by R. D. Brady
“You knew I was being abused?” Jen said.
“I was aware there were some difficulties. But nothing life-threatening.”
Jen’s mouth fell open. “They threw me out of a tree. Without my abilities, I would have died.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes. “But you didn’t die, did you?”
“You said people were keeping an eye on Jen in case her abilities ‘negatively manifested,’” Laney said. “What would have happened if they had been deemed ‘negative’?”
“She would have been taken care of. Now, I have duties—”
Jen cut her off. “Thank you.”
Vanessa paused, confused. “For what?”
“For leaving me. It was the best thing you ever did for me.” Jen turned and walked out of the room, her frame tight.
Laney’s heart broke at the sight. Jen was trying to hold it together, but it couldn’t have been easy.
Vanessa stood. “Right. Well—”
“Sit down,” Laney ordered, her anger boiling over.
“I will not—”
Wind gusted through the room and slammed the door shut. Laney gritted her teeth. “I said sit down.”
Vanessa sat.
Laney paced, trying to control her anger. Vanessa had left Jen. She had known Jen was being abused, and yet she had done nothing to stop it. Never in Laney’s life had she wanted to hurt someone more.
But she reined in her temper and sat down across from Vanessa. “You are going to tell me everything you know about Project Jerusalem.”
CHAPTER 49
Laney interrogated Vanessa for the better part of an hour—but got nothing. Finally, she threw open the door and summoned one of the police officers. “Get her out of here.”
The officer grabbed Vanessa by the arm and led her down the hall. Laney watched her go, trying to understand how someone could be so cold to their own child and so loyal to the priestess.
Laney asked one of the other officers if he’d seen Jen, and he pointed toward the main doors. Before she headed out, she called Jake for an update.
He told her he had some analysts remotely investigating the Honu computer system, but so far they’d had no luck finding out anything about either Project Jerusalem or the priestess’s location. Laney was tempted to ask him to have Danny take a crack at it, but she had promised herself the kids wouldn’t get involved.
She remembered the kids playing soccer before she left. That’s what they should be concerned about: games, homework, college applications. Life and death should not be a regular part of their lives. So she bit her tongue and told Jake to let her know as soon as they found anything.
She shoved her phone into her back pocket and stepped out of the temple. She had to admit that, from here atop the temple steps, the island was stunning. Colors dotted the lush landscape and the homes all melded well with it, not disturbing the natural beauty of the place.
She looked around for Jen, but saw only a few members of Honu Keiki wandering by. She knew they all had to be burning with curiosity. So many foreigners on the island must have been a shocking event.
“Laney,” a voice called.
She turned and saw Oasu coming from around the back of the temple, with a smaller man walking behind him.
Laney jogged down the steps to meet them. “Oasu. What’s going on?”
Oasu took the small man by the arms and pulled him forward. The man was in his late thirties, his dark hair balding in the middle. “This is Ipo,” Oasu said. “He used to work for the priestess as her personal assistant.”
“I would see to all her needs,” Ipo added. “Anticipate her needs as well.”
“But you are no longer her assistant?” Laney asked.
Ipo’s face flamed red and he looked away. “I did not wake the priestess when she had received a phone call. She had me replaced.”
“How long did you work for her?”
“Twelve years.”
“And she had you replaced for one mistake?” Laney asked.
He nodded.
Oasu nudged him. “Tell her what you know about the move.”
“We were supposed to go there, to Australia. The facility there was designed as a modern day Noah’s Ark.”
“Does this have to do with the ritual of the end and the beginning?” Laney asked.
Ipo frowned. “The ritual? How do you know about the ritual?”
Laney realized Ipo did not know that the Companion Killers had been attempting to recreate the ritual, which meant it wasn’t common knowledge. So had the Companion Killers’ attempt spooked the priestess?
“The people left on the island. When were they scheduled to follow?” Laney asked.
Ipo shook his head. “Most of the people left—we are to be left behind.”
Oasu’s jaw clenched.
“What?” Laney asked.
“The plan was to only bring the able-bodied. Those left behind would be a drag in the new world.”
“What about the Guard?”
“They were supposed to be on the next plane, with a few select others.”
“Did they know that people were being left behind?”
Ipo glanced at Oasu before shaking his head. “No. Most didn’t even know why the people were being sent away.”
“What about you?” Oasu asked.
Ipo looked at his feet. “I have disappointed her. I was not going either.”
“So that’s what Project Jerusalem is. Saving the able-bodied,” Oasu said quietly.
Ipo looked up, his brow furrowed. “That has nothing to do with Project Jerusalem.”
“But I thought—” Laney began. “You know what, never mind what I thought. What is Project Jerusalem?”
“I only overheard some things. I do not know the whole plan.”
“Just tell me what you do know.”
“It’s about the end of days.”
“You mean preparing for it,” Oasu said.
Ipo shook his head. “No. Bringing it about.”
Laney stared in disbelief. “She’s going to try to bring about the end of days?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why is it called Project Jerusalem?”
“It’s set in Jerusalem. Whatever the priestess is planning, it will happen there.”
CHAPTER 50
Laney handed Ipo off to a police officer, then she called Jake and instructed him to rustle up whoever he could find and get them on a plane to Jerusalem. In particular, she insisted he call Yoni; Yoni had spent the first twelve years of his life in Israel and would definitely want to be in on this.
Laney then called Matt to see what resources he could muster up. There were SIA agents in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. They would all converge on Israel.
The end of days. Laney shuddered. Whatever the priestess had planned, the fact that it was in Israel didn’t bode well.
Modern Israel was established in 1948 following the end of the British mandate. Technically the Balfour Declaration of 1917 paved the way for the creation of Israel by addressing the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, but it wasn’t until 1948 that Israel was officially recognized as its own country. But even then, things weren’t nearly that simple. By the time Israel was created, Arabs had been living in Palestine for hundreds of years—and they pushed back.
In fact, the Arabs and Israelis in the region had been pushing at one another ever since the early days. And small incidents spiraled into extended periods of violence. The first intifada was triggered by an Israeli truck crashing into a group of Palestinians waiting to return home at a border crossing. Four were killed, and the area erupted. Small attacks prior to the incident, as well as years of oppression, provided fuel for the fire, but a simple car accident—interpreted by the Palestinians as a direct attack—was the last straw.
The heart of the issue was Israel’s move to claim East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967, when they seized Arab land and
moved settlers in. At first, the Palestinians demanded that the Israelis move back to the original demarcation line. But after decades of fighting and tensions, Arab groups began calling for the complete removal of Israel.
Israel was colorful and vibrant, but also dangerous. And now the priestess was attempting to do something in the middle of that simmering pot. Something that would cause the world to spiral out of control.
And without more to go on, Laney had no idea how she was going to prevent that from happening.
While Laney pondered all the possibilities, she had been walking the island, looking for Jen. Finally, she caught sight of her standing on a dock, and walked up to her.
“Jen?”
Jen didn’t turn. She just stared out over the water. “It’s really beautiful here. I can see why she wanted to come back.”
Laney stepped up beside her. “It is beautiful.”
Jen’s face was absent any expression, but Laney could feel the emotions swirling inside of her. “What if I’m like her?” she asked quietly.
“You are nothing like her,” Laney said firmly. “Your family, your friends—you would do anything for them. We all know that. That woman is nothing like you.”
“She gave me away, Laney. My own mother gave me away. She knew I was being abused, and she didn’t even think to help me. I was just a kid.” A tear tracked down her cheek.
“That says a world about her and nothing about you. Her decision has nothing to do with you. It’s no reflection on you and who you are.”
Jen turned to her, her eyes filled with pain. “My own mother didn’t want me. How can that not say something about me?”
Laney took Jen by the shoulders. “Because you’re amazing. You’re everything she is not. She is not your mother. Your real mother is back in the States. With your brothers and your father.”
“I know you’re right. In my head, I know you’re right. But it hurts, Laney. It just really hurts.”
Jen’s shoulders started to shake. Laney pulled her into her arms and held her as she sobbed, cursing Vanessa and the priestess for making their lives that much harder.
CHAPTER 51
Henry’s heart broke for Jen. From Laney’s description, her mother was a complete piece of work. He’d tried to reach Jen, if only to talk, but she wasn’t answering. And Henry had known she wouldn’t. Jen closed up when she was hurt. And this—this had to cut deep.
But somehow, even Jen’s heartache paled in comparison to Laney’s other news: the end of days.
Was it even possible? He walked to the window that overlooked the courtyard of the school. A few teenagers lounged around, taking advantage of the unusually warm weather. He’d come to the school after Laney and Jen had left; he’d wanted to be nearby if the kids needed him. Besides, Danny had wanted to visit with his friends. One of the security detail had taken them over to the cats’ preserve.
But as he looked out at the teenagers, his mind spiraled down a dangerous path. Multiple religions and groups talked about the end of days: the time for the ultimate battle between good and evil. Henry himself had almost been waiting for the notification that it was about to begin. After all, he, Laney, and Jake made up the triad—the three who would arise to fight the Fallen when the world had reached a critical point.
Part of him had hoped that with his mother’s sacrifice, they had avoided the coming battle. But in his heart, he had known that wasn’t the case. He knew this day would come.
He clenched his fist. I just wish we had more time.
“Henry?”
He turned. Danny hovered in the doorway.
And here’s one of the reasons I want more time.
Henry had helped Danny escape an abusive home at the age of ten. Danny was an off-the-charts genius, and when Henry brought him into the Chandler Group fold, he had originally planned on having the boy work with him. At first, he’d hired nannies to look after him, but soon, he and Danny had fallen into the role of father and son. And like any father, Henry wanted Danny to experience life and be free from danger. And if the world was going to go to hell, he wanted Danny to be older when that happened.
Henry forced a smile to his face. “Hey. When did you guys get back?”
“Just now.”
“Good. How are the cats?”
Danny grinned. “Awesome. Snow is absolutely attached to Lou. She was kind of hoping maybe Snow and Tiger could come stay at the school for a little bit. I told her I’d ask.”
“Tiger?”
“The other cub—the yellow one. He’s really sweet.”
“Well, when Laney gets back, we’ll see what she thinks of Tiger’s control, okay?”
“Gets back? Where is she?”
“Uh, she just went for a, um, research trip.”
Danny frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Henry smiled again. “Hey, you want to order Chinese for dinner? Have your friends join us.”
Danny shook his head. “Don’t change the subject. What’s going on? You’re acting weird.”
Henry sighed. “It’s nothing. Laney and Jen are just working on a case.”
“And I guess it’s not going well.”
Henry laughed. “They’re always complicated.”
“Can I help?”
“Absolutely not. None of you are helping in any more cases. After the last time— no, absolutely not.”
Danny raised his hands apologetically. As he did so, his shirt sleeves fell down to his elbows, bringing his strong forearms now in view. And with a pang, Henry realized how much Danny had grown. He had muscle now, something he’d never really had before. He’s growing up. And the thought of it brought him both pride and sadness.
“Look,” Danny said, “I know we screwed up. We should have let you guys know what we were planning. But if Laney needs our help, or my help, shouldn’t I help? I mean, is it serious?” Danny smiled. “Because if it’s end-of-the-world serious…”
Henry tried to maintain a neutral expression, but he must have failed, because Danny’s smile dimmed.
“Wait. It’s end-of-the-world serious?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. But you—”
“Is there some computer angle I can help with?”
Henry hesitated.
“There is! Henry, you need to let me help.”
Henry shook his head. “No. We—”
“Have someone better with a computer than me?” Danny stepped forward. “You know that if I wanted I could just hack into our computer system and learn what’s going on. But I’m not going to do that. I want your permission to help.”
“I just hate the idea of getting you involved in this.”
“Well, if it is the end of the world, I’m going to be involved. And personally, I’d like my involvement to be trying to stop it rather than just trying to survive it.”
Henry remembered the shy little boy he’d met so long ago. Danny had grown a lot in the intervening years, but especially in the last three. And Henry had to admit, all those experiences had made him stronger in many different ways. He stood up for himself, he socialized, he was turning into an incredible man. And Danny was right: if it was end of the world, he should have the opportunity to help.
“Okay,” he said. “I need you to look through some computer files.”
CHAPTER 52
Laney pocketed her phone and called everyone she could think of. The ball was rolling; now she just needed to get herself to Israel.
She look over at Jen and Noriko, who were helping get Aaliyah in the med chopper. Noriko and Kai were going to accompany the injured woman to Maui. She’d get checked out at the hospital there, and then Laney was having them flown to Baltimore—partly because she wanted them safe while the priestess was on the loose, but also because she thought they all needed some time away from Malama to figure out their next steps. She’d been surprised when they’d agreed.
Jen stepped back as the chopper started to lift off. When the chopper was out of sight, La
ney approached her. “Your little sister seems pretty amazing.”
Jen met Laney’s gaze, and Laney saw the tears she was trying to hold back. “Yeah.”
“You haven’t told her.”
Jen shook her head. “No. Besides the fact that it’s absolutely not the right time, it wouldn’t do anything to make her life better. She has Aaliyah, Kai, Oasu. If I told her, I’d have to tell her Vanessa was her biological mother, and I think she’s better off not knowing that. I’m thinking I would have been better off not knowing that.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“What part?”
“Any of it. You needed to know, and now you do. You can close that chapter of your life and focus on everyone you do have. And that’s the other thing you could offer Noriko: you. Because you are my sister in every way, and I can tell you from experience, she shouldn’t have to miss out on that.”
Jen’s chin trembled and she blew out a breath, trying to keep her tears at bay. “I don’t do this—cry, talk about my emotions. I just—”
“Do what needs to be done. And you show your emotions in different ways. You put it all on the line for complete strangers. Even after everything you went through when you were younger, you didn’t close off your heart. Lou’s proof of that, and so is Henry. So yeah, maybe you don’t ‘do’ this emotion thing, but right now, you’re kind of getting batted around by them.”
Jen nodded and wiped her eyes. “But now’s not the time for that. Let’s go stop the priestess and whatever plan she’s got brewing—”
“No.”
Jen looked surprised. “No? We’re not going to stop her?”
Laney hugged Jen. “I’m going to stop her. You’re going home.”
Jen pulled back. “What? Laney, you need my help.”
“I will always want your help. But whether you realize it or not, you’re not ready for this fight. Vanessa—” Laney saw Jen wince at the mention of her mother. “She hurt you. And that’s playing around in your head right now. And I can’t risk you getting hurt, or worse. Not even to save the world.”
