Becoming Zodiak

by Craig Jones

  “The laws won’t let anything like that happen in this country,” Brian muttered with a shake of his head. “There used to be violence at professional sports, so now we even have to compete behind closed doors. It looks like WWW got around the laws for this, though.”

  Claire reached behind her and took his hand, squeezing it gently.

  Paul Jordan’s face filled the television screen. “And now our super computer will make the draw for the final five. Every applicant’s names and data have been entered. All we have to do now is press this big green button and we’ll know who is going to have a chance at becoming Zodiak. Lord Crabbe, over to you.”

  Jimmy’s heart began to race and a bead of sweat ran down the back of his neck as the camera tracked Crabbe pushing himself across to the computer terminal and pressing a gaudy, oversized green disk labelled ‘Go.’

  The screen filled with hundreds, thousands of names, scrolling left to right, up and down, until a large ‘1’ expanded to fill the full display and a deep voice spoke the words, “Competitor Number One.”

  Jimmy, Shane, Claire and Brian all held their breath.

  A photo of a black teenager wearing an American football uniform replaced the 1. Jennifer James’ voice filled the room.

  “Duane Bullock is seventeen years of age and weighs two hundred pounds, all of it solid muscle. A wide receiver from Florida, Duane holds the record for the highest number of college touchdowns ever scored for anyone his age. Duane lost his father in the fourth Gulf War and has been looking after his disabled mother for the last three years while trying to establish a career as a professional sportsman.”

  Duane’s photograph was replaced by the scrolling names for a few seconds, and then a number 2 appeared along with the deep voice once more.

  “Competitor Number Two.”

  The photo of a thin, ginger-haired boy in his school uniform came into focus. This time it was Owen Morten who informed the world. “Carl Horn is from Scotland and is fifteen years of age. He is a triathlete and hoped to take part in the Olympic Games. Carl’s parents died when he was just three years of age in a climbing accident, and he has lived with his grandmother ever since.”

  “You’ll be next, Jimmy,” Shane said confidently. “You’ll see.”

  Jimmy didn’t share his foster brother’s optimism. He felt empty inside, like he’d not eaten for three days and everyone else around him was feasting on his favorite foods.

  “Competitor Number Three.”

  Jennifer was back to introduce the nineteen-year-old French sprinting champion Francois Bove, and Owen presented the first female competitor, Varsha Steer, a gymnast from India.

  As each name was read out, the hope Jimmy secretly held in his heart faded. He thought Brian had been right back at the paintball club; Jimmy had always believed there was something special waiting for him, and he’d allowed himself to dream that this was it. He was no longer so sure.

  “Number five is going to be a girl too. Three boys, two girls. It has to be,” he said. He could not help but think that maybe it had not been Brian who was right at the clubhouse. Maybe it had been that bully Dale after all.

  No one else in the room wanted to say anything after Jimmy’s comment, even if, in their own minds, it was what also they expected. They wanted to keep Jimmy feeling as positive as possible while there was still a chance.

  “And finally, Competitor Number Five!” boomed the voice.

  A photo began to materialize onscreen, and Jennifer James began. “And our final competitor is—”

  “No!” shouted Virgo, and the television screen cut straight back to the studio. Everyone had turned to face Virgo as she sat ramrod straight in her chair. Her white dress and hair were glowing, and the lines and wrinkles had disappeared from her face. No longer did she look like an old crone. Virgo looked strong once more. She held her left hand up, palm facing the cameras.

  “She is not the right person for Zodiak,” she said, and then paused.

  “Told you it would be a girl,” said Jimmy, the tingling feeling in his stomach back and ten times stronger. He now felt like he could vomit.

  On the screen Virgo made a loose fist of her hand, and a light inside blazed bright until she extended her fingers and the light was extinguished immediately. The studio was deathly quiet.

  Jimmy, sat on the edge of the sofa, felt as though he’d been pushed in the chest and back onto the cushion, like all of his energy had been sapped.

  “Jimmy?” Brian asked, alarmed. Claire and Shane hovered over him.

  “I felt…something,” Jimmy stuttered. The words were heavy on his tongue.

  “You felt something when she opened her hand?”

  “I don’t know… I—”

  “Oh, man!” Shane shouted. “It’s got to be—”

  “The next one,” Virgo continued, successfully silencing Shane. “The next one must be given his chance.”

  “How can you be so sure?” William Walsh asked Virgo while smugly smiling down the camera.

  “There are times…when I know everything,” she said softly. “Past, present and future.”

  Walsh grinned even wider, his white teeth reflecting the studio lighting. “Wow.” He nodded. “This must make for exciting viewing for everyone watching at home.”

  The light Virgo was emitting faded and died, and she crumpled back into her chair. Lord Crabbe reached over to attend to her and the camera lingered on them for a few seconds, highlighting Virgo’s apparent fragility before cutting away.

  “And finally, Competitor Number Five,” the voice from before repeated.

  Shane leapt to his feet, unable to remain calm.

  This time there was no stopping Jennifer James and no surprise in the Mills household when the photo of a blond boy in camouflage gear filled their television screen.

  “Our fifth and final competitor is a fifteen-year-old from Wales: Jimmy Taurus!”

  14

  Jimmy sat on the front step of the house he had called home for the last three years. His bag, packed for his trip to London for the preliminary health tests, was next to him and he nervously plucked at a loose thread on the strap as he stared down the lawn. His car, sent by WWW News to take him to the Dome, was due in fifteen minutes, and he’d been unable to sit still inside.

  The house sat just on the outskirts of Cardiff on a quiet, shaded street. The garden to the rear was vast and surrounded by trees, and Jimmy had many happy memories of playing there with Shane. His brother, never the most agile but certainly the bravest, had scaled every tree to its peak while Jimmy floundered on the lower branches. Brian had converted the garage into a gym, and he had taught both boys how to lift weights and to defend themselves. Shane had always gotten either bored or tired before Jimmy and had often stopped to watch as Brian showed his older brother a new takedown move or pushed him a little bit harder. Jimmy had always thought the extra training had prepared him for anything.

  “Am I ready for this?” he murmured.

  “I think you are,” Brian said. Jimmy had been so locked in his own thoughts that he hadn’t heard his foster father open the door behind him. For such a big guy, Brian sure was stealthy.

  “I hope so,” Jimmy said, forcing a false smile as Brian sat down next to him.

  He nudged Jimmy’s arm with his elbow. “This is just another training session, getting you ready for the real deal. And you’ve always trained pretty hard. You’ve never let me, or yourself, down when it comes to effort.”

  “Not always. Just since you’ve encouraged me.” Tears threatened to spill down Jimmy’s face.

  “Listen, kid,” Brian continued. “You’ve always had it in you. You just needed some focus. I’m just glad it was me who could help you find it.”

  Jimmy looked up into Brian’s eyes, and finally the tears came.

  “You didn’t help me find it. You gave it to me on a plate.”

  “Ah, come on. You’ll have me going if you carry on like that.”

  Jimmy lo
oked away and wiped his eyes. When he looked back, he saw that Brian was doing the same.

  “Shut up,” Brian said.

  “I never said anything!” Jimmy sniggered.

  A car drove past and Jimmy tensed.

  “It’s not time yet. Just relax.”

  “I’m trying. It’s just, after all that’s happened, I’m scared something is going to take all this away from me.” He paused. “Do you think he’ll see me?”

  “I don’t know, Jimmy. No one knows where he is. If they did, he’d be in prison.”

  “Do you think he did it?”

  Brian stood up and walked around in front of Jimmy. He dropped to his haunches and placed a massive hand on the boy’s shoulder.

  “Look, you’ve not had it easy. If I’d have lost my mother when I was the age you were…” Brian let the thought linger in the air. “All the anger you had? It was understandable. How many foster homes in ten years?”

  “Thirty-seven.” Jimmy looked uncomfortable. “Well, thirty-six before you guys.”

  Brian shook his head. “But you’ve calmed down, found an outlet for your emotions. You’re the one that has always said there’s something out there, more to your life? I believe this is it.”

  “I do too. But you didn’t answer my question.”

  “I don’t know. And that’s the truth. But all you need to know now is that we’re behind you. Me. Claire. Your brother. Every step of the way.”

  Jimmy’s face filled with pride. “Shane really is my brother, isn’t he?”

  “Even if he was that blood twin he likes to say he is, he couldn’t be more of a brother. Come on, you guys were born on the same day! You couldn’t be more ‘twin’ if you’d been joined at the hip.”

  Jimmy laughed. The door opened and Claire and Shane came out to join them. Both looked apprehensive.

  “We just had a phone call,” Claire said, her voice wavering. “The car is five minutes away.”

  “Now don’t worry,” Brian said more firmly. He looks Jimmy in the eyes. “Three days on your own—that’s all—just for the prelim tests, and then I’ll be there to coach you through this.”

  “And me!” Shane burst out.

  “All of us,” Claire said quietly. “Jimmy, I’m not very good at goodbyes, so I’m just going to hug you now and go inside.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, tousled his blonde hair, and went back into the house. Jimmy had felt her tears on his forehead, and he had to swallow down a lump in his throat. Then she was gone and Jimmy felt like a massive part of his heart had gone with her.

  With a wink, Brian put his hand out and they shook.

  “I believe in you, kid. Always have, always will.” Brian paused, tried to force a smile, but failed. “Shane wanted to be the last one to say goodbye to you, so I’m going to leave you with him. Remember, we’re a phone call away.”

  “I will,” Jimmy said, his voice choked.

  Brian stopped at the door and turned to face him.

  “Chances like this don’t come along for everybody. It’s come to you for a reason,” he said. “I want you to grasp this opportunity with all you’ve got. I believe in you, Jimmy.”

  And then he was gone. Jimmy wanted to run inside, to grab hold of Brian and never let him go. He had never felt so confident and so scared, had never thought anyone could believe in him so much. Only Shane’s voice stopped him.

  “Jimmy—”

  Shane was cut off by the loud blast of a car horn. The boys turned to the curb as a sleek black limousine pulled up. They hadn’t even heard its approach.

  “Oh, man. That is so cool!” Shane yelled as he hefted Jimmy’s bag.

  His brother rushed for it. “I’ll take that, there’s no—”

  “Hey, come on,” Shane implored. “Let me do this one thing for you, okay?”

  Jimmy back off, nodded, and they walked to the car in silence. No one got out and it was impossible to see inside. As they approached, the trunk automatically popped open and Shane dropped the bag inside before slamming it shut.

  “Jimmy,” he said, his voice full of trepidation. “There’s something I want to say.”

  His brother gave him a teasing look. “You’re not going to go soft on me, are you, bro?”

  Shane’s eyes were serious. “I just want to give you some advice.”

  The glint in Jimmy’s eyes faded. “Sure.”

  “Right,” Shane said sternly. “I don’t think you should say anything, you know, about what happened when Virgo glowed all bright and stuff. When you felt, I don’t know, whatever it was that you did.”

  Jimmy looked at him with surprise. “Why not?”

  “Because you know how the rest of Zodiak were found by Virgo. We all do. She handpicked orphans and teenagers who’d gone through some sort of loss in their lives. If you start telling people you felt something, they might think you’re trying to say that she’s already picked you.”

  “And people might think I’m being arrogant,” Jimmy said, realization dawning. “That I think I deserve a place in Zodiak over everyone else.”

  “And I know the last thing you are is arrogant.”

  Shane paused and let his words hang in the air.

  “So, I’ll see you in a few days,” he added, slower this time with trepidation.

  “But you’ll be by my side,” Jimmy said. “All through it. Because if you’re there, I can do this. I really believe I can. You—you and Claire and Brian—make me believe that more than any ‘strange message’ from Virgo.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be right there,” Shane answered with mock boredom. “Watching my brother become a superhero. Yeah, I guess I could make time for that.”

  Jimmy hugged him tight, for once leaving him speechless.

  “True brothers,” Jimmy murmured into Shane’s shoulder.

  “True brothers,” Shane responded, and he drew away to open the back door of the limo. “Until you screw up and then I disown you.”

  “Of course.”

  Jimmy looked back at the house and saw Brian and Claire stood in the front window. Brian met his farewell wave with a nod.

  “I guess I’d better go,” he said quietly to his brother.

  “Just a few days,” Shane replied tearfully. “I love you, bro.”

  “Love you too.”

  It took every ounce of his courage to turn his back on Shane and duck into the limo. He closed the door behind him, buckled his seatbelt, and the car pulled off.

  He watched as Shane waved, did not take his eyes off him until the car turned the corner and his brother was out of sight. Once he lost the last glimpse of his family, he sighed deep and sat rigid and silent next to the window.

  He had never felt so alone, so uncertain. He could not even enjoy the luxurious car, with its deep, soft leather seats and its divider between him and the driver.

  “Well, you’re on your own now,” he said aloud.

  With a high-pitched whir, the divider scrolled down, revealing the driver and another passenger.

  “Jimmy, you’ll never be on your own, I promise,” said William Walsh.

  15

  “What are you doing here?” Jimmy asked before he knew what he was saying. He drew back. “I’m sorry, that’s really rude of me. Um, nice to meet you, Mister Walsh.”

  Walsh turned and eyed Jimmy with a smile. “No need to apologize, young man. I’m sorry I startled you. I just wanted to make sure that, as our youngest competitor, you were given the very best treatment.”

  “Well, uh, this car sure is awesome,” Jimmy offered, some of the nerves and fears beginning to flee his body.

  “Not bad, is it? But let me tell you, this is just the start of things for you, Jimmy. I want you to consider me your biggest fan. Whatever you need while you’re in London, you just have to ask.

  “And of course, the media is going to want to know everything about you.” Walsh paused. “There will be things you will not want to talk to them about. That’s where I can help the most. Al
l the advice you’ll need for your interviews I’ll be there to give you.”

  Jimmy’s eyes glowed with newfound excitement, and he sat up a little straighter. “I think you’re going to be pretty busy, doing this for all five of us.”

  “Well, Jimmy,” Walsh said, suddenly far more serious, “I’m not doing this for everyone. I am only doing this for you.”

  A switch inside Jimmy’s mind flicked to suspicious. “Why me?”

  Walsh held his hands up in mock surrender. “Let me explain. You’re our youngest competitor. But you already know that. What you don’t know is that I was just fifteen when I got my first job in television. So I guess what I’m saying is that you remind me of, well, me.”

  “That’s very kind of you, Mister Walsh,” Jimmy replied slowly. “I really appreciate that.”

  Walsh set his forearm against his seat and leaned in. “Jimmy, you have no idea how much we have in common.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve lost someone important to me too. My wife was murdered. Just like your mother.”

  Jimmy went silent and still. This was all emotional enough without having to talk to a stranger about what had happened to his mother.

  “I just want you to understand that if you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you. The kind of loss you’ve suffered is something no child should ever experience.”

  “You know what happened?” he asked, hoping it would mean he wouldn’t have to talk about it.

  “I know enough. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Just please know that while you are away from the Mills family and Shane, I am here to listen, to talk, if you need me to.”

  “Thanks, Mister Walsh. I…don’t quite know what else to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything,” Walsh said finally. “You just have to know that many people believe in you and that I am one of them.”

  Jimmy felt a little more settled, comforted, and then the car turned a tight right-hand corner and trundled onto a country lane.

  “Shouldn’t we be heading for the freeway if we’re going to London?” he asked.