Soul Identity

by batchelder, dennis

  He looked at me.

  “Don’t even think about looking in my bag,” I said.

  The door opened. Two gray suited men came in. Feret pointed at us. “Please remove them from our premises,” he said. “I have suspended them.”

  We stood up and walked to the door. I looked over my shoulder and caught Feret smiling. “See you soon,” I said.

  “But not too soon, Mr. Waverly.” His lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer.

  “This is causus belli,” I said. Pathetic, but an occasion of war was the only Latin phrase that came to mind.

  “Dulce bellum inexpertis.” He smiled. “Since your Latin is clumsy, allow me to translate—War is sweet to those without experience.”

  One of the gray suited guys prodded me in my back. I walked through the door and caught up with Val.

  We took the stairs down to the lobby. The guard at Elizabeth’s desk smiled as we walked past him.

  “Can you call us a cab?” I asked the guy in the rear. “I forgot my cell phone today.”

  He shook his head. “I need to get you off our property as soon as possible. There’s a gas station a mile or so on the right. They have a pay phone.”

  I nodded. The other gray suit left, and the three of us walked outside and headed up the driveway toward the gates.

  “Don’t you have a golf cart we could ride in?” I asked the guard.

  “That would be nice,” he said.

  “Seems like you’ve done this before,” I said.

  He nodded. “You two make number five and six today. But you’re the first ones he’s suspended, and the other four had vehicles. Where’s yours?”

  “We just flew in.” I stuck out my hand. “My name’s Scott.”

  He looked around and then shook my hand. “John,” he said.

  “Hold on a sec, I’ve gotta tie my shoe,” I said.

  John nodded. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one.

  “John, there’s no smoking on Soul Identity grounds,” Val said. “You should know that.”

  “The rules have changed, ma’am. You’re not the first to ask me that. As of today we can smoke on the grounds, but not in the buildings.”

  “Who’s changing the rules?” I asked.

  John shrugged. “I assume it was Mr. Feret. That’s what he did last time.”

  I threw a glance at Val. “You knew him before?” I asked.

  “Of course. I was there when he became the boss at WorldWideSouls.” He smiled. “This team is in for a rude awakening.”

  “He runs a tight ship?” I asked.

  John snorted. “In WorldWideSouls the boss is king.”

  “You’re not a member, are you?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Just a hired hand.”

  “Me too,” I said. “Be careful, okay? They’re suspending even us contractors.”

  He frowned. “What kind of work do you do?”

  “Security, just like you,” I said. “They brought me up here from Maryland a bit over a week ago.” I pointed at Val. “She arrived a day before me.”

  John’s eyes narrowed. “How come I haven’t seen you around?”

  “Special assignment,” I said in a low voice. “Out of the country.” I pointed at our clothes. “We’ve been out of uniform and under cover.”

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “We left on Thursday, right after the blast,” I said.

  John stubbed out his cigarette. “I heard about the blast.”

  I nodded. “And this is how they say thanks.”

  “You must’ve pissed somebody off,” he said. “What’d you do?”

  “We, ah,” I looked at Val, and then leaned close and whispered, “We got too close for these guys to handle.”

  John’s eyes widened and he checked out Val’s figure. “I’d trade a suspension for her,” he whispered back.

  I nodded and winked.

  We reached the gate, and John pulled out a business card. “Since you’re fellow security officers—call if you need something.” He wrote his cell phone number on the bottom of the card.

  Val turned on her smile. “Thanks, John.”

  He smiled back. “Doing my job, ma’am.”

  We reached the gate and shook John’s hand. Then we started walking down the road. When we reached the end of the Soul Identity property, Val turned into the woods and beckoned me to follow. I started to stay something, but she put her finger to her lips.

  We walked another hundred yards and entered a small clearing. Val grabbed a little stick and wrote in the dirt, “Bugs.”

  She kicked off her shoes, slipped out of her blouse and slacks, and stood in her bra and panties. I stripped down to my boxers.

  We started with her shoes. They were clean, and we moved to her pants. Nothing. But when we got to her blouse, Val found a tiny microphone glued to her collar. She pulled it off and set it down on a rock.

  We found another one under my shirt collar. Val brought her lips to my ear. “We have to find the transmitter.”

  We didn’t see it in my bag. “Maybe it was in yours,” I said.

  “Andre wouldn’t have taken it back. It has to be in yours.”

  “Let me check in your bra.”

  She stifled a giggle and pointed to my boxers. “Careful, your own transmitter is peeking out.”

  I fixed myself. Then I rechecked my bag’s outside pockets and found the transmitter hiding under the stubs of my boarding passes. It looked identical to the one in Val’s yellow pouch.

  I cupped my hand to her ear. “You think that’s all the bugs?” I whispered.

  Val nodded.

  “How do you deactivate it?”

  “On the bottom.” She switched it off.

  I thought for a minute. “We should use these bugs to our advantage,” I said.

  “Like make a fake recording?”

  I nodded.

  We got dressed and replanted the bugs. Val turned the transmitter back on. “How far until we reach a pay phone?” I asked in what I hoped was a normal voice.

  “Less than a mile,” she said. “Let’s hurry up.”

  We reached the gas station just as a familiar green limousine pulled up.

  Before Bob could get out, I pulled Val close and whispered, “Maybe we can get Bob to spill the beans.”

  Bob came over with a big smile on his face. “Hello, Val, hello, Scott. Elizabeth and I just got word that you had some trouble with Mr. Feret, so we came to give you a ride back to Ms. Blake’s house.”

  “How sweet,” Val said.

  So now Bob was calling me Scott.

  “Thanks, Bob,” I said. “Who told you what happened?”

  He stared at me for a second. “One of my delivery buddies called and told me you and Val were escorted off the grounds.”

  I needed to give Bob more credit. He could think on his feet.

  Val flashed him a smile. “How was your trip to Baltimore?”

  “It was great, Val,” he said. “I showed Elizabeth my apartment, my delivery van, and my church.” He opened the rear door. “Come on inside.”

  We climbed in. The partition was down, and Elizabeth looked back at us. “What a terrible thing that man did to you,” she said. “Wait until I tell my mother. She can help you get your suspension lifted.”

  I shot a glance at Val. “I’m not so sure we should go back, Elizabeth. It’s getting pretty scary in there.” I paused for a second. “Anyway, why is some guy in a gray suit sitting at your desk?”

  Elizabeth looked at Bob and then back at me. “He’s just a substitute. I decided to take the next couple days off,” she said. “I needed a break after our trip to Baltimore. I’ll be back to work on Monday.”

  “I could use some vacation time too.” I leaned my head back on the cushions. “Though I do owe Archie a report on what we learned since our last radio conversation.”

  Elizabeth frowned at Bob, and Bob shook his head at her. “We’ll bring you to Ms.
Blake’s where you two can rest a little bit,” he said. “Tonight at the meeting you can tell us what you learned.”

  “Scott, you don’t owe them anything. They suspended your contract.” Val looked at Bob and Elizabeth. “Soul Identity didn’t protect us when we needed it the most.”

  Bob and Elizabeth exchanged covert smiles.

  I sighed. “What can you expect from this organization, anyway? They seem to be in it just for the money.”

  Bob eyed me in the rear view mirror. “Does it seem that Soul Identity is just about the money?”

  “To me it does,” I said. “Everybody talks about dollars and statistics instead of faith and convictions.” I shook my head. “I’ve been wondering if anybody here really knows what it means to have a soul line.”

  He cocked his head to one side. “But you don’t believe in soul lines, do you?”

  I needed to be careful here. “How can I possibly believe when the only exposure I’ve had has been with a bunch of hypocrites?” I upped my volume a notch. “Even Archie is happy that I’m not a believer. What does that say about his leadership?”

  Val reached over and took my hand. “I hope I haven’t been a hypocrite to you.”

  “No, Val, you haven’t been a hypocrite,” I said. “You’ve been a victim of this system, just like Bob.”

  We sat silently for a minute. Then Val looked at Bob. “I do feel like a victim—I left my job and joined Soul Identity because I wanted to pay back the organization that helped me build the bridge to my soul line. But nobody even acknowledged my sacrifice.”

  The limo was still idling in the parking lot of the gas station. Bob pulled a pamphlet out of his shirt pocket. It had been folded and refolded many times, leaving the creases worn and dirty. He held the pamphlet for a second then extended it toward us. “Scott, Val, I want to you read this little pamphlet,” he said. “It has changed my and Elizabeth’s lives.”

  I took the pamphlet. “IT MEANS MORE THAN THEY ARE TELLING YOU” was written across the cover. The Soul Identity logo at the bottom had been modified: the top of the triangle was crumbled, and the eyes looked old and tired.

  I opened the pamphlet. It started, “To Soul Identity members who deserve the whole story.”

  I looked up. “Where did you get this, Bob?”

  “In Baltimore,” he said. “Our church has a stack in their foyer. It really hit home for me.” He shifted into gear and pulled onto the road.

  I read out loud, “When you joined Soul Identity, you made the most important decision of your current life. You chose to listen to your past, and you undertook the responsibility to guide your future.”

  “So far so good,” I said.

  Bob nodded. “Keep reading.”

  “But if you’re an intelligent and enlightened member, you need more,” I read. “Your heart burns to know why your soul line exists. And once you know that answer, you need the truth about what you must do.”

  “The truth?” Val asked.

  “Just keep reading,” Bob said. “It explains everything.”

  “You are not alone in your need,” I read. “Soul Identity has been hiding the truth from you. The truth you need to be complete. Without this truth, your soul line will die.”

  “Why would they hide the truth from us?” I asked.

  “They’re afraid,” Bob said.

  I continued reading. “Is Soul Identity afraid of what would happen if we discovered the truth? They should be! They focus on your money, and not on your soul. And because of this, your soul is in peril. Shame on them.”

  Val shifted on the couch. “I want to hear this truth.”

  “You will, Val. Scott, keep reading,” Bob said.

  I looked at him. “Does this describe you?”

  “It describes how I was, Scott,” he said. “I now realize that I was enslaved by Soul Identity. They fed me scraps when I needed a feast. Once I learned the truth, I was able to throw off the chains that bound me.” He smiled at Elizabeth. “We are both charter members of the new order of Soul Identity.”

  “The new order?” I asked. “George and Sue heard people talking about the new order in Venice. And we saw it on the Internet. Is this that same one?”

  He smiled. “Yes, Scott. The new order will right the wrongs brought on by the leadership at Soul Identity, and leave us with an organization where only deserving members are rewarded.”

  I held up the pamphlet. “And that’s explained in here?”

  “It’s all there,” he said.

  “Then I’ll keep reading.” I held the pamphlet so Val could also see, and we read through the next section together.

  When we were done, I looked at Bob and Elizabeth. “That was interesting.”

  “What did you think?” Elizabeth asked.

  I raised my eyebrows. “It’s a lot to absorb at one sitting.” The pamphlet said soul lines only existed for people who believed in the truths that WorldWideSouls taught, the truths they claimed Soul Identity hid from its members. If you didn’t believe the truths, it was over: your soul line would die with you and never return. “Only those who believe get to the next level, right?” I asked.

  Bob nodded.

  The pamphlet went on to explain that those with long soul lines were heirs of refined souls. They were ready to hold high offices in the new order. Anyone at level three or above was eligible to be a leader in WorldWideSouls.

  This must be what attracted Bob to the new order. I looked at him. “You must be very valuable to WorldWideSouls. Where are you, level eight?”

  “You remember!” he said. “Yes, they were thrilled when I joined. In fact, I’ll be flying to Venice tomorrow night to be at the opening ceremonies on Saturday.” He glanced at Elizabeth. “You’re coming too, by the way. Mr. Feret just approved it.”

  Elizabeth giggled. “Oh, Bob darling, this is wonderful!” She reached out and stroked his hair. “My big, strong, powerful man.”

  “Now, now, Elizabeth, we must act with dignity.” He stared in the mirror at me and Val. “So what do you say?” he asked. “Will you believe the truth?”

  I looked at the final section. It was entitled “The Secret Truths.”

  “Hold on—we need to read them,” I said.

  Val pointed at the first. “Truth one: you have a very special soul,” she read. “You are alive today because this is either your first life, or because you accepted the truths in each of your past lives.” She looked up. “That’s pretty straightforward.”

  Bob and Elizabeth nodded.

  I read the next. “Truth two: your duty is to learn and accept the truths. There is no other way.” I frowned. “I’m not thrilled with this one.”

  Bob nodded. “It was hard for me too, Scott. But there is only one way. All other paths will destroy your soul.”

  Val cleared her throat. “Truth three: if you do accept the truths, you will be reborn, refined, and rewarded in your next life.” She looked at Elizabeth. “I like the rewards part.”

  “Me too,” Elizabeth said.

  I turned the page. “Truth four: your purpose in this life is two-fold: to bring the message of the truths to others, and to help your leaders weed out the unbelievers.” I glanced up front. “How do you weed them out, Bob?”

  He looked at me in the mirror. “That’s not covered in this pamphlet, Scott. It’s only available to level three and up members.”

  Special knowledge for special people like Bob.

  “And here’s truth five,” Val said. “Your soul’s destiny is in your control. The truths give you the power to direct the outcome of your future lives.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “I like the last truth. Bob’s pastor said you can even choose who your parents, siblings, and spouse will be in your next life.”

  “Amazing,” I said.

  Elizabeth nodded. “Isn’t it? I wanted us to get eternally married right then and there, but Bob says we need to save up for it.”

  Bob cleared his throat. “Elizabeth, let’s keep our
private lives just between believers, okay?”

  She smiled back. “You’re right, Bob darling.”

  As we pulled into the driveway, I said to Bob, “When we were driving to Maryland last week, you told Val and me that it didn’t matter what you believed, because you’d find out the truth when you reached heaven.”

  He frowned. “I did say that, and I know now that I was wrong. I have grown so much over the past two days.”

  I nodded. “It must feel good to find what you’ve been searching for.”

  “I feel at peace,” he said.

  I had heard this before. I raised my eyebrows. “Do you know you told me the same thing last week?”

  Bob paused for a minute. “You are right, Scott. The evil ones medicated me with half truths.” He turned around in his seat and stared at me with wide eyes. “They almost succeeded in stealing my soul away from me. Could you imagine how happy they would have been to destroy a level eight, refined soul? But I was able to fight them off and find the true path.”

  He reached over the partition and grabbed our hands. “Elizabeth and I want you and Val to be part of the new order,” he said. “Won’t you accept these truths with us?”

  I sighed. “I’d love to, Bob, but I think today is not the day. We just flew in from India—we need some rest before we make any eternal decisions.”

  Bob gave me a sad smile. “Cras credemus, hodie nihil.”

  Even Bob was speaking Latin. “What’s that mean?” I asked.

  “Tomorrow we believe, but not today.” He gripped our hands tightly. “Be careful, my friends. Don’t take too long to decide. Soon it will be too late.”

  Val and I both promised to ponder on the truths.

  I held up the pamphlet. “I’d like to review this.”

  Bob hesitated before he answered. “Sure. But just for tonight. I’ll need it back tomorrow before my century party.”

  We waved goodbye to Bob and Elizabeth and walked up to the house. “Don’t forget that we’re still bugged,” I whispered.

  Val nodded. “I remember.”

  twenty-nine

  We were bug-free for the meeting, but not trouble-free.

  Archie interrupted me about twenty minutes into the discussion. “Could you repeat that, Scott?” he asked. “I am afraid I have misunderstood what you mean.”