Part 28 (2/2)
Inside, the shades were drawn, causing the otherwise normal interior to look dark and foreboding. I followed her into an office where she sat down at a computer. She tapped a b.u.t.ton on the desk then reached her hand toward me. ”The envelope please.”
”Don't you even want to know who I...”
”I know who you are.” She reemphasized her outstretched hand. I handed her the envelope and she opened it quickly. A smile crossed her face. ”How appropriate,” she said, tapping the b.u.t.ton again. ”Load file twelve. Enter letter sequence, cap T, lower h,o,m, bold a, a, unbold, s, s.p.a.ce, t,a,r,d, bold unbold, s, s.p.a.ce, t,a,r,d, bold i, i, unbold, n.” unbold, n.”
I shook my head. Of course it was a code. code. How could I have missed it? How could I have missed it?
The screen responded to her commands and the face of Doctor Solomon appeared. ”h.e.l.lo, Miss Brown. I'm sorry we can no longer talk directly, but I do need more information. I have uploaded the latest data to the site. Please use this new sequence to decrypt the access code. And please tell Thomas I am sorry for our less than auspicious meeting, and that I am grateful for his a.s.sistance. I will contact you again by currier at the new address listed in the data. May the true G.o.d bless you and protect you.”
The True G.o.d? Dr. Solomon was a religious man? Dr. Solomon was a religious man?
Hazel set the note aside. ”Download Vrin encryption with access pa.s.sword.” The screen went crazy, then became dark again. Hazel swiveled around. ”We need to go!” She grabbed a transparent cube from an indent in the desk and stood up.
”Dad?” said my watch. ”A black van just pulled up in front of the house.”
Hazel's eyes rounded. ”They were quicker this time.”
Quicker? Was she referring to how fast they had gotten to the house after she accessed the information? That wasn't quick, that was impossible! Was she referring to how fast they had gotten to the house after she accessed the information? That wasn't quick, that was impossible!
She clutched my arm.”This way!” We scurried down the hall and out the back door, down the steps and into a concrete cylinder, which lay sideways along the back of the house. We scurried down the hall and out the back door, down the steps and into a concrete cylinder, which lay sideways along the back of the house.
”Plug your ears, honey! It's gonna be loud!” loud!”
My fingers barely reached my ears as the shock wave of the explosion hit. The concrete creaked and shuddered. Loud thumps sounded.
”Move!” she said, scurrying out. she said, scurrying out.
Dust and smoke hit my face as I climbed out on shaky limbs. And saw what was left of the house.
Together we stumbled down the street to where Samuel sat behind the wheel. Terrified. ”They walked through walked through the walls!” he screamed, as we climbed into the car. the walls!” he screamed, as we climbed into the car.
”Go! Quickly!” Quickly!” Hazel ordered from the back seat. Hazel ordered from the back seat.
”WHAT WERE WERE THOSE GUYS!” Sam shrieked. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. THOSE GUYS!” Sam shrieked. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel.
”Now!”
He turned the key and peeled out onto the road. ”I am freaked out, freaked out, Dad!” Dad!”
I twisted and looked over the seat at Hazel. ”What just happened?” ”What just happened?” My voice came out in a high pitch. My voice came out in a high pitch.
She had the briefcase on her lap and was frantically typing.
”Hazel, What just HAPPENED?” What just HAPPENED?”
”Turn on to Route 1.” Her voice was calm.
I looked at Sam. ”Do it!” ”Do it!”
”This is nuts! nuts! People don't just walk through walls!” People don't just walk through walls!”
I looked over the seat. ”Hazel, who...”
”Take a turn at the next light. I'll explain in a minute,” she said, still typing.
I nodded at Sam. The wheel spun and the tires screeched as we took off down a ca.n.a.l road. I looked back at Hazel. ”It's a dead end!”
”Stop here,” she said, closing the briefcase.
The car skidded to a stop and Hazel climbed out. ”Come on. This way!”
Sam was at my door helping me out.
”Quickly!” yelled Hazel over her shoulder as she scurried between two stucco houses and under a clothesline.
We emerged from the houses to see a dock running parallel to the road, and Hazel, frantically untying a speed boat. Sam helped me across the yard and into the boat, then grabbed the ropes from Hazel. She climbed over the edge and hobbled to the front.
”Ho! Wait a minute!” Wait a minute!” Sam yelled as the boat began to pull away from the dock. The boat slowed and he jumped aboard. Sam yelled as the boat began to pull away from the dock. The boat slowed and he jumped aboard.
I made my way up to the vinyl co-pilot's seat. ”Hazel! We need some answers!”
”I imagine you do.”
”Who were those guys?”
”Those, my friend, were the fallen ones.”
I stared at her.” --What? You mean, like, from Davata Notrals?” You mean, like, from Davata Notrals?”
”The very same.”
My head reeled. ”I find that impossible to believe.”
”You don't have to believe, Thomas. Truth is truth whether you believe it or not.”
”Come on! on! You're telling me we're being pursued-- by You're telling me we're being pursued-- by fallen angels?” fallen angels?”
”Yep.”
Again I stared. ”O-kay. Let's just say I believe you, which I don't, but if I did-- Let's just say I believe you, which I don't, but if I did-- why why would fallen angels be interested in would fallen angels be interested in me?” me?”
She kicked the boat into high gear as we headed out into the Gulf of Mexico. ”Because you know too much about Vrin!” she shouted above the noise of the wind.
”Vrin?” My response was almost a scream. My response was almost a scream.
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