by Elana Brooks
God, he’d forced it on her…
“Hello, Adrian.” Rabbi Sensei’s voice was as smooth and rich as ever, with the cultured Russian accent his decades in the US hadn’t quite eliminated. “You have something to report?”
“Yeah.” Adrian cleared his throat. “Um, its major. Like, I mean, a game-changer. And—I think I might have screwed up. Big time.” His throat closed and the phone shook against his ear.
“I’m listening, my son.” There was no trace of stress or censure in Rabbi Sensei’s words, only the tranquility earned by years of dealing with crises of every sort while delving deeper and deeper into the mysteries of a profoundly gifted mind.
Adrian slumped in his chair and took a deep breath. Everything would be all right. Rabbi Sensei would take care of it. “I found her. What we’ve been searching for. Someone with huge potential. She came to my last session.” He poured out the story.
Rabbi Sensei listened patiently, only posing an occasional clarifying question. Even when Adrian miserably blurted out how he’d forced the soul bond on Beverly, there was none of the horrified reaction he’d expected, only gentle, detached acknowledgment. Warmth surrounded him, easing the tremors of delayed emotional reaction. Unhindered by the long distance between them, Rabbi Sensei was telepathically projecting the inner peace that characterized him even more than the rest of the Eight.
“So—I guess that’s everything,” Adrian concluded. “I’ll send you her contact information. Will you call her, or do you plan to approach her in person? You can probably catch a flight out here tomorrow. Although she might react better if one of the female members of the Eight makes the contact.”
“I’ll fly there tomorrow, yes. I’ll visit her in her home. You’re right that a woman will likely reassure her, so Keiko will accompany me.” His relaxed confidence grounded Adrian. He should have known none of this would shake Rabbi Sensei. “And you’ll go with us.”
“What?” That’s what he’d wanted, but going over what had happened had impressed on Adrian what a very bad idea it would be for him to have any further contact with Beverly. “Sensei, you can’t be serious. My g—” He cut himself off. Rabbi Sensei disapproved of taking the Lord’s name in vain. “I hurt her. I forced her to bond with me against her will. She’ll hate me, and rightly so. I should stay away from her. For good.”
Rabbi Sensei’s voice was calm but firm. “Whatever the circumstances of the bond’s formation, it now exists. It can’t be eliminated or altered. So we must take it into account. You’re linked to this woman in a way that will shape both your futures. To try to deny that fact would be folly.”
“I… I…” Much as he wanted to protest, he couldn’t go against Rabbi Sensei’s wishes. “Whatever. Should I cancel the rest of my classes?”
“There’s no need to discard the opportunity to discover more potential talents. Continue with the two sessions scheduled for this evening. After we meet with Beverly, I’ll give you further instructions.”
“Yes, Rabbi Sensei.” Adrian had to trust that his boss knew what he was doing. The wisdom passed down by the leaders of the Covenant for eight millennia was unlikely to lead him astray.
He feared Beverly’s reaction to learning that the events of her dream had really happened, but the thought of permanently cutting himself off from her provoked a strange sense of panic. Was that an effect of the soul bond? Or did he just need to reassure himself he hadn’t irreparably damaged her?
He certainly couldn’t expect a warm welcome. After what he’d done, he’d better hope she didn’t own a gun. It would serve him right if she shot him on sight.
Chapter 3
Beverly groaned as she kicked off her heels and dropped her purse on the table. She headed for her bedroom, stripping off her confining blouse and tight skirt as she went. Taking what felt like her first deep breath all day, she flung the clothes on the bed and grabbed some soft drawstring pants to slip over her hips. So much better. She pulled a loose t-shirt over her head and reached to remove her bra.
The doorbell rang.
Beverly froze. Who could it be? Nobody ever came to her apartment.
She momentarily considered changing back into her work clothes, or at least into something a little more presentable, but shrugged off the thought. Probably it was just some jerk defying the “No Soliciting” sign. A pimply teen selling fundraising candy, or a vacuum salesmen wanting to clean her carpet, or a religious fanatic intent on converting her. They could deal with her sloppy appearance. She padded barefoot to the door, worked the three locks, and pulled it open.
A small white-haired man stood there, dressed in a conservative gray suit, an old-fashioned hat clutched in his hands. Beside him, a willowy Asian woman in clothes that looked like she’d stepped off a fashion runway inclined her head with a gracious smile. “Please forgive the intrusion,” the woman said, a lilting Japanese accent lightening her words. “Is this the home of Ms. Beverly Jones?”
“Um, that’s me.” Beverly looked back and forth between them, baffled.
The old man extended his hand. Beverly took it, bemused; his handshake was firm and assured. “Ms. Jones, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Solomon Mandelsky, and this is my wife, Keiko. We represent an organization known as HBQ Incorporated. I believe you’ve already made the acquaintance of one of our employees, Adrian Marshall.”
He gestured, and Beverly froze. The yoga instructor stepped from the shadows behind the mismatched couple, regarding her with grave, apprehensive eyes.
She blocked the doorway with her body. “What do you want?” It felt rude to meet the elderly man’s courtesy with such bluntness, but something very weird was going on. Her heart was pounding so hard she almost shut the door in their faces.
The woman spoke. “Of course you don’t feel comfortable allowing us into your home, but conversing across the threshold is awkward. Will you accept an invitation to dinner? We’d be honored if you would accompany us to a restaurant of your choosing so we can explain our purpose in a more comfortable setting.”
This went way beyond a sales pitch. It should be obvious she didn’t have the kind of money that would make an elaborate scam worthwhile. What the hell did they want with her?
The old man added smoothly, “You’ve come to our attention as someone who would be a valuable asset to our organization. If we can reach terms that are agreeable to both sides, we’d like to offer you employment.”
She laughed incredulously. “You expect me to believe you need an accountant? I’m sorry, but that’s the sort of thing you run an ad for. You don’t send company bigwigs to someone’s house.” She glared at the trio. In a minute she really would slam the door.
“No, you’re quite right.” The old man—Mr. Mandelsky?—nodded. “The position we have in mind would be quite a bit more involved.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not interested.” Beverly squashed an unwelcome pang of curiosity. “I’m very happy with my present job.” That was stretching the truth, but it was none of their business. “Goodbye.” She swung the door closed.
Adrian stepped forward and put his hand on the doorframe. She stopped the door just before it smashed his knuckles. “Beverly,” he said. “You have to listen. We need you. Desperately.”
She froze. His voice, his words, his expression—they were all so familiar. Just like in her dream.
But that was impossible.
“Why?” she whispered.
“You remember. To protect Earth. Against our enemies.”
She swallowed. “You’re crazy. That wasn’t real. How—”
“It was real, Beverly. All of it. I’m so sorry—”
Ice flooded her body. She remembered dark eyes burning into hers, a ruthless will invading her soul, powerful arms seizing her—
“You’re lying.” She didn’t care if she broke his hand. “Get the hell out of my house!”
She shoved the door shut with all her strength. He yanked his hand away just in time. Panting, she jammed the lo
cks closed.
God, what was going on? Maybe she’d talked in her sleep. Maybe he was some sick perv who got off on women’s fear.
Maybe she’d never really woken up and all this was still part of her dream.
She put her back against the door and slid to the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs. She dropped her forehead to her knees. Please, if she could just wake up…
After several long minutes of silence, the doorbell rang again. “Go away,” Beverly choked out.
The woman’s voice came muffled through the thin wood. “I’ve sent the men away. I know this comes as a very great shock to you. It was the same for me when I first learned the truth about HBQ and about myself. However, I give you my word, none of us wishes to harm you.”
“Then you’ll leave me alone.” Would the police come if she called 911? No one had done anything actually illegal yet.
“Will you allow me to offer proof that our abilities do in fact exist? If you give me permission to enter your home in my astral form, I can see what’s contained within. Ask me about an item I couldn’t have seen through the door, and I’ll describe it.”
Now they were resorting to cheap magic tricks. Had they broken into the apartment while she was at work and spied on her stuff? The thought made her shiver. But she could trip the woman up if that was the case. “Okay, fine. My purse is on the table. Inside is a paperback book. Tell me the title.” Her purse had been with her all day; no way they could have messed with it.
There was a pause. “I’ll need to manipulate your purse and the book,” Keiko said. “You’ll have learned during your experience in astral form that interaction with the material world is possible. Even so, the sight may startle you.”
“Go for it.” She’d like to see how the woman handled this. She climbed to her feet and went to the table. Picking up her purse, she felt it all over for strings or wires.
“This will take only a moment.” The voice outside the door fell silent.
Beverly clutched her purse. For a moment nothing happened. Then a gentle but insistent pressure drew the worn leather out of her hands.
Beverly gaped as the purse floated over to rest on the table’s surface. The zipper’s pull tab lifted in invisible fingers and slid across. Her book emerged from the gap and turned in the air so the cover was right-side up. Then it settled and came to rest gently on the table.
A moment later, the voice came again from beyond the door. “Emma. Not the best of Austen’s works in my opinion, but it has its charms. Are you enjoying it?”
Beverly’s legs were so rubbery she barely got the chair out in time to sink into it. “Yeah. It’s one of my favorites. I reread it every couple of years.” Part of her found it ridiculous to be discussing literature with a person who was either a very skilled con woman or something way beyond Beverly’s ability to comprehend. But most of her was too numb to think straight, so what the hell, why not have a friendly chat?
“Are you convinced, or would you like further demonstrations? If you’re still skeptical, I’d be happy to perform whatever task you suggest.”
Beverly shook and pressed her hands to her face. “Please, no.”
“I’m sorry this is distressing to you. I’d give you more time if I could, but our need to speak with you is urgent. Adrian told you about our enemies, yes? We expect them to arrive in only five years. If you agree to join us, you’ll require that time for training.”
Beverly still didn’t believe any of it, but her imagination had run out of alternate explanations for what she’d seen that seemed any more plausible than the one they offered. She groaned and shrugged. “Whatever. Go ahead, unlock the door; the key’s still in the lock. I guess that’ll be easy for you.”
“Yes, if you’re sure. May we enter thereafter, or would you feel safer going to a public place with us?
“Come on in. Make yourself at home. It’s not like I can stop you.”
Keiko’s voice was gently reproving. “We respect your authority over your home, so you could stop us with merely a word. Is your invitation genuine, or spoken in jest?”
“No. I mean it.” To Beverly’s surprise, she really did. As the initial shock of the situation wore off, curiosity consumed her. Much as she was freaked out by the thought of further interactions with the strange trio, it would kill her if they really did go away and leave her alone. She would never find out more about the bizarre things she’d seen. Forever after she’d wonder if fear had robbed her of the most exciting opportunity of her life.
“Very well. I’ll open the door.”
Beverly reflected it must either be a measure of just how adaptable she was, or how crazy, that the key turning in the deadbolt and the chain sliding free were about what she expected. The knob turned and the door swung open. Outside, Keiko’s still form sat slumped against the wall beside the doorframe. As Beverly watched, she gave a little indrawn breath, straightened, and opened her eyes. She blinked for a moment, then climbed to her feet, turning to Beverly with a gracious smile. “May I call my husband and Adrian to join us?”
The old man was surely harmless enough, but the memory of what Adrian had done in the dream still horrified her. But she was halfway to believing all this bizarre nonsense, so maybe he’d really thought he was saving her life.
Maybe he really had.
“Sure. Whatever.”
Instead of pulling out a cell phone, Keiko frowned briefly in concentration. Then she stepped through the door, closed it behind her, and came to seat herself at the other place at the table. Beverly didn’t stand up. If that was rude, Keiko would just have to deal with it.
“I’m afraid we must be interrupting your plans for dinner,” Keiko said. “If you’re hungry, feel free to prepare your meal.”
“I don’t have enough for everybody. And that really would be rude, eating in front of you.” Not to mention embarrassing—Lean Cuisine wasn’t exactly home cooking.
“Then perhaps you’ll reconsider our invitation to dinner.” Keiko gave her a sisterly smile. “It would be a great favor to me. I’m afraid Solomon’s patience can grow a bit short when he’s hungry, so I always take care to make sure he eats regularly when otherwise he would let business matters distract him.”
Beverly’s reply was cut off by the sound of the doorknob turning. She swiveled to see the old man push the door open and enter, followed by Adrian. They seated themselves on her ratty old sofa. The old man inclined his head to her. “I’m pleased you’ve recovered your composure. I was spared the shock of learning about the powers of the mind after a lifetime of ignorance because my father trained me in their use from the time I was a child. But I assure you, your reaction is among the more moderate I’ve seen.”
Adrian grinned nervously at her. “I refused to talk to Rabbi Sensei for a week after he told me he suspected I might have psychic powers. I was this close to calling the police to have him committed. But eventually you see so much evidence you can’t deny it any more.”
“Rabbi Sensei?” Any topic seemed safer than this casual discussion of impossible things.
The old man inclined his head. “I’m both a Jewish rabbi and a teacher of karate and several other martial arts. My students find the title amusing.”
“That does seem like an odd combination.” Beverly eyed his frail-seeming frame. He didn’t look like a fighter, but then the wizened yet powerful old martial arts master was a cliche.
“Aspects of truth can be found on many paths, and the earnest student of God’s creation pursues deeper understanding without fear wherever the quest takes him.” His eyes met hers. “Are you ready to pursue a truth deeper than what you’ve heretofore known?”
She shivered. “Do I have a choice?”
He inclined his head. “The choice is always yours. If you’re quite certain you don’t wish to listen to us further, you need only say so.”
She shrugged and gave a rueful little laugh. “It’s too late for that. I’d go crazy wondering.”
�
�Only for a few years. When the aliens arrive, all humanity will learn the secrets the Covenant has kept through the millennia.”
She scrubbed her hands on her pants. “There really are aliens?”
“Yes. You’ll learn the whole history in time. Because it’s long and complex, we’ve developed a protocol to convey it to new recruits in the most effective fashion. Part of your training, if you choose to join us, will be that instruction. Suffice it to say for now that hostile aliens first visited Earth approximately eight thousand years ago. They were repelled by eight courageous people, who learned that they would return in greater numbers at a specific time in the future. The Covenant was formed to guard that knowledge and prepare against the day of their arrival.”
Beverly shifted her gaze to Keiko, then Adrian. Both of them were listening earnestly, showing every sign of believing the old man’s outrageous words. “In that case I’d think you’d be stockpiling rockets and nuclear weapons, not running yoga classes.”
He gave her a wry smile. “The information passed down to us indicates that the aliens possess technology far beyond what humans have yet achieved. Yet their greatest strength is in the realm of the mind. What use would be missiles which could be turned aside by telekinesis? What physical weapons would avail against beings whose astral forms are untouchable, yet can kill as easily as Keiko unlocked your door? Our only hope of defeating them is to match their psychic abilities. And if possible, exceed them.”
“That’s how they did it last time.” Adrian leaned forward eagerly. “You’ll see—”
He broke off at a mild look from Rabbi Sensei. The old man turned back to Beverly. “That’s why we need you.”
“You think I can do that sort of stuff. Really well.” She thought back over the dream she now knew had been no dream, and her pulse quickened. “Leaving my body like that, flying up into space—you’ll teach me how to do it again? Any time I want?”
