Barb watched astonished and transfixed. Within seconds, Bellos’s emergency team arrived and moved with lightning speed. They put Rachel on a gurney and wheeled her out, into a private elevator. Bellos, gently but firmly, took Barb by the shoulders, looked her straight in the eyes and said, “Barb; look at me. Go to the nurse’s station and call emergency and the police. Get them here, right away. Then call Frank Bloom in research lab-23. I need him here to autopsy Dr. Sheldon; and get me those results stat. Have you got that?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Ok; good; this was a pro job. We need to move quickly. Also, call Dave Marshall, Chief of Security. Have him come to my office, A.S.A.P…
…And Barb; I don’t need to tell you, do I? You didn’t see anything. You weren’t even in here. Only one person was shot… Period!”
Barb closed her eyes and nodded yes.
“Now go!”
Bellos turned around again to survey the room, and he heard a faint noise, coming from the closet. He walked slowly to the door and listened to crying inside. As he swung the door open, Angie exploded out, into his arms.
“Dr. B…Dad!”
“Thank God; you are all right, child.”
For a moment, nothing else existed. Bellos spoke with quiet surprise, “Angie, you know?”
“Yes; Dr. Richard told me. He said he was my grandfather. Oh my God; what happened?”
“A lot…Come with me. You will be safe.”
He turned her around and they walked back into the closet.
“But where are we going?”
Bellos tapped the wall and in strange words, he spoke, “Master secure GGM-TBN-010.”
The wall slid open and the two stepped into a lighted elevator.
“Angie, put your left hand palm on the panel and say after me, ‘Master’s daughter, Angie Bellos.’ Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
She repeated the phrase phonetically. The door closed, and the elevator moved upward. When the door opened, they were back on the tenth floor, in Bellos’s office foyer. They walked out and down the stairs into the oval room.
“Angie, are you okay enough to reach on top of that bookcase, there, and get the shiny white book that has ‘J.A.S’ on it?”
“Sure.”
“Bring it to my office down the hall.”
Bellos walked quickly to his desk and used his Knofer to call Gordon Swanson, while Angie stood in the oval room, staring at the bookshelf. She began to feel as if the whole night was a dream. Her body was going into shock. She concentrated and thought, This is not going to happen.
In a most determined way, she took a high-back chair and stepped up to reach the book, which she had read earlier. Holding it to her breasts, she followed after Bellos, into his computer room; but she stopped at the door, shocked at what she saw. Dr. B was talking to a two-foot tall hologram of a gray-haired man. The image seemed to grow out of a small rectangular object on the desk. For Angie, everything that night had a dream-like quality; but, now, a weak hazy feeling started to overwhelm her. She took a deep breath, focused and stood tall, concentrating on what Dr. B. was saying.
“I’m afraid they have assassinated DP-1, Sir. Dr. Richard and Rachel Sheldon need procedures.”
“What about Angie?”
“She is safe, here with me.”
Bellos turned and smiled at Angie.
“Thank God. What about the vial, and Jack’s manuscript?”
“Gone, I’m afraid; the police are en route. Marshall will be here in a few minutes.”
“What about Mr. Brock?”
“He is in a Unit, down on six.”
“Good, I will notify ‘Ever-life’. You confirm all DNA. We have to get the vials, Mathew. Did you find out how many?”
“Jack said five; but, we really cannot be sure.”
Angie stood watching and listening, in disbelief.
“Angie is the most important thing right now; so, keep her safe. Then we must meet. Have you seen young Mr. Sheldon, yet?”
“Marshall and I will do that.”
“I think it best to bring the lad with you, Mathew. Take a Carrier-Unit to Jerusalem. I have a meeting on the surface in Geneva regarding ‘Time Trust’. After that, I will meet you in the reception tunnel beneath Judah villa. They have to stop and trade, in the Holy City, before going on to Turkey.”
“Why?”
“Too many ears Mathew…”
Bellos glanced to the side, at Angie again.
“Yes Sir; be safe.”
“You too, my son.”
Chapter 17
Meeting the Man
Marion Brock’s Chief of Staff, Rash InVoy sat in his office, in a meeting with Greek Orthodox Pappas Kristos Alieri, first assistant to the local Ecumenical Patriarch. His diocese headquartered in the modest Church of Saint George, within the Phanar district of Istanbul, Turkey. Kristos was liaison to the Orthodox Hierarchy, most heavily populated in Russia now.
“Rash, you know I appreciate you keeping me updated on all this. Everyone is so excited that completion is in sight. This is a God-sent, to help us understand our Lord’s resurrection.”
“The others seem to agree, right?”
“Of course; this is our greatest opportunity to unite the faiths; and marry science with religion. We have all agreed to work in harmony. We have to make this happen.”
“Nothing worthwhile is easy, Father.”
“Has something happened? Our briefing is scheduled for next week, by my calendar.”
“We have heard from Mr. Brock. He has been delayed; but he will call, as soon as he’s able.”
“Were you able to confirm securing the formulas?”
“Yes, the good news is; we have the manuscript; and, a vial is on its way to us.”
Kristos took a breath of relief.
“How long before we know?”
“A few hours; we have a lab set up, where the trade will be made. Are you prepared for the exchange?”
“Yes, my son. As you know, after I met with Mr. Brock, I approached the local synagogue and mosque leaders. We all have been very persuasive, in record time, throughout our individual hierarchies. I have commitments totaling $116-billion in U.S. currency. We are all ready to transfer shares, upon receipt and confirmation.”
“Good…Pardon me for asking, Father; but, this has to be the biggest transaction, so far, that you have negotiated between Russia, Israel, and Iran, no?”
“Yes it is, by far; it is the greatest treaty in the history of the combined faiths. We will bring peace between the Christians, Jews, and the Muslims, finally, all in the name of our Lord.”
Chapter 18
Brian
The sun was rising, as Brian Sheldon arrived at Marion Brock’s Fargo building. The entrance guard was ready and admitted him up to the penthouse. Brian waited, over a half hour, pacing and looking out the living room’s great bay window. For a moment, the beauty of the sunrise hitting the desert flowers erased the jarring emotion of all that happened, that night. As he studied it all, he noticed four men, dressed in swat team garb, run toward the building, from the direction of the hospital. They were carrying what looked like automatic weapons. Brian pushed his face up against the window, to try to see exactly where they entered. His nerves kicked into gear, again. Suddenly, Brock’s multi-line phone monitor rang. It was built into the glass-top, covering the couch-side table. Just one light blinked and beeped. He went to the table, stared at the light and thought for a split second about what to do. He touched the table top, and a speaker turned on. He heard two men talking.
“Yes, Sir, we have part of an empty vial and a manuscript; but we couldn’t find Mr. Brock.”
“Stay where you are; and we will bring him to you.”
The line went dead. Brian pushed the dot again, sat down on the couch and thought. Then, he got up and raced downstairs to the security guard.
“Excuse me Sir, I saw men run into the building. They looked like military. It looked like
they were wearing swat clothes…”
The guard snickered, “I assure you, sonny; if anyone came in; I would have seen them. This is the only entrance. No one gets by me.”
“You know,” said Brian, “I think I’m going back to the hospital and meet Mr. Brock there. Don’t worry; I’ve got all the codes, and I locked upstairs.”
Before the guard could react, the lad skipped out the door and ran, as fast as he could, along the long paved path back to Andrews. After almost ten minutes, he staggered out of breath into the first floor ER-1, shocked to see so many police. He stopped one of the uniformed cops.
“What’s happened?”
“I’m sorry, Sir; I can’t say.”
Brian showed his Brock intern I.D. to the officer.
“Young man, that doesn’t do anything for me. If you have a question, you can ask for a detective on the second floor; if they let you in up there.”
“Thank you.”
Brian walked quickly to the elevators and road up to floor-two. He stepped out, saw the back of a plain-clothes detective and yanked at his sleeve.
“Hello, Sir? Sir; I am Brian Sheldon. I work for Marion Brock, out of Washington, D.C. He owns this place. Can you tell me; what happened here?”
“Sheldon, eh; good for you; I am Detective Inspector Burns, of the Arden City Police, homicide. You must be here to answer questions, because this is a murder scene; and I need answers.”
“Murder? Who was murdered?”
“What’s your name, again, sonny?”
“Sheldon, Brian Sheldon…”
“Come with me; over here.”
Burns led Brian to a bench in the hallway, outside the Morgue.
“You are Brian Sheldon, eh?”
“Yes…”
“Do you have relatives, here at this hospital?”
“My father was in a car accident last night. I’m here to see him.”
“What about your mother?”
“She’s home. I talked to her, a little more than an hour ago.”
“Ah well…I am sorry, son. But your dad was shot, a half hour ago, in this morgue.”
“What? That’s impossible! It can’t be true!”
“Yes; well, it is. Someone shot him at least four times. I am sorry, son. Is there anyone else you know here?”
Brian coughed and looked like he was about to hyperventilate, …Dad? Impossible; we monitored him; he was on the third floor…
Brian spoke to the cop, “I want to see him! Let me see my dad!”
“I can’t do that, right now, Son. Try to settle down…You go with this officer; and she will take you somewhere safe. I’ll meet with you, in a while. Unfortunately, we have to prioritize here…I’m sorry…Go with the officer, now; there’s a good lad?”
The uniformed policewoman took Brian, by the arm, and escorted him back down to a secure room in ER-1.
“You just wait in here, Mr. Sheldon. I’ll be right outside, if you need anything.”
Brian sat down on the hospital bed, shaking, disoriented and angry.
“I have to get out of here.”
…..Meanwhile up on the second floor…..
Burns yelled out, flippantly, “Sergeant Wells, did we get anything on the wife yet?”
“Two detectives went to her house, Jake…Nothing; no answer. But, down stairs in the ER, one of the receptionists thought she saw Mrs. Sheldon in the hospital about forty-five minutes ago.”
Jake rolled his eyes in disgust.
“Christ, I need a vacation…”
Chapter 19
Breathless
Nurse Angie stood at the doorway of Dr. Bellos’s computer room, inside his tenth floor suite, at Andrews Hospital. She watched, mesmerized, as her father completed his call to Swanson, turned his Knofer off and placed it in his hip-holster. Then, he looked up at her and smiled.
“Angie, come in; take a seat, here. Are you okay?”
Angie sat on the padded chair beside his desk and placed the Ever-Life book next to the writing pad on top.
“I just can’t believe all this is happening. This is the night from hell.”
“In some ways yes; but, right now, the important thing is that you are okay? You have been through so much, and I’m afraid your body may go into shock.”
“Yes I know; I just started feeling a bit shaky, lightheaded and weak; but I need to know, Dad…It was horrible, just horrible.”
Angie’s eyes filled with tears.
“I know…”
Bellos reached for her and they hugged.
“I’m sorry Angie. I’ve been a fool. Forgive me?”
“But why did it happened. I don’t understand.”
“Some very bad people have wanted to get a serum-a formula, for a long time; and they finally stole it tonight.”
“Why? Tell me…I’ve seen a man rise from the dead; I was almost murdered; and I can’t believe three people were just killed, not ten feet from me. I think I can hear whatever you have to say.”
Bellos sat back and began, “Angie, I need to say some things to you. I’ve wanted to tell you about us, and certain other things, for so long; but, I couldn’t, for many reasons; partly, I guess, because there’s a bit of a coward in me about this. But, it’s more than that; I thought I was protecting you, somehow. I thought I was doing the right thing, for years; not telling you I was your father. I didn’t want others to find out and use you. I’ve been torn, between telling you, and worrying that if I did, your life would change, so radically, you might lose yourself, blame me; and I’d lose you. Then, lately; well, time and events do strange things to people. The truth is; I guess I put some things out of my mind, to protect my sanity too. So, I hope you can be patient with me. I will fill in gaps, as best I can; I promise.”
“It sounds confusing.”
“Yes I guess…For you and me, it all started when your mother died.”
Bellos reached and took his Knofer out again.
“Do you think about your mom a lot?”
“Of course, Carla Esposito; we lived a strange life in those days. And I remember; you were always there.”
“I know I never told you this; but, when she died; it seems like yesterday sometimes; we were married at the time, but we couldn’t tell anyone. If you remember, natural born citizens were not allowed to marry emigrants. She had to keep her maiden name. Your mother made me promise not to cause a stink about the whole issue. She thought it would ruin my status in Washington, if it came out. Later, I filed papers, through my contacts, that made you my legal protégé. After she passed away, several extremist bastards tried to deport you; but the papers saved that. You never knew. We settled into a routine of academia and life. You were so smart. Eventually, your interest in nursing assured you a future, freedom and independence. The country needed anyone in medicine; and, I was well known enough that they stopped harassing us. By that time, my books, patents and lectures gave us the financial security we needed to move on. When I got this position at the Complex, I didn’t tell you anything for your own safety. I know it’s no excuse; but, here, you were safe and seemed happy. I concentrated on my work; and I vowed to bring Mom back.”
“Bring Mom back?”
“My position here allowed me to research her death; and, at the same time, I could keep an eye on you.” Bellos stroked her hair and shoulder. “Focus ward was the perfect place to keep you safe and with me.”
“But why did I have to be safe? Something is missing.”
“Because, as you found out tonight, some aspects of what I am involved with right now, can be dangerous; and there is more, you have to hear and see.”
Bellos spoke into his Knofer, in the strange Ever-Life language. Three holograms-a sphere, a square and a triangle, appeared right above his Knofer. He grabbed the triangle, and tossed it onto the floor, two feet from the others.
“Please set Carla Bellos program; authorization: Bellos GGM-TBN 010…”
Angie stared, focusing in disbelief, as Bellos cont
inued, “Angie, I am not just head of this hospital. For years, I have been a leader, in training, of a very old, secret organization; an underground society, really. That is partly why I didn’t tell you everything. It would have put you in danger, sooner. Now, you have to know.”
Angie stood up, as if to leave, stunned; and obviously shaking; succumbing to shock.
Bellos gestured to her to wait, “Try to calm down… Here…”
He quickly went to the cabinet and pulled out a sealed foil-wrapped glass. He ripped the packaging off and handed it to Angie.
“Drink this; quickly. It will settle you. Sit down; watch the model.”
Bellos then turned to the shining triangle, and said, “Activate.”
It began spinning, on one tip; and, projected a light beam to the ceiling. A skeleton began to grow. First two human feet; next up, leg bones grew like plant stems in fast forward, and so on, until finishing with a human skull. When the bones were completed, there was a beep.
Angie sat in awe.
“My God.”
“Yeah, they don’t teach you this in nursing school.”
Bellos reached next for the sphere, and tossed it into the skeleton. They both watched, as a spinal cord and nerves began to grow from the bottom of the backbone up into the head and all around the bones. Angie saw a brain flower inside the skull, and nerves sprout out, like beautiful Ivey spreading around a castle in quick time-lapse photography. The drink was working, though; she stopped shaking. For the last time, Dr. B. tossed the square onto the beam and said, “Features-Carla Bellos.”
Then he turned to Angie and watched her expression. Within seconds, muscles and skin covered the body. A light tan beautiful skin color with detail feminine features appeared. Finally, body hair and facial hair finished the image. As it rotated, Angie involuntarily placed her hands over her mouth, and then reached out, “It’s Mom. How is this possible?”
Bellos gently grabbed his daughter’s hands, before they could touch the hologram.
“Listen to me. I need to tell you a lot…I am part of a secret society that can do many wondrous things, like this. I show you this, because I-we, have no time. I need you to trust that everything I tell you is true. The form here, what you see, is Mom.”
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