Christ Clone

by McLeod, David

  Stefan awoke to find Aloysha standing over him, holding his arms.

  'Calm down Stefan, you're fine.'

  'What happened?'

  'It looked like you were having a nightmare. You were twisting and turning in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?'

  Stefan thought about his dream. It had felt so real.

  'I've never told them about my recurring dream. It's something I've kept hidden because I'm sure they want me to be a particular someone, someone good, someone honest. But the truth is, I'm not. I think I'm someone bad.'

  'What do you mean.'

  Feeling strangely at ease, Stefan recounted his dream.

  LOS ANGELES

  Logan arrived at Malone's house as soon as he could. The Bureau had been surprisingly cooperative with their flow of information, and they'd kept him up-to-date with their progress. There was still no word as to the whereabouts of Travis or the Europeans, but Wainright's scientist had definitely messed up and exposed their location. One of their agents had gone through the security tapes and positively ID'd Wainright, his lab manager and an unknown man entering Graceland. So far, they hadn't managed to track them down inside. Having relayed this information to Malone, Taylor, and Daniel, Logan waited for the barrage of questions he knew were coming.

  53

  DALLAS

  EASTER SUNDAY

  After a restless night's sleep, Travis got up, showered, and called Dr Androna in the room next door, arranging to meet for breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. Travis guessed that with a full meal inside them they could break the back of their day's drive without unnecessary stops. Before going down to eat, he made a call to Wainright for an update.

  'What?' Wainright answered in a gruff voice.

  'My, my, aren't we grumpy in the morning,' Travis joked. 'Life on the road not as much fun as you thought?'

  'Get to the point, Travis. What do you want so early? Is there a problem?'

  'So early? It's almost seven. No. No problem, just wanted to get an update. Is everyone on track?'

  'The Europeans are in place, we're in a trailer park en route, the press are on standby. I have no idea where Galbraith is, and I take it you know where you are!'

  'Fine, I'll let you get your beauty sleep. See you tomorrow.'

  TENNESSEE

  Still annoyed at being woken so early, Wainright decided to rouse the other two and get on the road. Several miles outside Memphis they stopped for breakfast at a roadside diner where, once seated, Wainright brought his fellow passengers up to speed on the plan of action for the next few days.

  'Today, we'll get to meet the clones from Europe. According to the scientists, they're both the real thing. In my opinion, they're just clones of people of that era, and I need you to make certain they are exposed as such.' His remarks were directed towards Genesis. 'According to the challenge, they're not supposed to have had any exposure to religion, but as you and I know, rules have a way of being broken. After the unveiling, the press are going to want to interview the three of you; it would be advantageous if they were to find reasons to focus their attention on you and not on the others.' He let his statement hang for a moment.

  'I think the best course of action would be for you to find out, subtly of course, how much the other two have been schooled in religion. If they're as prepared as you have been, then we'll have a problem, but if they've been true to the challenge, then maybe you can try and plant some small seeds of doubt. Little anachronisms or anomalies — hell, you know what I mean.'

  Wainright went quiet while he thought of what the clone could say. Suddenly, a smile crept across his face and he clicked his fingers.

  'Got it — tell them that one of them is a thief, and the other a murderer.' Wainright sounded so casual as he said it, mainly because it made so much sense in his own mind. But as he looked at the open mouths of his two accomplices opposite, he realized he must have said something wrong.

  'Oh, right,' he said, as he thought about what he'd said. 'It does sound a bit odd, but it would all make perfect sense if there were three of you unveiled at the same time.' Genesis and the lab manager weren't getting his point quickly enough, so Wainright lowered his voice and vocalized his thoughts.

  'Over two thousand years ago, three men were crucified: Jesus, a thief, and a murderer. On Monday, the press want to see the clone of Jesus, but we'll give them so much more! On Monday, we'll re-enact the whole bloody thing!'

  'But what happens after that? Where do we go? What do we do?' The lab manager asked.

  'We'll all be going our separate ways,' Wainright replied. 'Simon Travis has set up a place for you all to hide. He's told me he's going to take extra care of the true clone, and since you will be the sole guardian of Genesis, the real clone of Jesus, I believe you two will be set up for life.'

  'But what about you? Why aren't you coming with us, or taking us with you?' Genesis asked.

  Wainright paused as he thought about his answer.

  'The whole world is going to be looking for someone to blame for all of this; by going public and taking the blame, I'm going to be vilified and hunted. For your own safety, it's best we part company; I'm going to hide in a place that doesn't allow extradition, but it's a place where I can't guarantee your safety. So I'm going there alone.' It sounded so moral and just, Wainright almost bought the story himself.

  ***

  Malone and Logan reached Graceland about ten minutes before it opened for the day. Logan had arranged for a Bureau agent to meet them at the entrance, and both men were getting fidgety as they waited for him to arrive.

  To pass the time, Logan tried to make small talk. 'So you and Taylor seem to be getting along pretty well,' he smirked.

  'Mmm,' Malone replied.

  This wasn't getting him anywhere, so Logan turned back to business. 'I'm still not sure this is a good idea. There are agents posted at the rail and bus stations, and of course the airport is covered; if they try to skip the country from here, we'll know about it.'

  'I can't sit around waiting, I need to be on the move,' Malone said.

  Logan understood.

  'Good morning, gentlemen. I'm Agent Bartlett.' Standing in front of them was a robust looking woman who'd seemed to come from nowhere. Seeing their astonishment, she held out her hand and continued. 'Don't tell me, you were expecting a man — right? Well, the Bureau only sends women on babysitting assignments.'

  'I didn't — I mean, we didn't know . . .' Logan stammered.

  'It's all right guys, relax — I'm just yanking your chain. Now that I've broken the ice, let's go in and I'll tell you what we know.'

  LITTLE ROCK

  Wainright stopped his RV outside the hotel and jumped out. Leaving the other two inside he went into the building and straight to the lobby phone to call the penthouse suite where the Europeans were housed.

  A hesitant voice at the other end of the phone said, 'Hello, can I help you?'

  Wainright introduced himself and established that he was talking to the PSI chairman who, after the introduction, invited him up to their room. Once in the room, Wainright's immediate focus was their clones. He was desperate to see if they looked like Genesis.

  DALLAS

  The countryside outside Dallas was, as Travis had expected, uninspiring. There was nothing to distract him from the project and what it was going to mean to him. Wainright's involvement, initially a disaster, was turning out to be a blessing in disguise. Travis was happy to let him take the lead in the unveiling, and even to pick up the glory for the science. It was a burden he felt could only end in tears. He knew Wainright only wanted to see his name in the history books; fame or infamy — it was irrelevant to him. Travis could see the headlines already: Douglas Wainright III, the man who re-created Jesus.

  Just as Wainright had his mind set on making history, Travis was focused on erasing a major part of his. Forgiveness might not seem like a big deal to some people, but the need for it ate into Travis like a disease. What had begun as nig
gling remorse, easily masked by distractions like loose women and expensive toys, had slowly, over time, multiplied until every minute of his life was consumed by unrelenting guilt. Now, in less than twenty-four hours, it would all be over. The current loss of control, the prize money, the lack of recognition, and even the human casualties didn't mean a damn thing to him; one man could forgive him the lot. All that mattered now was Probandi meeting the clones and pointing out his salvation.

  GRACELAND, TENNESSEE

  With the video system on pause, Malone stared at the three men on the screen. They seemed relaxed and carefree, just three Elvis fans on their way to pay homage to their idol. As the video was slowly advanced, Wainright, obviously in control, walked in front of the other two, but all three of them appeared to be there of their own volition.

  'Well, they're obviously all in it together,' Logan said, his curiosity satisfied.

  'That's the consensus,' Agent Bartlett agreed.

  'They don't look in too much of a hurry either,' Malone added.

  'That's the thing we can't figure out. Based on the information you guys have supplied us, they should be nervous wrecks, Wainright in particular. Not only is he on the run from most of the world's crime-fighting agencies, but he's also allegedly got the Son of God in tow. Add to that the fact he should be on a flight to Jerusalem, and you have a lot of weight for one man to carry around.'

  'It just doesn't make sense,' Malone said as he moved towards the screen. 'If they're not going to Israel, then why aren't they in hiding?'

  'In a way they are in hiding,' Bartlett replied. 'Sometimes being one face among a large crowd is the best way to hide.'

  Malone nodded as his eyes bounced over the three men on the screen before coming to rest on the clone.

  LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

  Assured that the coast was clear, and that his clone bore very little resemblance to the others, Wainright collected his two companions from the RV and went back to meet the Europeans. With the introductions out of the way, the six men got straight down to business, leaving the three clones to fend for themselves.

  There was a stirring of familiarity as the three clones inspected each other. After the briefest of small talk, their conversation turned to their dreams. The two Europeans told Genesis they'd already figured out that they were the main thing they had in common. They spoke of the frequency of their dreams, their realism, how inexplicable they were and, last but not least, how obsessive their handlers had become. Genesis said he too had the same kind of dreams, but he went on to say he knew what the dreams meant. Aloysha and Stefan were a captive audience.

  In less than ten minutes, Genesis gave them a crash course in religion. For the two young men born of science, it was overwhelming. Having been been raised by scientists in a world of science, their initial reaction was one of disbelief. How could intelligent, rational human beings believe in such fables? But as Genesis continued to speak, they began to have tiny flashes of doubt.

  'So what about us, where do we fit in?' they asked in unison.

  Wainright watched happily as his clone addressed the other two, knowing that tomorrow he would reveal all three of them to the world, but only his would be the true Son of God. Wainright had learned from his conversation with the Europeans that their clones were completely uncoached in religion, as the rules of the challenge stipulated. He thought how pleasingly naïve it had been of them to stick to the rules, and assured them that he had done so as well.

  As evening slipped into night, exhaustion began to overcome them all. The clones seemed to be deep in conversation still, so Wainright proposed they should be left to sleep in the same room. With no objections coming from the others, they were relocated to the bedroom and continued to talk. Everyone else settled down for the night.

  ARKANSAS

  It had been a long day's drive, and although he was tired Travis had gone past several lonely motels that conjured up images of Norman Bates. He finally settled on one that was far from luxurious, but at least looked safe and respectable.

  MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

  Malone and Logan had spent a frustrating day sitting in the FBI's satellite office in Memphis. Their calls and computer work had produced next to no progress and they felt they were no closer to finding Wainright, or any of the others for that matter, than when they'd started. The only clues they'd uncovered were that Interpol had managed to track the Germans to Switzerland, but lost them there. And while the FBI was interviewing people who had either business or personal relationships with any of the fugitives, they had learned precious little. The one thread that held a bit of promise was the business press person at CNN who had acted suspiciously when questioned about recent contact with either Wainright or Travis.

  Time was ticking by and both Malone and Logan were tired — not so tired they'd quit, but way too tired to think clearly. Breaking the solemn mood, agent Bartlett announced it was time to go out for dinner and a drink.

  Malone was about to object when Logan piped up, 'Come on, the break will do us good. We should also think about finding a place to stay for the night.'

  'That's all taken care of, gentlemen. We've got you checked in at the downtown Quality Inn, so shall we . . .' Bartlett gestured towards the door.

  LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

  The three clones took turns recounting their dreams, starting with those they'd discussed during sessions with their handlers. With the information Genesis provided, their dreams started to make sense. Comfortable that Genesis was on their side, Aloysha nodded to Stefan, who took a deep breath and began.

  'Aloysha and I were talking about our dreams the other night, and I told him about one I keep having. It's a dream where I get caught stealing from a market. It began as simply as that. I'd go to the market prepared to steal, I'd know it was wrong, but I also knew I was good at it. But as the dream progresses, something goes wrong and I get caught by the guards and dragged before someone in authority, a general I think. In the next set of dreams this general is pointing and shouting at me, there are people all around, and they all seem to be against me. It's horrible.'

  'Sounds like a trial,' Genesis noted.

  'But it gets worse,' Stefan continued.

  'Lately, I've been dreaming about being nailed to a wooden frame. It's freaky. It seems so real, and so painful . . .' He trails off as he thinks about it.

  'I've had that dream too,' Aloysha announces.

  'I hate to say it, but so have I,' Genesis added.

  The three of them were speechless.

  Stefan walked over to his luggage and fiddled with his suitcase, unzipping the lid to reveal what they saw was a cleverly disguised compartment inside.

  'What do you think this stuff is?' he asked the other two. In his hand was a syringe containing a clear liquid.

  During their talks, Viktor had taught Aloysha a lot about chemicals and compounds, so carefully taking the syringe from Stefan, he squeezed a couple of drops onto a tissue. Immediately, an unmistakable aroma of almonds rose from the liquid.

  'Where did you get this?' Aloysha asked.

  'One of the project managers had it in his jacket pocket — he was going to give me another one like it.' Stefan spoke as though he had been brought a present.

  'Do you know what it is?' Genesis asked.

  Aloysha nodded, 'Cyanide.'

  Sleep came slowly to the three clones, but when it finally arrived, it brought terrible dreams to one of them . . .

  As the red clouds fogged his mind, he nevertheless managed to focus his attention on the face of a woman screaming in terror before him. He had her by the throat and she was swinging wildly. Her hands hit him on the body and face. With every blow the red mist became thicker. On the counter there was a knife and his free hand grabbed it. The knife seemed to move with a mind of its own, plunging down and slashing the woman's chest. The curved steel blade was covered with blood as it rose and descended again. The woman fell to the ground.

  As the fog began to lift, he looked
down at the mess in front of him and dropped the knife. As he looked at his bloodied hands, consciousness came back to him. The room was empty, but completely wrecked. He wondered what had happened, where was he? And who was this woman whose body was lying at his feet? He staggered to the window, looked down into the street below; everything seemed normal. He closed the shutters and turned his back on the outside world. He slid to the floor, his bloody hands covering his face, and wept. There was a loud banging on the frail wooden door, and then the guards crashed through . . .

  54

  ARKANSAS

  EASTER MONDAY

  Travis was up bright and early again. Butterflies were already beginning to flutter around in his stomach. He flicked through the notes he'd made during his conversation with Wainright the previous night. He'd been desperate to find out what Wainright's initial thoughts and comments on the clones were, but instead got him to focus on the plans for the event; after all this time, he could wait a few more hours to know if it had all been successful, plus the last thing he wanted to do was reveal any kind of weakness to Wainright.

  As he compared the venue details to his map of Jerusalem, he quickly planned his route. Once he was happy, he woke his two companions.

  LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

  Wainright, the chairman, and the colonel were in the hotel restaurant tucking into the breakfast buffet. Wainright had already been in contact with his CNN reporter and briefed him on the when and where. The reporter told him the Feds had been following him for the past few days, which hadn't surprised either of them. He told Wainright he knew how to give them the slip, and would be there in the early afternoon.

  Having gone back to the buffet for seconds, Wainright piled the food high on his plate and returned to his seat. 'A big day calls for a big breakfast,' he boomed.