The Reluctant Prophet_A Love Story

by Karl Morgan

  "I don't think you want to know."

  "Of course I want to know. Tell me if you do not wish to go back to your cell."

  "El Presidente, you will be dead very soon," Zeke squeaked.

  The color drained out of Tomas's face. "There has to be another possibility." Zeke shook his head. The president's face changed to one of hatred and anger. He jumped to his feet and walked behind his desk. He opened a drawer and removed a golden pistol and walked back to the couch and pressed it against Zeke's forehead. "Tell me another possibility if you want to live."

  Zeke thought and wondered why Bea hadn't yanked him out yet. He was certainly frightened enough. An idea glowed in his mind. "Sir, if you leave in the next few minutes, you can escape." After the words escaped his lips, Zeke wondered if what he said was true.

  Tomas pulled the pistol away and stuck it under his belt in the back. "Zeke, perhaps you have been under too much stress with the abduction and abandonment by your own family. Let us pass this off as a dreadful error on your part."

  "Thank you, El Presidente," Zeke said, noticing his body and voice were both trembling.

  Tomas pulled Zeke to his feet and pulled his face within inches of his. "Zeke, during the speech today, I am going to make opening remarks about the great future of San Tomas. I will tell my people about your incredible gift. After that, I want you to speak. You will tell them how wonderful the future will be, with beautiful cities full of happy people, all with good jobs and nice houses. You will tell them how the great resources of this country will bring a new dawn for San Tomas, and you will tell them that was your vision."

  "What if I forget something, sir?" Zeke asked.

  "It will be on a teleprompter, Zeke. Just read the words."

  "And if I don't?"

  Tomas pointed at Natalie. "My men will rape that woman for many hours. Then they will slit her throat, cut her into pieces and leave her remains in the jungle for the animals to eat."

  "I will do what you say, El Presidente," Zeke squeaked.

  Tomas patted him on the cheek and said, "That's a good boy."

  The group went back outside and across the compound to a place near the fence. A sound stage was set up so Tomas could sit on a tattered chair with his back to the jungle. He pulled off his shirt and tie and then he donned a camouflage shirt and military cap. One artist worked on El Presidente's make-up, while another took off Zeke's shirt and gave him a clean camouflaged one to wear. Antonio stood ten yards away, holding Natalie by the arm with a pistol in his hand, waiting for an order from Tomas if Zeke screwed up.

  When the director signaled that everything was ready, Tomas smiled at the camera. The clapboard sounded and he said, "Good day, fellow citizens of San Tomas. As your president, I wanted to give you wonderful news about our future!" There was a popping sound and a bullet flew through the area and slammed into El Presidente's forehead, causing his head to explode, and then he fell back to the ground.

  Machine gun fire erupted. The soldiers fell into formation and fired back at the attackers. Zeke dropped to the ground. He looked up and saw Natalie jam her hands into Antonio's chin. As he fell backward, she took the gun from his hand and shot him dead. She crouched down to examine the battlefield. She hurried over to Zeke and pulled him to his feet. "We've got to get out of here now!" she screamed and took off. Zeke followed behind her.

  They arrived at the fence where she pulled something from her belt and cut several links in the fence and pushed it open. She climbed through and Zeke followed her again. The sounds of the battle were getting further away but still she ran. They ran across a shallow stream and up a hillside and into deep jungle. "Keep up, Zeke!" she shouted. They ran for another ten minutes and then stopped near a fallen tree. "Wow! What a rush!" she exclaimed.

  Zeke was panting for air and his legs ached. When he could speak he asked, "What was happening back there? Do you think it was a rescue mission for us?"

  She grabbed his head and pressed her lips to his. "That's for agreeing to lie for me, Zeke. You saved my life, but no, it was no rescue mission. I doubt anyone knows where we are. A rescuer also wouldn't kill Tomas unless they found negotiation was useless. They wouldn't even know who he was. God knows I've never heard of him."

  "You are a spy, aren't you?"

  "Used to be, Zeke. I've been just a White House staffer for three years now. I had more than enough time as a spook."

  "Do you have a way to get us rescued?"

  "Zeke, I'm not a spy anymore. Nobody knows where we are. We have to find civilization so we can make a call," she said. "I've been meaning to ask you something. Where the hell did your parents go?"

  "It's complicated."

  She frowned. "Now, you're the spy, is that it?"

  "There's too much risk if I say any more, Nat. The future is at stake already."

  "You're a funny guy, Zeke," she replied. "But in case you hadn't noticed, we are lost somewhere in the Amazon rainforest. The nearest town could be hundreds of miles away. We could wander around for years and never find anything or anybody. There are jaguars and deadly snakes everywhere. We also have no food or water. The rivers are fresh, but there are so many microbes living in them, we'd be better off dying of thirst. If we don't find shelter in forty-eight hours, we will likely die here. Is that risky enough for you?"

  "There might be a way," Zeke noted. "But you'd have to promise never to tell anyone or ask me anything about it ever. I won't risk the future of the world for our lives."

  "Anything else I have to do to save my skin?"

  "Wear a blindfold and forget everything."

  She kissed his cheek. "You drive a hard bargain. Seeing as I'd like to live, do whatever you have to do." She ripped a strip of fabric from her blouse and tied it around her own eyes. "Okay, I'm blind as a bat." Zeke waved his hand in front of her face to see if she noticed. Satisfied, he sat back and thought about Bea. "You're awfully quiet over there, Zeke."

  "Just shut up and relax," he replied.

  "Always the gentlemen," she laughed. "Whoa, what's going on? I feel static electricity coursing through me."

  "Don't take off the blindfold and don't talk," Zeke said. He picked her up in his arms. "Just relax, it's almost over."

  "I trust you, Zeke." Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept her. "Zeke, put me down, I think I'm going to throw up." He set her down and she felt softness under her. "What the hell? Can I take off the blindfold now?"

  "Just a moment," Zeke replied. Ten seconds later, he said, "Okay, now take it off."

  She pulled it off her face and looked around. She was sitting on a couch in the Maui house. Abe was sitting on an armchair a few feet away. She could hear Sarah puttering around in the kitchen. She stared at Abe and then at Zeke. "What the hell just happened?"

  "You promised not to ask," he replied.

  "But this isn't possible," she gasped.

  "Do you want to go back to the jungle?" Zeke asked.

  She shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no. This is perfect, and I promise I won't ask, but it's killing me."

  "How about a nice glass of white wine?" Abe asked. She nodded and smiled.

  Chapter 13

  Zeke was startled awake when a man's voice said, "Good morning, Zeke." He opened his eyes to see CIA Director Anthony Marshall standing at the foot of his bed.

  "What are you doing in my room, Tony?"

  "We're having a meltdown in the White House over your second kidnapping by a drug cartel from federal custody. Everyone is embarrassed and pointing fingers at one another. Congress is demanding hearings and investigations into federal employee corruption and everyone's job up to the attorney general is in danger."

  "That doesn't explain why you are here in my bedroom," Zeke complained.

  "I'm sorry, Zeke. The attorney general and the president are waiting to hear your side of the story, especially the facts about the kidnapping and how you and Ms. Anderson escaped."

  "What did Nat tell you?"

  Tony sighed and sat
on an armchair next to the bed. "Not enough, I'm afraid. She has already been asked to resign for refusing to testify."

  "That's a mistake, Tony. If not for her, I'd be dead already and you'd have more yolk on your face," Zeke said. "And I bet she told you everything she knew."

  "I agree, but the White House wants more. She told us the plane's crew was involved."

  "Absolutely, I saw the agent in the cabin slipping something over his face just before I passed out. I think it was a gasmask," Zeke interjected.

  "Natalie must not have seen that. Thanks for that bit of information. She told us about Tomas Gutierrez Martinez and his White House in the Amazon rainforest. She said you saved her life twice, thank you for that as well," Tony noted.

  "She made up for that."

  "Yes, she enabled you to escape the gunfight. We're still working with our partners in those countries to find out exactly where that place was." Tony sat quietly staring at Zeke for any sign of emotion. "She said you blindfolded her and told her not to look, and then suddenly you were both back here. How did that happen?"

  "Sorry Tony, I won't answer that," Zeke said flatly.

  "Do you want our protection or not, son?"

  Zeke laughed out loud and then climbed out of bed and stood in front of the other man. "Protection! This is about protection! For whom? The FBI protected me and I was kidnapped and almost sold to the North Koreans. The CIA protected me and I found myself in a South American jungle with a gold pistol pressed against my forehead by a madman. If that is what you call protection, trust me, I don't want any."

  "You have a point, Zeke."

  "You're damned right I have a point, Tony!" Zeke exclaimed. He face softened and he smiled at the CIA director. "You know Tony, this really is about protection. Not my protection but yours and the rest of the leadership in Washington. Did Nat tell you about my prediction for Tomas Gutierrez?" Tony shook his head making Zeke smile even more. "I told him he would die very soon unless he ran away quickly. That's when he pressed his pistol against my head. He told me to lie or his men would rape and kill Nat, so I agreed. Twenty minutes later, a bullet flew through his forehead and blew his brains out. That's why he wanted me and why you want me too. He didn't listen and I wonder if you will if you don't like the answer."

  "Okay, Zeke. Just tell me what you want me to tell Washington," Tony sighed.

  "Tony, please tell them I am happy to help, but I have a few conditions. First and most obviously, you need to do a better job of protecting me."

  "Of course."

  Zeke frowned in disbelief. "Try at least, okay? The second condition is that Natalie cannot lose her job. If she wants to leave, that's fine. I can always use someone to help me here. Third, unlike Tomas Gutierrez, I expect you to believe what I have to say. He didn't and you know what happened. Fourth, protecting my parents is your top priority. I know lots of folks would love to kidnap them to use them as leverage against me. In a way, that is exactly what you are doing by guarding this place."

  "I don't think that's exactly fair, Zeke."

  "Finally and most adamantly, those around me will experience unexplainable things, like when Nat and I were suddenly here and not in the Amazon jungle. Don't ask about that. As long as things work out for the best, leave well enough alone."

  Tony stood and shook Zeke's hand. "Son, I will relay your conditions. I have to say that last one might be a deal breaker, but I will try." Zeke stood silently as if in a trance for a full minute. "Zeke, are you okay?"

  Zeke gasped for breathe, and then said, "Here is a sample of how I can help you guys to sweeten the deal. One of the president's planes has severe structural weakness and if not fixed, it will fail in the next fifty hours of flying time. I don't know if the president will be on board when that happens, but it's not worth the risk. Check them both and you'll find out."

  Tony stared back incredulously for several seconds. Finally, he smiled and replied, "Okay, I've have the Air Force check it out. Thanks, I guess." He turned around and walked out of the room.

  §

  After preparing for his day, Zeke walked into the kitchen and prepared a cup of coffee. His parents were sitting silently at the small breakfast table. After adding half and half and sweetener to his drink, Zeke sat with them. "Good morning. You two are awfully quiet today."

  Abe sighed and replied, "We're sorry about that man going into your room."

  "Don't even think about it."

  "I can't help but think about it, Zeke," Sarah said. "Ever since the accident at the barber shop, it feels like our lives are spinning out of control. We almost died the last time. If it wasn't for your friends from the future, we wouldn't have made it."

  "What can we do about it now?" Zeke asked.

  Abe looked around and leaned toward Zeke and whispered, "We think this house might be bugged. Do you think your friend Bea might be able to change things so that woman was never killed?"

  Zeke sat back in shock. "Is that what you really want?" Abe and Sarah looked at each other but said nothing.

  "No, that is not an option," Bea said as she walked in from the other room. The Thompsons were stunned by her sudden appearance. "Also, the house is not bugged."

  "Bea, what are you doing here?" Zeke asked.

  She kissed Zeke on the forehead, sat next to him, and took a sip from his coffee. "I'm sorry for the shock, but since you are living my ancient history, I knew this conversation was going to occur."

  "Please Bea," Sarah urged, "this is no life for my family. We live in virtual isolation and are constantly in fear of our lives."

  "I promise that you will all be okay," Bea said. "Please remember that all of this happened a long time ago from my perspective. Zeke wrote all about this in his “A Simple Life” autobiographic series. This is a frightening time for sure. But it will calm down before long. Once Zeke makes a few more predictions for the US government, they will realize what they have and make sure you are all safe."

  "Bea, I don't think I want to be a government agent all my life," Zeke said.

  She kissed him softly. "Don't worry, you won't be. This is just a phase and you will go on to do wonderful things. Abe, you'll write stories that will capture the consciousness of the planet. All of you will have long and happy lives."

  "Don't bullshit us," Sarah quipped. "You could be making that up just to keep us here. Zeke told us when he's gone to your future, he's just been here at this house and things don't seem that different. Maybe you're a spy too?"

  Bea sat back with a stunned expression, but it quickly melted and she laughed. "Wow! You three are a tough crowd! Let me try to work something out. Just give me a few minutes." She stood and walked out of the room.

  "Was that really necessary, dear?" Abe asked. "She seems like a nice girl and she saved our bacon yesterday."

  "Mom is right that I've never seen anything other than this house in the future," Zeke noted.

  "That may be true, but I don't think our government has the technology to zip us from the Amazon rainforest to this house by stepping through a black circle," Abe replied.

  "As far as we know," Sarah said. "Who knows what sort of stuff they keep under wraps?"

  "I trust Bea," Zeke said. "If she says she is from the future, I believe her."

  "Ah. Thank you Zeke," Bea said from the doorway. "It's all set. Let's go."

  "Where are we going?" Sarah asked.

  "To the future, of course!" Bea exclaimed. "You doubted my story, so I now have approval to show you three a few things, but you'll have to promise not to tell anyone else. Come on, we're wasting time!" She turned and walked out of the room with the Thompsons following her.

  Bea led them into the same small room where Zeke had stepped through the black circle for the first time. The circle had already formed and hovered there on the wall, pulsing with energy but totally featureless. While Bea explained the procedure to his parents, Zeke considered this incredible thing. It struck him that it looked like something he had seen on television
. He turned to her and asked, "Is this thing a black hole?"

  "Not precisely, but that's a great guess. There is an infinitely-dense singularity formed by a solar collapse inside a black hole. This is just a portal between places or times or both," she explained. "Since you've done this before, why don't you take your mother and I'll take Abe?"

  "What about the console?"

  "Don't worry, Zeke, I'll take it. You two go first."

  "Bea, when we stepped through the portal in the rainforest, we could see the other side. Why is this one just black?" Abe asked.

  "Another great question," she replied. "The two locations in that trip were in the same time and not far apart. Now, we're stepping through more than a thousand years. Large distances in space, time, or both make the other side invisible. Go ahead, Zeke."

  "I'm afraid," Sarah noted.

  "Don't worry, Mom, I'll be with you the whole time. Just hold my hand," Zeke replied. They stepped through.

  "Now it's you and me, Abe," she smiled. She grabbed the console and held it under her arm and took his hand with her free one. "It will only take a second, less actually." They stepped through. There was a crackle of electricity and the circle disappeared.

  "This is disappointing," Sarah said. "We're back in the same place, so what's the big deal."

  "Hello, I'm Aria Watson, Bea's grandmother," said the woman standing behind the console. "Zeke, please move away from the portal."

  "It's good to see you again, Aria," Zeke said. "This is my mother, Sarah." Bea and Abe appeared through the portal. "And that's my father, Abe."

  "It's nice to meet you both. Your son is quite a hero to us," Aria replied. "Please go on into the main room, and I'll join you soon."

  Bea and the Thompsons walked into the living room, which seemed identical to the one they left moments ago. "So, this is the future, huh?" Sarah quipped.

  "It doesn't look any different to me either," Abe noted.