tube lines, and the airspace.”
“Then how about if I just walk into the house and sit at the table?” I ask. “I know my aunt. She has the paper, and she’ll bring it with her.”
“It’s not your aunt I’m worried about.”
“She’s the only one I’m worried about,” I say. “I won’t be captured by Henry’s men tomorrow. That much I know.”
As the evening wears on, the activity inside Gethsemane doesn’t slow down. Everyone - except for Martha - seems to have too much nervous energy to sleep; so they check, and recheck, the plan and their gear. An offensive operation seems to be what the men and women of Gethsemane House have been waiting for; but now that the opportunity has arrived, they’re unsure of themselves.
I know how they feel. The last time I saw Michael, we promised each other that we would place our trust in the Lord. Everything I’ve seen, every piece of the puzzle, seems to be leading me towards the plans I’ve set in motion. I want to believe that I’ve ended my disobedience, and that I’m now following the Lord’s will; but I keep asking myself if it’s possible that I’m just another Pharisee.
Is it possible that this is just another plan, conceived by a foolish man that will again miss the mark of what God designed?
Martha was tired out from our travels and is asleep; so while everyone else bustles about, the only thing I can think of to do is pray. I close the door to our room, and watch Martha sleep for a while; then get onto my knees, with my head resting against the bed.
Father? I’m scared. You made me a master of human puzzles; but Your puzzles are beyond my understanding. They’re just a jumble of pieces to me. It makes no sense to me that this is the solution You want me to find. Twice, You sent me on a path through time to see Your only Son crucified and risen, and when I returned, I shared the good news. Was that not enough to ask of me?
I pause for a moment, because I’m shaking from the effort of this prayer. I can no longer stay on my knees, and I fall flat onto the floor.
I led the people back to the Bible, and yet it seems that You want me to follow even more closely in the path of Jesus. Your message reached the hearts of Michael and Aislin, and now they’re dead. I prayed at Bethany House; but the only way I could see to heal the sick led to its destruction. Now I’m praying in Gethsemane, and I know it’ll be destroyed next.
If this is really what You want me to do, then I’ll gladly do Your will without hesitation. Please tell me that I’m doing the right thing.
As I’ve been praying, I’ve been bending my neck to one side without realizing it; but now my neck is stiff. I suddenly remember the dream I had on the way to Dallas, where I was a puzzle piece refusing to go into place by bending my neck. As I straighten my neck, it pops and I feel complete relief of the pain. I let out a gasp, as the meaning becomes clear.
Thy will be done. I’ll trust the Lord, and take my place in His puzzle.