by Thorpe, K.
“No problem,” Christine assures, “I’m here for you.”
Natan looks at Christine’s professional business attire and remarks, “You know, you’re different than I expected.”
“How so?” Christine asks.
“Well, the way Alice described you, I thought you would be more…new age I guess.”
Christine muses, “You thought I’d be wearing a multi-colored dress with flowers in my hair?”
“Something like that,” Natan says.
“Well, if it makes you feel better, that’s what I look like on the inside,” Christine replies.
Natan laughs, “Good to know.”
Christine directs the conversation back to its purpose. “So, you said over the phone that you would like to work on dealing with your father’s death and you mentioned a man…” Christine flips through her notes, “A mathematics professor who sought you out for help. Would you care to start with either one of these? Or…should we begin with these reoccurring dreams that you mentioned?”
Natan takes a deep breath. She’s been avoiding the subject of her father’s death since he passed a few years back and wants to continue to do so. She tells Christine with a shaky voice, “I’m not ready to dredge up memories about my father yet. I’m still finding it too painful.” Natan collects herself. “The dreams and voices thing has been in the forefront lately. Let’s start there.”
“Voices?” Christine asks, confused.
“Uh. Voices from the dreams,” Natan explains.
“I see. So, do you feel comfortable telling me about your dreams?” Christine asks.
Natan takes a deep breath. “I’m not one to beat around the bush so I’ll just jump right in here if that’s okay.” Christine nods her head yes. Natan continues, “I have the same one over and over again. It’s the most peaceful place in the beginning. And then things become heavy.” Christine listens intently, watching Natan’s breathing quicken. Natan continues, “It’s like I’m transported somewhere…there’s a sense of something otherworldly.” Natan pauses for a moment to think then blurts out, “Do you believe in God?”
Christine doesn’t flinch, “Yes, I do. But, my belief in God is irrelevant here, Natan. Why do you ask?”
“Well…I’ve never really felt God before…not really. Never felt that connection…not one time in my life that I can recall. But in this dream, I think I feel it,” Natan explains.
“I see.” Christine leans in to Natan. “And this is unsettling to you?”
“Well, yes,” Natan replies. “And the other part that is really unsettling…the crazy part involves this professor I mentioned.”
“Is he in the dream?” Christine asks.
“No, but he wants me to believe in something…that…just can’t be possible.” Natan folds her hands tightly on her lap. Christine waits for her to finish. Natan continues, “I think that he wants to believe so badly that it may be clouding his own vision.”
Christine stops taking notes and looks at Natan. “What’s your perspective, Natan? Are you struggling with the fact that he believes in something or that you may not believe in it?”
Natan responds, “Honestly? I don’t want to believe him.”
“But?” Christine probes further.
“But…” Natan continues, “Some part of me inside…perhaps from the dream within, says I do.” Natan looks away, unable to face the words she just spoke.
Chapter Sixteen
In the late evening Josh sits in his home office at his desk reviewing his shading of the first symbol. Josh’s residence is unlike most bachelor abodes. His mother Evalyn’s gentle touches can be seen in several of the afghan throws she knitted and placed to match his furnishings, to the plants she’s added to encourage her son to open his home to more light, and to several other delicate details strewn together to create the warmth where he now resides.
Cradled in his mother’s silent surroundings, Josh focuses on the etchings, using a magnifying glass to evaluate the pages. He notices something unusual. Are those numbers? This can’t be right. Josh rewrites the tiny Mayan dots and open circles on a larger page. He writes dot = 1 and o = 0.
Josh pushes back from the desk. “My God. It’s binary code,” he says aloud as he flips through the pages. I’ll bet it’s on every symbol. Puzzled, he reviews the pages again. How could the Mayans have known about binary code?
In the comfort and solitude of her long-lost bedroom Natan sleeps in her bed. There is a light knock on her front door. Half-asleep, Natan picks up a non-ringing phone. “Hello?” she says. Natan hears the dial tone and realizes that she’s made a mistake. She puts the phone down and turns on the light on her night stand. The light knocking continues.
An annoyed Natan throws the covers off. “For the love of…” she mutters as she jumps from her bed, sporting shorts and a t-shirt. She stumbles out of her
bedroom into the living room and heads for the front door. The light knocking continues.
“I’m coming,” an agitated Natan answers to the annoying knocking. Natan opens the door to a wide awake, smiling Josh.
“Agent Natan. I’m glad you’re awake,” he boasts.
“Professor, what are you doing here?”
“Can I come in?” he asks. Natan, half asleep, moves her body out of the way and waves him in.
“Thanks,” Josh replies, not being able to contain his elation. “Agent Natan. I’ve found something amazing. I know that I couldn’t call and I had to tell you, so here I am.”
“Professor, this is the first night in months that I’ve actually been able to sleep in my bed,” she pleads.
“You haven’t been sleeping in your bed? Why?” he asks.
“Uh…never mind,” she says. “What did you find?”
His voice carries an exuberance that resonates like a jet plane to Natan. “I’ve found other Mayan symbols, embedded on the surface of the first symbol. When I translated these, I found numbers…zeros and ones. It’s binary code, Agent Natan…a complicated encryption of binary code on the surface of the symbol. I think I’ll find the same thing on the others as well. We need to find that bag!”
A sleepy Natan tries to follow. “Slow down, Professor. I’m trying to get my bearings here.”
He continues, “The Mayans were the only ancient civilization to understand the concept of zero. They must have created it based on variations of light and quantum physics.”
“You came here about numbers and physics? It’s 3 a.m., Professor…” Natan shakes her head, “You’re worse than my section chief. Look, my office hours are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Learn them, Professor, and try me then.” Natan tries to push Josh toward the door.
Josh explains more. “Agent Natan. I’ve input the binary code into my computer and found another encryption. It’s incredible…my computer can’t seem to break it. Do you know what this means?”
“You need a new computer?” she counters.
“It’s revolutionary, Agent Natan. We must find my bag.”
“Tomorrow, Professor?”
He tries to break through once more, “Agent Natan, listen to me. Please. This is very important.” Natan focuses. Josh continues, “I found a binary code hidden by the Mayans within these symbols from thousands of years ago when computers didn’t exist…that neither I, nor the university computer, can seem to crack.”
A bewildered Natan stands looking at him. “It is tomorrow,” he says.
Inside a graduate dorm room, Josh’s bag sits on a dining room table. Amanda’s fingers trace the seams that lead to the opening of the bag. She slowly unfastens the latch and opens the bag as she pulls out the pages. Amanda looks down at the pages in her hand, slowly reviewing them one by one. Mayan encryptions. What are you involved in, Josh?
Part III
Prevention
Chapter Seventeen
August, 1984
A younger Alice stands in the early 1980s style kitchen of William’s home. Yellow wallpaper accentuates the light green appliance
s Alice leans against as she attempts to console William, Natan’s adoptive father. “Bill. I’m so sorry. I know this has been so difficult for you.” William cups his hand over his face as he begins to sob. Alice approaches, placing her hand around his back, and rubs him in condolence.
William collects himself, wiping the tears away. “I never cry.”
“It’s okay,” Alice consoles.
A young Natan stands hidden, peaking around the doorway. She is shocked to see her adoptive father cry.
Alice attempts to reassure him. “I have my days.”
“It’s been six months,” he says. “You’d think I’d be able to deal with her not being here now.”
“I miss her too.” Alice watches his reaction. “How’s Katie handling it?”
“She’s been through so much, yet she’s as stoic as can be. It’s surprising, actually.”
“It must run in the adoptive family. But I can see she’s hurting,” she replies.
“There’s no doubt that she must be. Would you mind talking to her, Alice?”
“Of course not, Bill. Any time.”
“I really appreciate that…” William’s face reveals more than he’s discussing.
Alice digs deeper, “Something else on your mind?”
“Uh…well, I didn’t want to bring this up again…” his voice trails off.
“What is it?” Alice probes.
“Alice, did you follow up on that information I gave you?” he asks.
Alice realizes what he means. “Oh.” She shifts uncomfortably, backing away a bit. “I still haven’t found anything, Bill. We went through the car with a fine toothed comb. Everything was working properly.”
William shakes his head in disbelief.
Alice continues, “Car accidents happen all the time.” Alice reaches out to touch William’s shoulder. “Bill, I think if you stop looking for an outside conspiracy, you may be able to begin the healing inside.”
William pulls away, affirming his point. “I just know there’s something to this.”
Alice continues, “We went over everything. There were no mechanical issues. Why do you keep hanging on to this?”
“It’s…it’s something that Katie said,” he replies.
Young Natan perks up at her name as she stares from a distance.
“Something Katie said? What are you talking about?” Alice questions.
William recollects to a memorable night months before. In the late evening, in a dimly lit room, Natan sleeps in her bed as William approaches.
William continues his story to Alice as he replays the night in his mind. “The night before Jacqueline’s accident, I went to her room to tuck her in. You know since we adopted her, she always thought that was silly, her being eleven and all. She thought she was an adult because she surpassed ten. “Ten-year-olds don’t need tuck-ins,” she said. I was on the phone longer than I expected and when I got to her room…she was already asleep.”
“Bill, you’re rambling here. What are you talking about?” Alice probes him.
He continues, “I went to kiss her goodnight on the forehead and she spoke to me…I thought I woke her, but she was still sleeping. Her body was tense and she was covered in sweat.” Alice locks eyes with William as he continues, “I shook her and she wouldn’t wake up. It was like…she was lost somewhere…lost in another place…another world.”
“What did she say?” Alice asks.
Natan leans up in the bed, eyes closed, and utters, “Prevent it. Not an accident.” William stands speechless as he watches his adoptive daughter.
July 29, 2006
The words echo in Alice’s mind as she sits at her desk returning from her visit to the past, from the bridges of her memory. She looks down at a file in front of her. Jacqueline Natan’s file sits in front of her, complete with accident photos and all. The file reads “Case Closed.”
Chapter Eighteen
Natan sits in a chair in her therapist’s office, across from Christine. A readied Christine has a clipboard and pen in hand to take notes. “Are you still having the dreams?” she asks Natan.
Natan fidgets. “Yes,” she replies.
Christine jots notes. “You’re still a little nervous about being here, aren’t you?” “Is it that noticeable?” Natan asks. Christine nods her head yes.
“I’m sure with time it’ll get better…” Natan tries to focus on the positive.
“As with most things,” Christine responds, putting down her pen. “I’d like to discuss your dream a little further. Let’s see if we can trace this back a bit. Do you know when you began having dreams?” Christine picks up her pen again.
Natan lets her mind drift for a moment, then responds, “I’ve had dreams ever since I was little. But, this series of dreams lately has been happening for about six months.”
“Well, let’s start with the most obvious. What was going on in your life six months ago?” Christine asks.
Natan reflects, “Hmmm…I had just returned from Boston…”
Christine’s pen is in overdrive. “And, what were you there for, work or pleasure?”
“It was for work,” Natan answers.
“Why don’t you walk me through the events that led you there.”
Natan eyes Christine’s clipboard. “You sure this is confidential?”
Christine looks up at Natan. “Of course…unless you intend to hurt yourself or someone else…or abuse is involved, mum’s the word.”
“Would you mind not writing this down?”
Christine sets the clipboard off to her side. “No problem.”
Natan begins her story, “My department had gotten information that there was an impending terrorist threat, targeting an east coast city. The F.B.I. helped the N.S.A. narrow a possible occurrence to one of four cities…New York, Philadelphia, D.C., or Boston. Four units were assembled to be dispatched to the four locations. Surprisingly, I was chosen to head one.”
“You didn’t expect to receive this assignment?” Christine asks.
“I knew that I was up for more responsibility, but it was a bit shocking… in a good way.” Natan replies.
“That’s understandable,” Christine says. “Take me through it.”
Natan remembers the beginning.
6 Months Earlier
Marsh sits in his office behind his desk as Natan stands at attention in front of him, holding paperwork. He watches Natan’s shocked expression as she reviews the pages. “Never thought you’d move up the ranks so quickly?” he asks.
Natan scans her paperwork in awe. “Well, I definitely didn’t expect this,” she replies.
“Congratulations, Agent Natan. You’re one of four, including myself, and I’ve already briefed the others.” Marsh stands. “You have a few minutes to review the file and then you can meet me in the Intelligence room to discuss additional details.”
“Yes, Sir.” Marsh leaves Natan to ponder.
Inside the therapist’s office, Natan sits across from Christine. Christine probes further, “How did that make you feel, Natan?”
Natan replies, “Elated. Proud…afraid.”
“Go on,” Christine encourages.
Natan remembers.
Marsh stands in the front of a room full of agents. Natan, Knight, Alice, and
several other agents sit listening to plans to thwart the attack.
Marsh begins his briefing, “Homeland Security picked up an Al Queda operative who leaked a time line for the possible terrorist attack on the east coast and passed it on to the bureau and to us. With the bureau’s help, we’ve been able to narrow down the cities to D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.” Marsh points to a map behind him. “We’ve also been able to narrow the time period down to a forty-eight hour window which begins in…” Marsh looks down at his watch, “Twelve hours.”
Agent Kalin, a cocky, overconfident, self-proclaimed sexist stands up to address Marsh. “Chief Marsh. Who gets the privilege of heading up the units this go round?”
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br /> Marsh continues, “I know several of you have been vying for lead position, but three agents have been pre-selected…”
Kalin interrupts Marsh, “Only three, Sir?”
Marsh continues, “Johnson, Daniels, Natan, and I will lead the four units. I’ll be taking D.C. so I can stay close to base for any immediate necessity.”
Natan stands, interrupting Marsh, “I’d like to take Boston, Sir.”
“Daniels was assigned to that area, Natan,” Marsh replies.
Agent Daniels, the only guy to ask Natan out on more than one occasion and continuously survive the defeat, stands in the background. “That’s okay, Chief. I can switch with her…as long as she remembers this favor in the future.” He winks at Natan. As usual, Natan ignores his advances.
Marsh takes an aside to Alice, “Will the switch be an issue?”
“Not at all, Sir,” Alice says, “I’ll make the arrangements right away.”
“Fine. Daniels, you take Philadelphia. Johnson, that leaves you with New York.”
Johnson, the loner and wild card of the group, chirps in, “Who better to protect the big apple?” Natan rolls her eyes.
Marsh continues, “You will be allowed three-person units, not including yourself, which are pre-assigned and delineated in your paperwork. Review it and get your teams assembled. Alice will be handling your transportation and technical details. Try not to bog her down. All right, people…the ticks of time are deafening. Let’s get to it. We’re looking for a bomb-type mechanism. Chemical or biological weaponry is a probability. If you can think of it, I’m sure they have too. Don’t forget to include the local authorities for assistance, should you find something. Now, let’s go show those bastards what the N.S.A. can do.”
The remaining sitting agents stand and maneuver about the room, bustling around
