The rain struck against him as he approached Umbra, which was now almost at the car door. She was no more than ten meters away. He kept his gaze fixed on her back and neither saw nor heard the large, electric dumpster truck that slipped past him. An angry honk from the automatic vehicle made Umbra stop. His heart pounded when he saw Umbra turning around and stared at him. An icy feeling swept through him. He was in the middle of the road and he could see astonishment glide over her face.
Jonathan stopped running and raised the gun. He was no more than five meters away now. Umbra held her hand against the doorframe and looked around. No one seemed to have discovered anything. The wet cars continued to swish by.
"Move away from the car."
Umbra did not respond, she glared on him. He repeated the command.
"Move away, now!"
Umbra froze, and a faint smile grew in the corner of her mouth.
"You survived. Impressive. You must be a good swimmer. "
Jonathan walked to the trunk and held the gun trained at Umbra.
"You just answer questions, do you understand?" he glanced through the windshield, "is it Dagmar or Maja you have there?"
Umbra's shrugged and smiled.
"Why don’t you look for yourself?"
He raised the gun higher.
"I won’t ask again, who is it?"
Umbra hesitated a few seconds before she replied.
“Maja.”
"Where’s Dagmar?"
Umbra nodded towards the building.
"In her apartment. "
"Alive?"
Umbra glared at him.
"When I left her, she was alive. If she is that now I don’t know. "
Jonathan withdrew his holo-phone. The signal chirped three times before Marie’s voice was heard. He talked quickly.
"I have Umbra in front of me in Copenhagen. Can you see if you can contact Dagmar? She should be in her apartment. "
Marie's voice was clear.
"Trying to get hold of her now. "
The rain continued and seemed to grow in intensity after each passing second and made a drumming sound on the car roof. Jonathan blinked to keep Umbra focused with his gaze. Jonathan heard how another truck slipped past and the wind haul made him sway. Marie said something into the phone he did not hear.
"What did you say? Repeat. "
Jonathan tried to keep Umbra in focus but too many things happened at once, so he had a hard time to keep up. He was exposed where he stood by the roadside with a suspect in front of him under gun threat while he was talking in a phone. He knew it was a mistake to call while he had Umbra at gunpoint and he cursed himself that he had done so. He would just hang up when a voice shouted.
“Stop! What are you doing? "
Jonathan saw in the corner of his eye how a Securitas guard came running towards him. The guard waved his arms.
"Put the gun down!"
Jonathan saw how Umbra seemed to start to vibrate and he began to lose focus on her even though he stared straight at her. Before he could react, Umbra had arrived at him and tore the gun out of his hand.
She landed a fierce blow in his side, so the pain shot up within him. He sank down toward the trunk and tried to stay upright. Umbra smiled at him and showed the dazzling, white tooth line while she picked up the weapon that Jonathan dropped.
"Now you won't get away. This time you're going to die. "
She lifted the gun and aimed straight at him. The guard had almost arrived at the car but stopped in amazement when the gun quickly changed ownership. The guard was unsure how to react, so he stopped and stared at them. Jonathan watched Umbra as she lifted the gun and squeezed the trigger. The gun clicked but nothing happened. He sneered against her.
"Not today, no."
Umbra squeezed the trigger a few more times but nothing happened. She glared at him but laughed at the same time.
"You should just know. There's a surprise to you up there in the apartment. Dagmar is waiting for you. Forever. "
The pain subsided, and he was about to pounce on Umbra when she vibrated once more and gave him an elbow to the head. Jonathan collapsed like a sack of potatoes. Small, brightly shining stars moved in front of his field of vision when Umbra jumped into the car and started it. She accelerated and was just to run over Jonathan when the guard rushed forward and pulled Jonathan's semi-unconscious body out of the way.
The Amber Group Headquarters, Paris
March 18, 2049
The mirror gave her no answers, regardless of how much she wanted it to. Marie L’Angi stared at the reflection in front of her. After a while, the colors began to disappear, and the outlines of her reflection floated together. She blinked a few times to regain focus and looked down at her hands. They trembled.
She was surprised that it got to her and it made her worry. She had not previously had any major problems with sending out agents in the field but this time it was different. And she already knew what was different. It was Jonathan. It was he who was the difference. She had thought she would learn to act the same way when she sent Jonathan on assignment like any other agent, but it was not. She knew it now and cursed herself to let herself be affected in this way.
She walked out into the long corridor that went through the Amber Groups headquarters and walked into the cafeteria. The scent of coffee from the coffee maker made her feel a craving for a cup. The cafeteria was not big but had room for everyone who worked there. She liked her job. Marie L’Angi was just forty years old and was born and raised in France. She was born in Marseille as the daughter of a temporary relationship between a female French harbor worker and an Algerian sailor. She had never met her father and her mother had died when she was young, Instead, her grandmother had played a big role in her life. Her young years had been harsh, but she had still come through it with the help of her sharp intellect and charm.
When she wanted to, she could charm almost anyone, Marie had that kind of look that men all over the world found fascinating. When she entered a room, the conversation almost always stopped.
When she got older, she had had a teacher who kindled her interest for the environment. She immersed herself in the subject and after a short while she was a fervent environmental activist. When Marie was around twenty, she had together with a group of like-minded in the Marseille underworld carried out several actions around Europe at various factories that had a major impact on the environment. It was an exciting time but also dangerous.
During her last mission, someone had tipped the police and they had arranged a trap. Marie's friend had panicked when the French police had stormed out of their hiding place and her friend had run straight out into traffic to escape. It had been night and it rained, and her friend had not seen the truck before it was too late.
After that, Marie had spent a couple of long nights in French custody before she was finally released. She had put her career as an environmental activist on the shelf and instead returned to university to finish her education. After several years, she had completed her degree in environmental science at a small, French university.
She had always had an interest in archaeology and when Backmann had contacted her after she had been dismissed from her place of work, she had taken the chance. And that would have been the right choice. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself. Hennes work was to care for a couple of active agents in the field and she loved the work and the daily challenges. And it was also there that she met Jonathan.
It had been a whirlwind. She had only seen his eyes and not what he said when they bumped into each other and she dropped all her papers. She had been visiting a university in Sweden with a former teacher she had previously worked with and Jonathan and she had collided on the stairs when she was on her way to leave. He had helped her to pick up the paper she had with her and she had been struck by lightning when she looked into his eyes. And now, barely a year later, she was pregnant with their child. She stroked her stomach while she took a cup of coffee and sat down o
n the sofa.
Marie sat silent, going over the situation when the door opened, and Dolores Lee came into the cafeteria. She walked over to Marie and smiled.
"How are you, my dear? "
Before Marie managed to respond, Dolores had put her full body down in the sofa opposite Marie. Marie replied with a smile.
"It’s quite good thanks, how are you?"
"Are you sure everything is ok? You look somewhat troubled if I may say so, everything is well with the baby? "
"Yes, the baby is ok. And I too for that matter, "she paused for a moment before she continued," Well, maybe not quite good. I wasn't really prepared for what it would be like to be so closely involved with someone who is in the field. It's not quite easy I can admit. "
Dolores nodded empathically.
"Yes, I can only imagine. You're both the supervisor and partner to Jonathan. And soon even the mother of his children. " She nodded against Marie's growing stomach.
"Yes, manager and partner, I can do. This being the mother of his child, I am a little more unsure of."
Dolores frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Marie chuckled while she took a sip of coffee.
"That wasn't the way I meant. I mean I long for we get children together, but I was not completely prepared how many different emotions I would get while I was pregnant. All the emotions I have now feel a lot more and I'm maybe just somewhat unstable. "
Now it was Dolores turn to chuckle.
"It’s quite alright to have these feelings, my dear. It is just as it should be. Pregnancy means that you do not recognize your body more. The baby will take over more and more and feelings that you normally have control of are now taken hostage by pregnancy. You can think of it as all your emotions are thrown into a blender and churned around until the whole thing is a single big soup. "
Marie burst out laughing at Dolores explanation.
"Ok, so then I just have more to wait for the next six months?"
Dolores nodded while she painstakingly rose.
"Yes, that’s at least what I have heard. I don't have children myself and I tell you just what I heard from my own mother. "
Marie laughed and stretched out her hand to Dolores who helped her up.
"She sounds like a wise woman your mother."
"Yes, she was."
"And what does your mother think about dealing with men? Did she also have some good tips on that? "
Dolores smiled.
"No, not really, she was married eight times with seven different men. So just within that department, I don't think we should rely too much on her advice. "
"Was she married eight times?"
"Well, what can I say, she had a great appetite for men. One, she liked so much that she married him twice. "
Marie stared at Dolores before both two bursts out laughing. After a while, Marie dried her tears from her cheeks.
"Thank you, Dolores. Thank you for this. "
Dolores gave her a soft hug and held her.
"Of course, my dear. Life is too short to worry too much. Find what's important to you and Jonathan and focus on it. I have seen how he looks at you, he is up over his ears in love in you. "
Marie basked in Dolores words.
"And all the stress when he's out on assignment? How should I handle it? "
Dolores shrugged.
"He has a dangerous job, no doubt about it. But it also has a lot of other people in the world, police, firefighters, rescue personnel. You do what you need to do. Focus on the time you have together and find strength in that he will do everything for it to work. "
Marie thought about Dolores ' words and nodded when Dolores spoke.
"And remember, when Jonathan finds himself in trouble or in danger, you will be the light that he will cling to. And that means your status in the relationship will be getting so much more than the wife or girlfriend could ever be. You will almost become a godlike status in his eyes. "
Marie wobbled when Dolores fell silent.
* * *
She was deeply immersed thought when her computer chirped. Marie saw the email. It was from one of the Amber Groups researchers. In the subject line was just a name, Dagmar Buch. Curious, Marie clicked on the email and opened the attachment and started reading.
Dagmar Buch, born Nielsen. 77 years. 1.81 cm. Long, 65 kg, slender, blond golden hair, very beautiful, blue-green eyes. Widowed by Arne Buch. Rich. Lives in Copenhagen in a luxury apartment. Born and raised in northern Copenhagen. Normal upbringing, her father worked as a dentist, her mother as a preschool teacher. Lived a completely anonymous life until she met Arne Buch at the end of the millennium. Arne and Dagmar married not long after they met. Got a daughter Maja Buch. Subservient, unsure of herself when she met Arne. Participates in the social life in Copenhagen, Arne is very active. Arne also seen on several occasions with other women under a series of events for several years.
Several rumors are circulating but he continues the behavior. As the years go by, Dagmar seems to develop more and more confidence. She starts at the age of Forty-three and engages one of her few girlfriends an event where Dagmar participates. She meets an enterprising, older businesswoman who seems to take a liking to Dagmar and the woman takes Dagmar under her wings. In the next few years, Dagmar becomes more and more independent and the marriage with Arne is shaky. Arne is now one of the most powerful people in Danish businesses and has a large, global network. Dagmar cultivates parallel her own network and a year ago Dagmar travels unexpectedly to South America. What she does there is unclear. It is also uncertain who she meets and spends time and the actual purpose of the journey is unknown.
Dagmar stays away for barely six months and then returns home. Arne has in the meantime been seen with at least three different women at various premieres and events. But Dagmar is apparently changing on a deeper level and the neighbors are contacting the police on several occasions when the couple is arguing. Dagmar's financial situation is good and after the trip, it is even better. At year-end, her available funds amounted to fifty-five million. After Arne's death, this figure is now tenfold. According to an internal report from the coroner, there are still some question marks around Arne's death. What is mentioned is circumstantial evidence and now none of the question marks results in further investigations.
Marie leaned back in the soft chair and did not notice when it creaked under her. Her thoughts swirled around in a maelstrom. What did this mean? Had Dagmar murdered Arne? If she had done that, what were her motives? Money? It did not sound right. If she had access to more than half a billion Danish kroner so what difference would ten times as much money do? It was still far too much money to spend in the years she had left. There must be something else behind it. Something that went deeper, something that only Dagmar herself knew the reason for. It knocked on her door.
"Yes?"
The voice of Backmann was dull behind the thick door.
"It’s me."
"Come in."
The metal door slipped to the side and Backmann came into the room.
"Have you seen the latest on the news?"
Marie shook her head and Backmann took up the narrow remote control to the thin screen on the wall. The screen was filled with a female anchorman with a little too much makeup to look believable. She pressed her earpiece and nodded imperceptibly. She looked seriously into the screen when she started talking.
"It seems that there are further events going on around in the world. Events that may possibly be interconnected. What this means is too early to say. "
Marie frowned when she saw the lightly stressed news woman's gaze wandering around on her reading pad for what she would say. The words got stuck before she finally took a deep breath and looked again at the screen.
"We will go to a live broadcast of Arik Zimki and the working group. Over to them. "
The scene on the screen changed and Marie saw how a woman stood next to a golden podium. She leaned against the sea of microp
hones.
"And here comes Mr. Zimki. Thank you. "
The camera panned to the left where Arik Zimki limped out. Despite his handicap, he managed to make his appearance look regal. He walked up to the podium and stood silent and looked out over the sea of reporters as devoutly followed his slightest movement.
"Thank you for all of you have come to today's press conference. We have some new information on the latest today’s events. "he paused," as you know, we have worked incessantly to ensure accurate information about the seismic activities on different celestial bodies in our solar system. Furthermore, we have analyzed data that indicate that the spheres are currently undergoing internal communication. We have documented at least fifty spheres have converged near one of the Lagrange points. "
A forest of hands flew up in front of the Arik. Arik nodded against one of them. An overweight, sweaty man rose.
"Charles Tow, the Washington Post", a short nod towards Arik, "What is a Lagrande point?"
Arik smiled indulgently at the man.
"Lagrange point, not Lagrande. A system of two celestial bodies that move around each other will have five points in the system where the respective bodies gravity cancel each other out. Such a point is called Lagrange point. "
Charles noted furiously on his tablet and sat down while he mumbled.
“Thanks.”
Arik continued.
"Where was I? Well, we have monitored a great many spheres that have congregated in space. We have identified one hundred and forty-seven of them as being on or in the Earth's atmosphere. The remaining hundred three spheres have not been seen before and must, therefore, assume that they come from other places in the solar system. Of course, this unique situation poses a lot of questions unanswered this time. Why are the spheres congregating now? What do they do? Why are there new spheres coming every hour? As you can see, there is a myriad of issues that we are working flat out to answer. And not forgetting, the collection of spheres has something to do with the seismic activities around in our solar system? "
Genesis Page 24
