Haunted Blood

by Elik Katzav

  She doesn’t reply.

  Is she still on the line?

  “Quid pro quo, David.”

  - Fine, but no funny business with undercover agents, do you hear? I need to follow up on my investigation in such a way that if, during my mission, you’d be doing that sort of thing, it won’t be just me you will be putting in danger but also the life of the boy I am searching for.

  “You’re nothing but trouble. I’ll keep this call strictly between us. I won’t even pass it on to Aharon, because he is sure to send people after you. But you owe me. Big time. I want the whole story.”

  - Just get me out of this interview as quickly as possible, and you shall have everything you need.

  My cell phone cuts off when we arrive at the station, where Na’ama is standing at the entrance. She holds my arm and in we go.

  “Answer all their questions and I’ll work on cutting through all the red tape.”

  - Sure.

  Na’ama leads me into the interrogation room, not before ‘relieving’ me of my phone. As she steps out, a policewoman walks in, carrying a folder, off which she begins to read out my personal details, then Rose’s. We quickly arrive at the events of last night. The police are still sticking to the gas explosion story. The only snag there, is that my Glock was on the floor, rather than in my holster. To make matters even worse, they discovered the gun was used right before the explosion.

  “So why was your gun out?”

  - It probably fell from my clip when I was blown away by the blast.

  “Why the empty magazine?”

  - So that I won’t ever hit someone, not even by mistake. I carry extra magazines. They are fully charged. My gun is never loaded. I’m a civilian, not an officer. I couldn’t possibly afford getting myself into any accidental fire.

  “What case are you working on at the moment?”

  - A missing child. I am trying to track him down.

  “No chance the blast was the result of something else?”

  - Hey, you people are calling this a gas explosion! That wasn’t my idea.

  “We have witnesses saying they heard an unusual scream right before the explosion. Care to explain?”

  - Quite possibly the gas running right before it went off. I have no idea.

  “The area in the kitchen, where the floor dissolved into a black spot—what caused that?”

  - I have no clue. Maybe that was the epicenter.

  Forty minutes into this, Na’ama decides to call it quits and goes in. She give me papers to sign, much to the protest of the interrogating policewoman.

  “Look here, he just went through quite an ordeal last night. I think we can pick this up another time. Besides, it’s fine. After all, we do know where he lives, and he has no plans leaving the country, right, Maharani?”

  - I wouldn’t dream of it. I am here to cooperate.

  Na’ama is holding my arm to help me up as she escorts me out of the interviewing room.

  “Lucky for you, Aharon isn’t here. It’s Friday. Otherwise, he would be the one interviewing you.”

  She leads me to the Counter Cult Squad’s HQ, where the familiar smell of the nearby garbage room hits me.

  Good to see nothing’s changed.

  “Now, tell me what I need to know,” she tells me right after she shuts the door.

  - Oh, don’t start. You know I can’t tell you anything, all the more so because the case is still far from being over. You won’t be getting half-baked stories from me.

  “Yeah, I knew you wouldn’t say a thing, but I had to try.”

  Na’ama turns and reaches for her desk, from which she produces a case of evidence.

  “Here, that’s yours. All yours and Rose’s, from last night.”

  The box contains the remnants of the stuff they found at Rose’s apartment: bits of computers and my notepad with all my notes, which was left in the living room. Luckily for me, it remained intact. They even retrieved my gun and magazines.

  I raise my head and give Na’ama a look.

  “What?”

  I don’t answer.

  “Well, I figured you do not have a spare gun, and knowing you, I bet you are looking for trouble. I sure can’t let you go without some sort of protection.”

  I draw my gun and return it to my holster. Then, I pull the magazines out when Na’ama lays her hand on mine.

  “Truth time, David. You know you can level with me. Why the hell are you hanging around with this Glock? Why are your magazines loaded with plastic bullets?”

  - Would you like the truth? Can you really handle the truth, or will you think I am acting crazy again?

  “Well?”

  - You remember Nazareth, right? I told you that the demon, this entity, pulled the pistol I drew on it? It took it right from my hand! So it took me a while, but I figured out that anything made of metal is no match for them, because they were the ones who had taught mankind how to mine metals and forge them, so metal falls under their power. This is why I switched to polymer. An extra bonus: it’s much lighter, too.

  “So how did you know plastic was going to help you yesterday?”

  - I didn’t know. Hang on.

  “Yes, I did figure out you must have used your gun. I don’t know how, but I did.”

  I nod.

  - Yeah, that was some stunt, that explosion. Not like the one back at the cave near Nazareth, but he too tried to grab my gun. But I was ready for him this time.

  “Again with this entity business. I much prefer the story about the gas.”

  - Well, yes, again. And now, I have to discuss this matter with the person who sent him after me. I can’t just let it slide. They’ll try again until they finally succeed.

  “So you are both in danger? I’ll make sure Rose is protected for as long as she’s at the hospital.”

  - Thank you, Na’ama. I’ll finish up here and try to see what more can be done with that guy. I hope this ends today. Say, do you happen to have any-?

  She turns around and hands me two boxes of bullets for my magazines. But then, she clings to them when I reach for the bullets.

  “I’ll tell you the same thing I told you before Nazareth, for all the good it did you: do not be a hero, David! If you run into trouble, call for backup. I’ll be waiting.”

  - Thanks, I really do appreciate it. I’ll consider it.

  Chapter 31

  Bless her heart. She charged my phone for me during my interrogation. Bless her? So I’m into saying grace now? Well, thought does lead to faith. Even I, who never embraced it in my life in any way, find myself thinking about that sort of thing—about everything that has happened, everything I’ve come across. Maybe that’s the source of my faith now. Perhaps it’s a means of protection. Not that I believe faith could protect me. I need a gun for that, in addition to having my wits about me. That’s what I need by way of protection. Especially considering what I am up against.

  Leaving the police station, I hold my phone and think for a while before I decide to make that call after all. Three dial tones later, the sound of techno music and Lubavitcher songs are coming through loud and clear until they are hushed, followed by Rabbi Datan’s greeting.

  “Ah, David! We were just discussing this passage in the Gmara that one of the students had brought forth. He had this idea for an insightful argument about it. Very amusing, how his interpretation reminded me of our talk. So what prompted you to call me so close to Shabbat?”

  - It’s a matter of life and death, but I do hope I’m wrong, no matter how convinced I am of it.

  He’s waiting for me to proceed, so I give him a rundown of the events that transpired the night before: the run in with Eldad’s bodyguard, who had turned out to be some sort of demon; the explosion at Rose’s apartment; and my strong sense that something is definitely going on, or otherwise Eld
ad would not have taken such a risk, pulling off what he did.

  Rabbi Datan remains silent when I’m done. I can hear the rustle of his jellabiya as he sits himself down on his cushions.

  “People,” he says finally, “Scholars, sages, teachers, rabbis, and theologians, make a great deal of ‘forces beyond,’ those invisible forces at work throughout our universe, which go through entire generations without being detected. It’s all in theory. And you,” he pauses again, “in your short time on this earth, and without any prior tutelage or even the knowledge those wise individuals claim we must possess in order to be able to cope with the world beyond, you were not only exposed to the ‘other side,’ and on more than one occasion, but were successful both times thanks to your having displayed creative and bold thinking, enough to apparently, and I emphasize apparently, face up to and quite possibly even vanquish one of the ‘Sons of Lilith.’”

  He pauses, probably to allow me to follow, and off he goes again.

  “This entity the two of you encountered last night wasn’t some demon who possessed Eldad Ben Ya’ar’s physical body, for having done so would have for sure cured Eldad of his ALS, just as that demon possession cured the elderly Father back in Nazareth of his old-age-related ailments. Nevertheless, this would have prevented Eldad from going forward with his plan..”

  - Which means Eldad was wiser than Father Gaynes, and the deal he struck with that entity allowed him to preserve himself and his sanity, probably in exchange for something far greater.

  “This demon was probably going to receive something which indeed amounts to far more than control of Eldad or possession of him. It’s quite possible that this boy you seek is the very sacrifice Eldad has offered this demon, in exchange for whom he shall receive his good health back.”

  - Quite possibly. But why wait until now? The boy has been gone for weeks now, and we know he made a visit to Eldad over two weeks ago. Why wait until today? Why the delay?

  “Well,” says the Rabbi, “Tonight marks the beginning of Elul, the month of repentance ahead of the Day of Atonement. It’s such a special month because, according to tradition, the Lord does not dwell in his palace but rather descends closer to Earth and is nearer to mankind and their pleas. This time of the year has always been perceived as a time to reflect, come clean, and get closer to God, energetically speaking. I do believe they waited until now because whatever it is they intend to do, these days are more auspicious, energetically, thanks to the proximity of the Lord.”

  Demons. Entities. I cannot deny their existence, as hard as it is for me to accept it, but God? The ultimate Supreme Being? That’s too much for me. I’m not going to even entertain that notion.

  - The way you’re describing it, they do seem to be following a well-formed plan. Eldad isn’t speeding up anything. He has been waiting, and now he is about to move ahead as scheduled. He is moving things along now.

  “Listen,” I can hear Rabbi Datan smiling on the other side of the line, “You are a man of so many hidden talents. Apart from your own journey and way of coping, and your inner strength to handle all this without falling apart, the Lord has found a way to test you each time in a way that matches your ability to rise to the challenge. I would like to say what an honor it is for me to have made your acquaintance.”

  - Thanks. I think. The way you said it, I get the feeling this is kind of a goodbye line? Are these your parting words?

  However heartwarming, his words just gave me the chills.

  I survived, and then fought back and survived once again. What exactly am I being groomed and prepared for? What’s in store for me?

  My comments prompt him to laugh so hard he begins to cough. Then, he goes silent once again for a while before he continues.

  “No, far from it. I’m not breaking up with you… I think our journey together is far from over. Perhaps on the material plain, though. Yeah, maybe we’ll see each other in our dreams from now on. I don’t know. Goodbyes are so corporeal.”

  He laughs again before he proceeds. “I suppose the ritual Eldad wants to perform has a lot do with the location, not just the time of the year. I do expect him to choose a unique spot with the proper energies for his move. Maybe Jerusalem, which is considered a place with particularly high levels of mystic energy.”

  Rabbi Datan pauses. It sounds as though he’s drinking something, after which he sighs and continues. “At any rate, it could also be any number of locations in this tiny piece of land of ours. Jerusalem comes to mind because it is in line with the energy of the month of Elul. Eldad is stacking all his cards in one place, so in effect, he is making sure he’ll succeed, at least in terms of concentrated energy.”

  - Yes, but I am one factor he never took into account.

  “He didn’t, and I guess you never did, either, but heaven did. They must have done. You are here to serve some purpose, to be the tool in the hands of God’s emissaries in their bid to prevent a development that could wreak havoc on us all, in this world as well as the next. Or not. I don’t know. It just makes sense to me. It doesn’t stand to reason that everything falls into place just like that, all these coincidences. You are here to play a part, David, which means you are about to clash with Eldad head on. You are definitely up against him.”

  I nod to myself.

  Me, a tool in the service of others… I, who cannot even cope with what’s happening to me on this earth, who barely survives on a daily basis, who cannot seem to get beyond mere survival, on the edge of society, one step away from being a homeless person?! How am I supposed to be the instrument of those I do not even believe in?!

  Rabbi Datan replies as if he had just read my mind. “Do not forget that many of our most celebrated leaders rose from obscurity, came from the very bottom before they made their first steps on loftier ground. But don’t worry, I assure you my students and I will celebrate you and your illustrious name and pray for you. You are far from being all on your own. We shall concentrate our energies and pull them together so that we may send them to you for your protection and assistance. You’ll feel it. I assure you. We shall do whatever it takes to celebrate your wake.”

  - Hey, what’s this talk of wake? I am not dead yet!

  “Of course! I meant, to lift your spirit up wherever it is headed, to be accompanied by men of faith wherever it might be.”

  - That’s hardly an encouragement. This is no pep talk. You’re talking about this being our last conversation. That’s hardly a morale booster.

  “No. I mean to raise your spirits, uplift you ahead of what’s to come. And then again, perhaps nothing will come. Whatever is going to happen, we are right behind you. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.’ Remember-”

  Quoting Psalms is not enough for him, it seems-

  “We are right behind you, like I said, full of positive energies. We all believe in you and your success.”

  - I hope you’re right, Rabbi Datan. Nevertheless, I would prefer a well-armed police squad, a team of snipers and so on, but I’ll use what I’ve got.

  “Faith that everything happens for a reason is your greatest surety. Nothing escapes Him,” Rabbi Datan quotes Rabbi Chazon Ish and adds, “It is no accident you were chosen for this mission. He has all confidence in you. I wish you all the best in your endeavor.”

  I take this to mean our conversation is over. I turn around to hail a cab. Let’s hope I do indeed succeed.

  Chapter 32

  The cab gets me back to Florentin and to my Subaru. I start the engine, and off I go to Savyon, to “have a talk” with Eldad.

  My mind is full of thoughts to keep me company on the way: the conversation I just had with Rabbi Daniel; last night’s explosion; Rose’s face, resting on that hospital pillow; and even Na’ama’s worried look when she handed me those bullets, adding, “Don’t be a hero.” The sentence keeps rever
berating in my mind. It clashes with all my talks with the rabbi.

  I am not cut out to be a hero. All I wanted was to find Idan. I never saw this turmoil coming, and now, I could just drive as far south as Eilat and spend a week on the beach. But then, what will that make me? Running away, cutting my losses, that’s the easy way; and I, idiot that I am, never went for that, never knew how to make it easy for myself, which is exactly why I ended up where I am right now. I could have stayed in my own squad, if only I had given up the truth in favor of what those other police officers reported—under oath, mind you. But no, I have to be a blockhead. Same thing as the Counter Cult Squad. I recall the image of Aharon by my side as I was laying in that hospital bed after Nazareth. But had I listened to him and coordinated my version with the one the police were pushing, I would have indeed been a hero—but a hero of a lie, not of truth. And here I go, like an idiot, heading to see someone who tried to have me killed. I am walking right into it. What am I going to do? Ask him to surrender? Sure! He’ll probably say that makes sense and we’ll walk arm in arm straight to the nearest police station. Yeah, right.

  I sigh and concentrate on driving.

  I never went for the high road, never tried to make it easy for myself, which is why I am here, for better or worse. Besides, I happen to be the only chance Idan’s got to return home. But even if I don’t, Idan still deserves better. He’s already got a better start in life. So it would make a proper sacrifice.

  A chill runs down my back as I enter Savyon. I turn on the first square.

  Hang on, is this the right way?

  I have to face up to Eldad and make sure he is only some minor pawn in all this after all, and that Meir was actually the villain in the piece. Perhaps Eldad will realize that since he no longer has a demon to command, it might be best to give up on Idan and let him go.

  I arrive at Eldad’s mansion, but then I glance at the available parking space and decide to drive on for a few more yards in order to take myself out of Yuval’s line of sight, whom I notice through the gate loading some stuff into a large SUV in Eldad’s driveway.