The flames burned her stomach. Her arms already blistered. His grip loosened and Annie thrust her weight against him. He fell back and screamed.
Annie dropped to the ground and rolled, squelching the flames on her body.
She stepped back horrified by the sight of David aflame and the sound of his shrieks of pain. She wanted to help him, but there was nothing she could do.
David writhed, trying to push himself up, but his arms, pillars of flame, wouldn’t hold him. He fell. “Annie! Annie! An-n-n-n-n-ie!”
Through David’s cries she heard a pop.
Pinpoints of light shone down the tunnels. Someone was coming!
Another blast sounded and she realized they were shooting at her. It must be the Silim. They thought she was a terrorist. They’d kill her before she could explain.
David quit moving. His screaming subsided. His burning body lit up the end of the passage and sparkled on the water.
And the smell. Oh god, the smell.
Yelling and pounding feet. Flashlights slashing the darkness of the tunnel. Run! She spun and raced toward the cistern. There had to be another tunnel. In the gloom, she didn’t see it at first. Her hands searched the wall, frantic to find escape from the guards who would shoot her on sight.
There. An opening in the rock.
She slipped into the passage barely wide enough for one person. She turned back once. The last thing she saw was the ner tamid on David’s altar.
THIRTY-ONE
Behind her, guards searched around the cistern. A triumphant cry sounded and she knew they’d found the tunnel. Their rasping breath and thudding feet followed her.
Were her eyes open or closed? The darkness was complete. Annie kept running, pushing to get away from the men panting behind her. She had no idea where she headed and feared that if she did escape the guards, she’d be lost in the tunnels to die of starvation. With her hands out, feeling the walls, she raced forward, knowing if she didn’t find another path, the guards would catch her.
They were gaining ground. Her fingers felt a break in the wall and Annie turned into another narrow passage. Every now and then she felt tunnels veering off. Sometimes she turned into them and sometimes she didn’t. Her mind quit offering coherent thoughts and she made decisions without logic. She kept taking turns as they came up and after a time, she couldn’t hear the guards anymore.
She slumped against the wall and let the bulging fountain of pain expand from the pit of her stomach to include her whole body. Hassan and David. They were gone forever. Annie sank into the sand at the bottom of the tunnel, rested her forehead on her knees and gave into silent sobbing.
David’s screams, the smell of his burning flesh, his body writhing and finally the stillness and silence—all this was seared so deeply into her brain she was sure she’d never see or hear anything else. The body she’d pressed against her on Wild Horse Hill was ash in a tunnel beneath his beloved Temple Mount. Her best friend lay dead in the desert.
Her body felt heavy sitting on the ancient sand. The excruciating force of the pain sent a moan from her dry lips.
In a flash, as though someone changed channels, David and Hassan’s images disappeared and Annie’s mind formed a picture of a sleeping baby boy cradled in Moshe’s arms.
She saw a calf. A perfect red heifer calf curled in the hay under her mother’s legs. Purpose pumped into her. She had to rescue the innocent boys from their prison.
The calf lay trapped in the secret room behind the lab. Probably, someone from The Corporation knew about that room. They’d go back and find the calf and this whole nightmare would continue. She had to do something about the Red Heifer.
The dark passages held no clues to tell her where to go. All she could do was take one step after another and hope they brought her out of the tunnel. She knew only that she had to get back to the compound.
Annie wasn’t even surprised when she bumped up against a solid wall and felt a metal latch. She opened the door into a closet-like room. It measured about a five-foot square, empty, with a tile floor and another door. It was still dark, but some light diffused into the air and she could make out vague details. The next door had a knob typical of residential houses.
She opened it into a small room much like the room in David’s house. No furniture, just boards, tools, rags, and the paraphernalia of digging. Annie didn’t stop to study the contents. She hurried to another door, opened it and stepped out onto the cobbled street somewhere in the Old City.
Annie looked around at the houses and shops lining the street. Nothing and everything looked familiar. She could be anywhere. She looked up at the stars as if they could guide her. Picking a random direction, not even sure it was south or west, she trudged on, certain the Jaffa Gate was directly west of the Temple Mount. She hoped she moved west.
After following what seemed to be a main thoroughfare as it wound narrowly through the quiet city, Annie finally saw something she recognized. The stone lion head roared down at her. She turned at that corner, hoping her directional sense was on target. Within minutes she entered the plaza in front of the Jaffa Gate, the palm trees and stone benches standing silent sentinel in the pre-dawn gloom.
She raced through the tunnel and to the Land Rover. Annie found her way out of Jerusalem and tore down the open road anxious to find The Corporation camp hidden in the hills. She glanced up at the stars, “You’ll have to help me.”
She found the turnoff from the highway. All she had to do was follow the trail left by what appeared to be several trucks to lead her to the camp. She had no way of knowing if the tracks were Israeli military or the Corporation or the Silim. She had to save the boys and find the calf no matter who occupied the camp.
It didn’t take long before Annie saw smoke ahead and realized she’d made it back to compound. She stopped the Land Rover and stepped into the sand. It wouldn’t be smart to barrel into their midst, no matter who controlled the camp.
She crept around the last curve and gazed down the valley floor. The camp was a shambles. The shack she and David shared was a smoldering pile of ash. None of the tents stood. They were ripped and scattered, along with their contents, all over the valley floor. The two Corporation trucks they’d hauled the cattle in were burned out shells.
A large troop truck and three military SUVs drew Annie’s attention. Military men in Israeli Army uniforms hustled around the camp. In the cattle pen Annie recognized Adi, several of her guards and one of the rabbis with hands cuffed behind their backs. Other men in camouflage, probably members of the Silim, were also cuffed. Soldiers stood outside the pen, their rifles at the ready.
In her mind, she saw Hassan and David back at Shalom-Hagolan, teasing and laughing at her. Then she saw Moshe’s spastic dance as bullets hit him. Her nose burned with the stench of David’s death.
Annie fell to her knees in the dust.
She let her head fall back and looked into the dazzling blue of the desert morning. “All my life I’ve seen a vindictive, unloving God. My father used you to hate others. David used you to kill. The Silim used you as an excuse to release death in Israel. If you’re there, why don’t you show some love? Just once.”
She sat still. Waiting. Something had forced her from her grief in the black tunnel, shown her the way through the underground passages and the maze of the Old City. She’d thought maybe there was a God. Now that she pleaded with him to show her love, she felt nothing.
She was alone again.
Annie glared at the heavens. “Jerk.”
Anger spilled into her soul. She pushed herself from the dirt. “I’ll do the dirty work myself. I helped create the perfect heifer and I’ll cause the blemish.”
She wanted to stomp into camp, but didn’t have the strength. Her boots scraped in the sand. She took no more than three steps away from her hiding place when she heard the click of a gun. Her heart quit mid-beat and she almost felt the bullet tear into her. She stopped and put her hands up.
A harsh voice spo
ke to her in Hebrew. She swallowed. “I can’t understand you.”
The barrel of a gun jabbed her back and an accented voice came to her. “Walk slowly toward camp.”
She started, wondering if she’d be arrested as part of The Corporation. She had no idea who would vouch for her, how she’d get out of this. The soldier behind her shouted and several others ran out, their guns trained on her. Maybe they’d shoot her now without letting her explain. It almost felt good to be afraid; it meant she wanted to live.
Several men emerged from the lab rushing toward her. Most wore military uniforms. One middle-aged man wore a white cotton shirt and khakis. His fair hair receded at the temples and he had the athletic build of a man who played a lot of tennis. When he got close enough to see Annie clearly, his face broke into a grin. He held out his hand as if she’d joined a dinner party. “Dr. Anne Grant. I’m glad to see you.”
The man in khaki turned to a barrel-like military man beside him. “This is the American doctor.”
The military man took stock of her. “You are not hurt?”
The man in the khakis waved his hand at the soldiers surrounding Annie. They put their guns down and backed off a pace or two.
It all seemed unreal to her. She couldn’t focus or make sense. “No, I’m not hurt.”
The man in khakis studied her. “And Eli?”
A knife to her heart when she thought it was numb. She almost gasped at the pain. “Dead. In the tunnels.”
The man put his hand on her shoulder. “The tunnels. Damn. That’s where he went. You look exhausted. Come into the lab and sit down. You can tell us what happened.”
She resisted. “Who are you?”
He pulled a leather billfold from his shirt pocket and flipped a silver badge. “Sorry. Ben Sampson. CIA. We’ve been following the Third Temple organization for several years. We knew something was coming to a head, but didn’t know where or what. After the bombing at Shalom-Hagolan, we lost the trail. But then…”
Annie heard his words but didn’t concentrate. “I’ve got something to do.”
Sampson put a hand out. “Why don’t you come sit down a minute and we’ll ask you some questions.”
She walked away at a fast pace and after a few steps began to run. The mess tent was nothing but a pile of ashes but she used it to get her bearings. The door was down the cliff wall from that but how far? She searched the stone, retreated a few feet and looked again.
Sampson followed her. “What is it?” he asked.
“It’s got to be here.” She ran a hand over the stone and finally found it. Her fingers shook as she pushed the stone covering away and fit the key into the lock.
She pulled the door open and burst inside. The little village looked deserted. Annie leaped onto the raised floor. “Hannah! It’s Annie.”
Sampson’s voice sounded awed as he stood just inside the doorway. “I’ll be damned.”
Annie ran to the doorway of Hannah’s house. Before she could go inside Hannah met her. “What is it?” Hannah asked.
Tears soaked Annie’s face. “Tell them,” she sobbed. “Tell the others you are free. It’s over.”
Hannah gave her an alarmed look then took in Sampson. She raised her voice and spoke in Hebrew. Women came to other doorways and peered out. Sampson walked up to the courtyard and started talking to the others.
Annie took hold of Hannah’s hand. She inhaled deeply to stop her sobs. “I’m sorry.”
Hannah gave her a scared look. “Moshe,” Annie said. Tears sprang to Hannah’s eyes.
“He’s dead.” Annie cried. “I’m sorry. I didn’t stop it.”
Hannah spun around and ran back into her house. “No. You are mistaken. I would know if he died. He is waiting for us. We must go to him.” She collected the sleeping child in his blanket.
Women started making their way out of the village, their children wrapped in blankets and cradled in their arms. Sampson spoke quietly, answering questions and directing the exodus.
Annie followed the women, feeling defeat in each footstep.
Sampson placed his hand softly between her shoulder blades. “You need to sit down.” He directed her to the lab.
She had taken only a few steps when she heard a scream. This one wasn’t the wail of despair she’d heard when Sophie saw Avrel. This was Hannah and it was one of joy.
Still clutching the baby to her, Hannah leaned over a stretcher. Her words were a jumble of tears and laughter. Annie hurried over to see Moshe on the stretcher, eyes open and seeing.
He gave her a weak smile. “You see. It is okay. There is some sadness today but also good.”
Annie felt tears sliding down her face. “I thought you were…”
He laughed, not his usual robust laugh but it was real. “You are always wanting everything to be perfect. Life is not perfect. But it is good.”
Perfect. She’d wanted to be perfect for her father. She’d tried to be the perfect scientist and save all the people and all the cows. She never had been perfect.
Hannah took Annie’s hand and squeezed. “You are good.”
Annie trudged beside Sampson to the lab.
New anguish assaulted her at the destruction. She gasped when she saw the new mother heifer riddled with bullet holes, lying on her side in the pen. Annie felt weak and swayed on her feet.
Sampson put his arm around her. “Here now. It’s okay. Sit down for a minute. Put your head between your legs.”
Annie flopped into the desk chair. Sampson patted her back. “I’m sorry about this. We’ve gathered information that you had found the vaccine for BA 23. I hope you can replicate your findings.”
Tears choked her voice. How could she ever work again? “Not without Hassan.”
“Annie.”
She heard what sounded like Hassan calling for her.
There was movement at the door of the lab and suddenly Hassan stood there. He hesitated only a moment then ran to her. “Annie. Praise Allah!”
She thought her mind had finally snapped. Hassan was dead. David had said so.
Hassan grabbed her. She felt his weight, touched his rough curls, smelled his Hassan smell. Gradually she believed this was real. David had lied. Why hadn’t that occurred to her?
She pulled Hassan close, her own joyful tears and sobs mingling with his. They held each other for a long time. “You made it. You’re alive,” she said over and over.
He laughed into her hair. “Moshe was right. There was a road and I made it out. I’m sorry it took so long.”
Finally she pulled away and sank back to the chair. She kept hold of Hassan’s hand. “The Silim came.”
Hassan’s eyes held an ocean of sadness and regret. “I’m sorry.”
She accepted that. “You brought the military. The boys are safe.”
He looked confused but she’d explain it all to him later. For now, it was enough to hold his hand.
Sampson watched her closely. “They say the Red Heifer was born tonight. But we can’t find a calf anywhere. I hope to hell the Third Temple organization hasn’t got her.”
Someone yelled outside in the compound. Answering yells rebounded and a shot rang out. A soldier appeared in the doorway. He spoke rapidly.
Sampson put his hand on Annie’s shoulder. “Fights with the prisoners. Maybe I can get some intelligence. I’ll be right back.”
He strode out the door, leaving Annie and Hassan.
She looked toward the back of the lab, locating the secret door. Behind it, the innocent calf lay, needing colostrum. She could let it stay there and die. It might save the world a lot of heart ache. Annie’s gaze fell to a dark stain on the lab floor. The guard’s blood. She turned to Hassan. “Could you leave me alone?”
He frowned. She put a hand on his knee. “I’ll be okay. I just need a minute.”
He looked doubtful but stood up and started for the door. “I’ll be right outside. Call me if you need anything.”
She nodded and watched him walk out.
> There had been enough death and she couldn’t let the poor calf suffer. Maybe she could simply notch an ear with a scalpel. It was a common enough procedure to mark cattle. The heifer with the black calf could nurse the baby along with her own calf. The innocent animal deserved to live.
She stepped around the pool of blood and reached for the scalpel she’d used for the c-section. Fighting herself every step of the way, she made her way to the secret door.
She took another step, her vision clouded with tears. Her fingers felt for the latch as she’d seen David do. She found it and leaned against the door, opening it wide.
The little red form on the floor stirred and then startled. She jumped to her feet and moved forward, burying her nose in the corner of the room, her tail flicking furiously. Annie stood motionless and felt deep sorrow as she saw the little tail switch. It seemed so long ago that she’d waited anxiously for Esther’s calf, excited to cure BA 23.
She swallowed. “Okay, let’s just get this done. I’ve notched a million ears in my life and will probably notch a million more.”
Gripping the scalpel she leaned over. “Who wants to be perfect, anyway?”
The calf turned her face to Annie, her eyes wide.
Annie blinked and stared at the calf. The scalpel plopped in the dirt. Annie dropped to her knees and smiled for the first time in what felt like decades. Her heart, broken by sorrow, expanded with hope.
Annie stared at the beautiful newborn calf. At birth she had been perfectly red. Now a soft patch of white hair marked her muzzle.
ABOUT AUTHOR SHANNON BAKER
Shannon Baker has an MBA and is an accountant by trade, which is why she writes thrillers. The constant right brain/left brain conflict explains a lot about her personality. A lover of mountains, plains, oceans and rivers, she can often be found traipsing around outside.
Ashes of the Red Heifer is Shannon’s first novel.
Visit Shannon’s webpage at
http://www.lldreamspell.com/ShannonBaker.htm
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