by Adiva Geffen
“And the guards?”
“They’re in another sector, a trained elite unit. When the time comes, it will become the commando unit.”
“When the time comes?”
“Armageddon, the day of judgment. That’s what we’re preparing for.”
“And kidnapping you was part of the preparations?”
“They’re allowed to recover people who have turned to the darkness, in order to bring them back into the light.”
“Bring them back? Just like that?”
“If one of the female soldiers tries to leave, she becomes a candidate for reeducation in the blue room…or the babysitting room. That’s what we called the place before we knew what was really going on there.”
“Has anyone ever managed to escape from there?”
Galia closed up and wouldn’t answer.
“You escaped.”
She remained silent.
“And when they caught you, what did they do?”
“Because I was so bad… evil…they said that because of me…” She buried her face in her hands.
I rested a hand on her shoulder and waited. When she calmed down a bit, I changed the subject. “What made everyone chase Daria, then go after us and anyone else who was in contact with her?”
Galia shook her head.
“What did you want to tell me the night you called and asked me to come and see you?” I tried a different tack.
“What night?” She furrowed her brow. “Oh…they said…right, I heard you were looking for me, and I wanted to explain a few things to you. Were you able to find what Daria had stolen?”
Either the girl was lying, or they had been able to confuse her mind again.
“What did she steal?”
Galia clenched her lips.
“Did they talk about it with you? Did they tell you what Daria was hiding?” I tried again but decided it was a lost cause. She probably didn’t know anything and wouldn’t tell us even if she did. “I only found an envelope,” I said.
A sudden spark of recognition ignited in Galia’s eyes.
“I understand she had a baby, do you know anything about that?”
“A baby?” She looked shocked.
“Yes. We found a blue baby bracelet in the envelope, the sort they use in the maternity ward.”
“A baby? No, no, it can’t be. Worker bees can’t perform sexual intercourse. It harms the light.”
“What do you mean ‘worker bees?’”
“There’s an order to things, we…they’re assigned to various divisions. There are believers and followers, there are worker bees and soldier bees…everything is determined according to the decisions of the Prophetess and the specific training course you take. The soldier bees are like her daughters. They compose the army of the light that will fight the last battle when the time comes.”
“And soldier bees are allowed to get pregnant?”
She shuddered. “They also have specific instructions. They are also forbidden to have sexual relations.”
“What would they do to someone who broke the rules?”
Galia became absolutely still and silent. As if summoned by a magic wand, my merciful aunt emerged from the kitchen. Galia immediately glued herself to Marita, as if trying to get protection from me.
“What are you doing?”
“Auntie, just a few more minutes. There are some questions I have to ask her.”
“That’s enough. You have to let the girl rest.”
Sometimes my aunt is just too much.
“And if there was a baby, Galia,” I insisted, “what would they do with it? What would they do when it turned out that in spite of their strict rule, a girl was about to give birth?”
Galia shook her head. “That never happened. It couldn’t have happened…there were strict instructions,” she said in a weak voice. “You’re wrong. Daria never had a baby. You’re lying, you’re lying, no baby…” Galia stood up and began to shriek incoherently. She had come completely unhinged.
Aunt Marita frowned at me then rushed over, gathered the agitated girl into her arms, and led her to the living room.
37
I tried Sammy again. She still didn’t answer her phone. Something else was bothering me too.
“What are you thinking about, Dickie?” Cooper had moved behind me.
“The girl…”
“What about her?”
“I don’t know. I’m just not sure about her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t entirely believe her. I don’t know why. Come on, Cooper, we’re getting out of here.”
“Galia is in no condition for another drive, and your aunt would rather poison us than let us take her patient from her.”
“Cooper, I have a plan. Come on, let’s go.”
He followed me to the living room, where Galia was enthusiastically digging into Aunt Marita’s famous lemon pie. Before my aunt could say anything, I took my cell phone out of my pocket and approached Galia.
“Smile, please,” I said. When she turned to look at me, I snapped a photo.
“Why did you take my picture?” She covered her face in panic.
“Just one photo, no big deal,” I said and texted the photo straight to Baba, the pastry king of Yokneam. “It’s for my aunt. She has an album with photos of all her patients.” Marita pursed her lips at the deception. “We have to get going now.”
“Are you crazy?” my aunt scolded me. “Galia needs to rest. Where are you in such a hurry to get to?”
“Yokneam. And Galia can stay and rest here, if you don’t mind.”
“Why are you going to Yokneam?” asked Galia.
“Because I just remembered something Daria told me.”
The anguish on Galia’s face was replaced with curiosity, clearing up a lot of things for me.
“Come on, Cooper, let’s go.”
Cooper raised an eyebrow. I assumed he had guessed my plan.
“I don’t understand. Where to?” Nope, he hadn’t.
“I think I know where Daria hid what everyone is trying to find. She gave me a hint, and I think I finally got it. Come, let’s go.”
Galia took off the blanket. “I’m coming with you,” she said. “I’m fine.” She started to gather the clothes that Marita had taken off her before settling her in on the couch. Suddenly she was full of energy. Just as I had thought.
“Let them go. You’re still not strong enough,” said Marita. “It’s better that you stay here. They will come back for you. Won’t you, Dikla?”
“Or we could have someone from the police come and pick her up.”
“Police?”
“The moment I can prove I’m right, we will let them handle everything.”
Galia’s face turned white. God bless my spider-sense.
“No, I want to go with them,” Galia insisted. “I’m feeling much better.”
Marita stood between us, staring at me. I could see she was starting to understand what I was doing. No words or explanations needed, as always.
“Just promise me she’ll take some vitamins.” She hurried to the bathroom and returned with an orange bottle, which she placed in Galia’s hand.
“Don’t worry, Marita,” I hugged my favorite aunt. “We’ll keep her safe. She’ll be fine.”
◊◊◊
Sammy still wasn’t answering. I left her message number fifty-one and reported our destination.
“Call me, Sammy G, please!”
Outside, the sun was still sleeping under a blanket of gray clouds and heavy fog that had settled on the road. Was it finally about to rain? At the bus stops, the morning shift employees were already waiting, and traffic slowly crawled. I asked Galia to take the front seat, next to Cooper. I sat in the backseat so I could keep an eye
on her.
When we reached the Yagor intersection, my phone beeped. A new message. Sammy? Baba? Bender?
“I need to take a leak. Stop at the first gas station,” I told Cooper.
“Where do you think you’ll find a gas station out here?”
“Never mind. Just stop by the side of the road. I’ll manage.”
He stopped, and I got out of the car.
“Who is she?” Good old Baba had texted me.
“That’s not Galia?” I typed furiously, adding a few extra question marks for good measure, and hit send.
“No way. That’s not Gali or Galia. I’ve never seen this girl in my life.” I stopped counting at five exclamation marks.
As if I hadn’t known.
I went back to the car and gave the girl a piercing look.
“Who was that?” asked Cooper.
I didn’t speak until we were back on the road. “The question is not who that was. The question is: Who is the lady sitting in our car right now?”
A heavy silence settled over us.
“I asked you who you are,” I said more forcefully.
Cooper hit the brakes. Galia groaned painfully, and angry horns began to blare behind us.
“Dikla, what is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong — she’s not Galia!”
Someone stopped next to us and cursed our mother’s mother, and Cooper finally pulled over to the side of the road.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
I ignored the girls’ pleading look. “What’s this charade all about? Why did they send you?” I asked her.
Cooper turned to me and then to our impostor.
She didn’t utter a word, she just moaned and fluttered pathetic little doe eyes at Cooper. He gently squeezed her knee, hinting he was on her side. Damsels in distress always awaken the dormant Galahad in men. Their helplessness triggers some macho gene all males share, Cooper included.
“I don’t understand, what do you want from her?”
“Listen, Cooper, someone has pulled a nice stunt on us. We took the girl they dragged out of the building and automatically assumed she was Galia.”
“But we received information—”
“Remember who sent us there? The limping messenger! They wanted us to think she was Galia. She’s here because they desperately want to get their hands on that thing Daria had.”
Cooper spoke to the girl softly, “Is she right?”
She looked away.
“Of course I’m right. Don’t you get it? Tell him who you are.”
She didn’t answer, and for a moment it seemed as if she were about to get all teary. After a long silence, she sat up straight and whispered, “She’s right.”
“Then who are you?”
“Tsofia, a soldier in the army of the Heavenly Duchess.” Her voice was suddenly clear and strong. She pressed the door handle to get out of the car, but Cooper was quicker.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“They know exactly where we are. They’ve been behind us all this time, following your every movement. With this,” she said, raising her hand and twisting a metal bracelet. “There’s a tracking device in here.”
“What is this all about?” I asked.
“The Great Mother said we must get back what Daria took from us.”
“What did she take?”
“Something that belongs to the Duchess. She is hurting the light with her betrayal — we had to stop her.”
“Who are you?”
“I told you, I’m a soldier. I have been chosen by the Heavenly Duchess. Don’t be afraid. All you need to do is give it to us, that’s all.”
“And what if I don’t?”
“You have to cooperate.”
“I don’t have to do anything.”
“I think you don’t have a choice,” she answered calmly. “We have Sammy.”
My dear Sammy, how did they manage to get you? One day after an operation, she falls into the hands of a psychotic Heavenly Duchess, as mean as the devil and confident the fate of humanity lay in her hands. The situation sounded pretty bad.
“Don’t worry, she is with us by her own choice.”
“She came to you willingly?”
She nodded.
I calmed down. The only way Sammy would have gone there willingly was if she had some brilliant strategy or alternatively the scumbag daughters of light had convinced her that something had happened to me.
“What are you waiting for? Go, Cooper,” I said. “We’re going back to Tel Aviv.”
He glanced in the mirror. “Dikla, there’s a two-ton reason why we shouldn’t go anywhere…it’s right behind us.”
I turned around. A black Mercedes was glued to the Kia’s bumper.
“Your friends?” I asked Tsofia.
Cooper opened the door and, with one leg outside, turned to Tsofia and said, “I’m not part of this game. I never knew Daria, have never heard of the Duchess and have nothing against her.”
What is he doing?
“I’m just her driver. She and the fat lady hired my services. I came back to the country two weeks ago and was looking for a job. They wanted a driver, they got a driver. She asked for help, she got help. She wanted to get laid, she got laid. This is how you earn a bonus. I’m getting out of here. And you—” now he turned and spoke to me “—you say you have a university diploma? I wouldn’t even let you into high school. You should go back to preschool, you hear me?”
Then he rushed outside, without giving me another glance. What was that he said? Ah! Smart guy, my Cooper.
“You piece of shit!” I screamed at him. “You go back to preschool, you retard!”
“That’s it,” I heard him yell back. “I quit!” He turned toward the black car, gave a little bow, and ran off. I think I heard applause.
“You just wait, you son of a bitch,” I shouted, knowing he was out of earshot. I heard the screech of tires, screaming, curses, honking. For a moment, the drowsy road had become turbulent, then there was silence. Cooper was gone.
I knew Tsofia was very pleased with that unexpected turn of events, and so were the Mercedes passengers. Their goal had been achieved — now they had me and everything I supposedly could find for them.
What now? What do I do now?
I’m not exactly a superhero. I guess Sammy could never afford sending me to the necessary martial arts classes that come with the territory.
I heard the door of the vehicle behind me slam shut. Someone tapped on the window, and Tsofia opened it.
Yossi Deliveries’ smirking face appeared before me. “Good morning, Dikla.”
“Good morning,” I answered calmly.
“I see that your bodyguard has taken off.” He gave me a fiendish smile.
“What do you want from me?”
“We already told you — just give me what Daria took from us, and I’ll personally get you back home.”
“Who’s driving now?” Tsofia asked him.
“She is.” He opened the back door and heaved me out. Then he pulled me to the front of the car and shoved me behind the wheel. “You sit behind her, and I’ll sit next to her so she won’t get any foolish ideas. But first, take her cell phone so she can’t pull another dirty trick on us.”
I didn’t have a lot of choice. I placed my dreadfully expensive, brand new cell phone in Tsofia’s hands. Then the girl stepped out to get in the back, and Yossi sat down. As he did, he said, “Remember that we’re a little nervous in the mornings, so you better behave yourself.”
My mood went all the way down to minus fifty on the Dikla scale. Every thought ended with growing desperation. What about Cooper? Sammy? What about me? What was I going to do about all the lies I had invented? After all, I ha
dn’t the faintest idea where Daria had hidden whatever they were looking for.
One thing was clear — in some way, frightened, helpless little Daria had endangered the very existence of that crazy doomsday cult. But how?
38
It was 6:30 am. Half an hour since we’d left my aunt’s house.
I drove calmly, as if I knew what I was about to do next. Deliveries, who sat beside me, didn’t take his eyes off me for a second; he was ready to pounce as soon as I made an unexpected move. Tsofia sat in the backseat, and the black Mercedes was right behind my Kia, also making sure I wouldn’t do anything foolish. That was unnecessary. I had no intention of doing anything drastic or unexpected, not with that crazy gang surrounding me on all sides.
Twenty minutes later, we were on Highway 70, going up to Yokneam.
“What have you done to Sammy?”
“Forget about Sammy — I heard she’s real happy to be with us. You just focus on what you need to do.”
“Listen,” I said, “I need to see Sammy. Then I’ll cooperate and do whatever you want.”
“You think you’re in a position to make any demands?”
“I just want to make sure she’s all right. I’ll do whatever you want after that.”
“No problem, that’s where we’re going anyway. Just go down to the valley.… Now take a left…” He was leading me to The House.
When we got close enough, the iron gate opened, and I drove slowly into the yard. The House was awash in bright light. Two Mercedes were parked in the lot.
“Park over there,” Deliveries said, pointing. I rolled into the parking lot, stopped the Kia next to the two German giants and waited. Deliveries got out of the car and instructed me to follow him. The car that had trailed us was nowhere to be seen.
“Turn around and put your hands on the car,” Deliveries said. He took my bag, checked its contents, then patted me down, groping me as if I might have a few rockets hidden under my clothes.
I just stood there, completely exhausted, and let him finish the job. I had no idea what to do next or where he was taking me. I only knew I was in trouble. Deep trouble, once they realized I didn’t have the faintest idea what they were looking for. Yossi started limping away and motioned for me to follow him into The House.
