by Summer Lee
“No.” Reuben shook his head. “I don’t know what happened to him. We couldn’t find him here. They cleared out in a hurry and apparently took Daniel with them. We have proof that Daniel was here, though, because we found the same set up in the place like the one where we found you. Unless they had captured someone else to test for their virtual world, Daniel had to have been here. The good news is that Levi found evidence of where they might be headed.”
“Where?” she asked, with excitement. She then paused, as she recalled where she and Daniel saw the fake world. “Never mind. I know where they’re going. They’ll need a plane.”
Magena looked up as Levi and Simeon came running toward them. “Then we need to get to our contacts at the airport,” Reuben replied.
“DiBenedetto took Daniel,” Levi said. “I don’t think they left in a hurry because of us. There’s no way they could have known we were coming.”
“Then why did they leave so quickly?” Magena queried.
Levi looked at the warehouse in deep thought. “I was wrong before when I thought that Daniel’s father was going straight to the underground cavern. He picked his son up first. Now he’s going to try to retrieve Jezebel’s treasure.”
Magena shook her head. “This is getting more confusing as it goes along. The more I know, the less I like where this is going. I know you said that Daniel’s father might have played a trick on us, and there was a bigger outcome on the horizon. One in which Jezebel’s treasure becomes part of our world. Mr. DiBenedetto is in such a rush to be there when the treasure appears. I wonder about him.”
She locked eyes with Levi, as he asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I’m sure he’s got access to a private jet since he’s a billionaire. How the heck are we supposed to get there before him?”
Levi raised a brow and sighed. “Someone will have to go back to the valley where you met up with the woman in the virtual world.”
Magena said, “Her name is Yasmeen.”
“She is the only connection to Jezebel and her jewels. You need to follow her out when she leaves the valley.”
“Wait just a darn minute here!” Magena chose not to hide her anger. “Every question I have sparks new questions when I get the answers! Now you’re telling me that someone has to contact the virtual world where sudden death is almost a given?” She gasped. “And that someone is me?”
Levi paused to give her a moment before he responded. He obviously did not want to fuel her anger. “Reuben will go with you,” he finally replied. “We can’t afford to send too many people in, since we don’t know what that would do to them or the virtual world. You know the world already. You were there for a while. If you don’t want to go, I understand. No one will hold it against you, but this is a lot bigger than just you and Daniel now. Many could lose their lives.”
She rolled her eyes but had nothing to say in response to that. She knew he was right, she just couldn’t accept having to go back and confront the virtual world. That experience would leave her shaken for the rest of her life.
Levi handed her a bottle of cold water. “Sit down awhile. We’ll think of something else.”
Her anger faded as she sipped the water. It was replaced by reluctance. “No. I’m fine. I’m sorry. I know you’re right. It’s just that this has been a non-stop train ride of lies and adventure that I never asked for. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“It was your destiny, just like finding you was our destiny.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “It could have been anyone in my place. Anyone.”
Levi placed one hand gently on her shoulder. “It was you, though. It was you for a reason. Maybe God knew that you were the perfect complement to Daniel’s journey. Maybe you were exactly what was needed to lead and diffuse any volatile situation. Maybe this was supposed to be as much a learning experience for you as it was for Daniel.”
“I don’t understand.”
He smiled, as a light shined from his eyes. “There are many times when we, as humans, pray with everything we have to know God’s will, and yet expect God to guide us the way we want to be guided. A lot of times, people have preconceived notions about God allowing them to have the dreams they want. They say things like, ‘Please grant me this dream,’ and they think it will go along the path that they can see. The Bible says, Lean not unto thine own understanding. I love that scripture, because it tells me that God will guide us down the best path for us, even if we don’t see it at first. Maybe He will guide us on the long path, taking detours, to get where we need to be. And even want to be. His way is always the right way.”
Magena was captivated by his words. It was just as if the light of God came through Levi’s eyes as he spoke. She was speechless but hung on to every word he spoke. In her heart, it felt as if it was Jesus himself talking to her in person.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Divide the land in this way for the twelve tribes of Israel: The descendants of Joseph will be given two shares of land.’”
“I remember one phrase from Sunday School.” Magena’s smile was broad with enthusiasm. “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning, he devours the prey, and in the evening, he divides the spoil.”
“I don’t know why the Bible says that,” said Levi. “Benjamin blended in with Judah as the Southern Kingdom.”
“So maybe he won’t devour his prey until the great tribulation.”
“Interesting idea.” Levi laughed.
“So why does the Bible sometimes say Hebrews and sometimes Israelites?”
“The Hebrew people became known as Israelites after they went to Egypt.”
“Have the people always spoken Hebrew?”
“No. We were scattered all over the world for centuries. We spoke whatever language of the nation we lived in. The first Jews back in the land around 1900 brought the Hebrew language back into existence.”
“I once heard that just the religious ones are called Hebrews. Is that true?”
“In a sense,” said Levi. “The Hebrew people were always known as the twelve tribes of Israel in the Bible. Being Hebrew is also used to refer to their cultural and religious ties and those who have converted to the religion of Judaism. After the death of Moses, they took possession of the Promised Land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua.”
“Can you tell me more about the men here representing their tribes?” She looked at him seriously.
“Okay! We’re named after sons or grandsons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after he wrestled an angel of the Lord.” He paused to search his brain. “Jacob’s first wife, Leah, bore him six sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Each was the father of a tribe. As I told you, Levi’s family cared for the temple functions, Aaron’s family were the priests. Jacob’s second wife, Rachel, bore him Joseph and Benjamin. Other tribes were named Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali. These four were born of maidservants. Since Levites were tabernacle servants, the two sons of Joseph were named tribal leaders. They were Manasseh and Ephraim.”
“When you all returned to Israel, you discovered a connection to the original leaders. That is neat.”
“We looked it up in Genesis and saw a similarity. The quote that I remember was part of what their father, Jacob, said to them when he blessed them. He blessed everyone with an appropriate blessing.”
“Interesting!” She grinned from ear to ear. “So you are living out the prophecy now.”
His smile grew, showing he saw he was getting through to her. “God has put you on this path for a reason, my dear. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you stepped off of it now, and you would never find out exactly what happens? You’re part of this and could be the most important part of all. Daniel needs you. The Sons of Destiny need you. God wants you to complete what has been started. Even though you feel that you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, you were exactly where you needed to be in God’s eyes. Please remember this.”
Hal
fway through Levi’s speech, Magena started to tear up. Her goosebumps told her that Levi was right, although she kind of felt that way, anyhow. “I won’t let Daniel or God down,” she said through her tears. “Just show me my part.”
“You can trust the Israeli military as well,” Levi said. “From the age of 18, every Israeli male and female are required to serve either two or three years in military service. That is how the modern Orthodox is united with the Sabra.”
“Sabra?”
“The native Israeli.” He continued, “The army performs an important role as an equalizer for immigration. That was how we all got back together when we got here. We all served the country together for three years while we became acquainted. We are as close as brothers.”
“It does appear to be a united country.”
“We protect those God gives us,” he said. “I just want you to feel safe here.”
“I do feel that you care, but...”
“But what?”
“But I need you to tell me more about what your organization does for people like me.”
“We do important work because we were trained in the military. It has been said that pilot to pilot, air-frame to air-frame, the Israeli air force is the best in the world.” He nodded. “After coming here, I served as a senior naval analyst in the Study of War for five years. My research was used to rank the military of the region. Israel was number one. We have one of the region’s most battle-ready armies, a force that has fought in four major engagements since 2006 and has experience in securing some of the most problematic borders on earth.”
She blinked her eyes, stunned. “Really?”
“Israel’s military has never attempted to overthrow the government, unlike others around us. Thanks to Israel’s small size, the military can rapidly mobilize its reserves on relatively short notice.” He looked her in the eye. “We Sons of Destiny pattern our missions after the Israeli army.”
“Oh!” She slowly raised her head up and down.
He walked over and leaned against a wall. “We’re basically informal. But we do have salutes and formal greetings with officers outside our group.”
A smile crossed her lips. “Thank you.”
He reached over and clasped her shoulder. “You can trust us completely. We won’t let you down.”
She grinned. “I don’t know you well, but I believe you. I won’t let the Sons of Destiny down either!” Then she burst out laughing.
Levi and Reuben laughed along with Magena. She knew she was now in it for the long haul. “Will you keep me close to one of you all the time?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Daniel
There was a steady rain coming down now. All had gone temporarily quiet. Daniel’s heart was broken. “Why, Dad? Why?”
“You know how difficult you were to raise. When you didn’t follow in my footsteps, I had to cut my losses,” he said. “Fortunately for you, Daniel, I found some value in your bedroom closet, even if in a limited capacity.”
Dante removed a small leather pouch from inside his coat pocket that was tied shut with wire. Daniel recognized it as a keepsake from his boyhood. “How did you get that?”
Dante tossed the pouch to Daniel. Even though he wasn’t expecting that, he managed to catch it with both hands.
“Hah!” exclaimed Dante. “I knew your reflexes were bad! Your woman did much better when she caught it with one hand.” He glared at Daniel with disdain. “Now open it.”
“Okay, Dad!” Daniel looked cautiously at his father as he slowly untwisted the wire. “You don’t have to be mean about it.”
“I’ve figured out how to use you, whether you want to work with me or not.” Dante did not stop talking. “What you have been a part of is groundbreaking in the realm of virtual reality. I own the program, of course, but it is not ready to go public. This isn’t something for the general masses. It’s more of something that could be utilized by our very own government… or any other government with enough capital to support it.”
“What does that have to do with this pouch?”
“When Old Jim told me about the Jewels of Jezebel, I thought it was all superstitious nonsense, so I declined.” He had a proud smirk on his face. “But once I realized he was on to something, I researched it. You would be surprised what the government has in the way of software for this type of thing. Colleges already use it as a course of study. This is the prototype. It’s so new it hasn’t even been named yet. Of course, it won’t be available for the general public. Just the elite.”
Daniel was not listening. “You didn’t go with Old Jim, Dad. But you sent me instead,” said Daniel. “I remember.”
“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said. You are so stupid.”
“Tell me about Old Jim.”
“All right. When you two came back from your camping expedition, I knew you had saved a treasure from that trip. Whenever I asked about it, you would not tell me a thing. You never told me a thing.” He cleared his throat. “I had to find out on my own.”
“There was a reason why I didn’t tell you, Dad,” said Daniel. “That is because I forgot the details.”
“Why would you forget? That is what I want to know.”
“I don’t know, Dad. I just had no memory of what Old Jim and I did.” Daniel choked up. “But I did have a souvenir from that trip that I kept in this pouch. Now you stole it.”
“You had no right to keep that from me.”
“Just leave me alone, Dad.” Daniel turned and walked away.
To keep from showing his pain, he went off by himself. He needed time to think. Memories flooded his mind. For the first time in his life, he now remembered that fateful trip into the wilderness with Old Jim. His father sent him on an expedition with the guy because he did not want to go himself. Daniel recalled that the man said that he had proof of the whereabouts of the Jewels of Jezebel. Dante did not believe him, so he sent Daniel on the treasure hunt.
Sitting on a stump under a tree, he let the raindrops fall on his face, washing off the dust. Daniel looked down at the pouch. It felt empty. He untwisted the wire and opened it. There was a smell of the past coming from inside. Maybe the coin on Yasmeen was different. He reluctantly reached inside, hoping to find the coin he found when he was young. No! It was empty. Yasmeen had it. It was some kind of trap from Dante DiBenedetto.
He thought back to the early days. When he was young, he would go into his closet and pull out the coin that barely had visible markings of the image of a woman—a queen from the past. He guessed it was worthless. But it was a treasure to him.
He leaned forward and placed his face in his hands. Now he remembered why he kept it a secret. Old Jim had told him the treasures they found were cursed. He said that ancient Babylonians had once been in possession of the land. They had supernatural powers and had cursed the land. Daniel had already put the coin in his pocket when he was told that. So it became his hidden secret.
As Daniel sat alone on the stump being drenched in the rain, he thought about Magena. She had done nothing wrong. Yet, his evil father had harmed her. He wanted to see her again. But realized the possibilities were slim.
He remembered the day he met her in the airport. She was both beautiful and clever. She wanted pictures of the Shroud of Turin so badly that he chose to help her while doing research at the same time. The priests and nuns that they met seemed nice enough. But then when they were sent to a church building to search for the shroud, everything went crazy. Maybe that was when they first entered the virtual world. How could he know?
It got worse when he and Magena drove down the Yitzhak Rabin highway to Samaria and to the ruins. That was when they met Adana: a suspicious character. Adana led them deep into the Samaritan Mountains. It was so scary. She then abandoned them to their fate.
That was when he first met the members of the Hive of Baal. All were followers of the demon-possessed idol dedicated to Baal. They claimed to be out in the cavern, away from people, so they could
not be accused of the evil things that went on in the city. They had no desire to associate with anyone outside of the hive. Now Daniel knew why. They were still being invented by his father, Dante.
Daniel had to let it go, and not get furious. What he needed now was to find Magena.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Magena
Reuben drove Magena to what she called a hot spot. “It is a place where I feel the orbs,” she said, as they bounced along in the truck.
“How did you get yourself in this predicament?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but I do know Alan Cranston had a lot to do with it. He is an evil man.” She looked him in the eye. “I must be gullible.”
Reuben laughed.
“Tell me about yourself,” said Reuben. “We know very little about you.”
“I’m a college graduate,” she said. “Majored in photography.”
“Photography? Where’s your camera?”
“It got lost in the shuffle.” She laughed nervously.
He said, “Interesting.” They then bounced along on the graveled road for a while in silence. “Does this look right?” asked Reuben.
“Yes, we are almost there. I can feel the negativity in the air.” Magena looked around. “Take that dirt road down there.”
Driving past trees and boulders, Magena said, “I just want to find Daniel.”
“That is why we are here.” Reuben entered the valley of the virtual world. “It is like being in an amusement park,” said Reuben.
“True,” she said. “Nothing is real.” She had a sick feeling in her stomach. The horrible fear she had earlier hit her. The feeling of having been there before all came back.
The sky was filled with black clouds; the air was moist. A chill was in the air.
Reuben was looking around as if he was a child on his first trip to Disneyland. She felt great concern over his wide-eye approach. “You have an advantage over me,” she said. “When I first came here, I didn’t know I was inside a virtual world. In fact, after I was removed, it was hard to distinguish real from make-believe. Don’t let this place overwhelm or distract you that way.”
