Sam looks her over. ‘You look good for an old broad.’
‘Is that how you greet your mother?’
He leans over and dutifully plants a kiss on her cheek. ‘I wasn’t expecting you. You know I don’t like surprises.’
‘You look tired, Manny.’
‘Sam! Call me Sam.’
‘To me, you’ll always be my Manny.’
‘Can we cut to the chase?’
‘Your brother wants to see you.’
‘Forget it. We had an agreement.’
‘Yes we did. You wanted total anonymity, we gave it to you. A new name, a new identity, surrogate parents… you got the works. But what you’re doing now is extremely dangerous. Instead of living out of the public eye, you’ve dashed back into the spotlight. Your face is on every website and public broadcast in North America. How long do you think it’ll be before some hotshot reporter sees through the tinkered files and false birth certificate and figures out who you really are?’
‘Immanuel Gabriel is dead, mother. He drowned six years ago. No one will put two and two together.’
‘Jacob thinks otherwise, and that’s why he needs to see you.’
‘Jacob’s a freak.’
The slap in the face stuns him, sending shock waves through his already bruised brain. ‘That freak, as you call him, gave you a new life. If it wasn’t for your brother, you’d still be living in the compound… or worse.’
‘How long are you going to keep this charade up, Mother? You’ve been giving in to Jacob our whole lives.’
‘I don’t give in to him.’
‘No, you’ve done worse. You’ve empowered him by believing in this whole Mayan Hero bullshit. Look at you. When are you going to get on with your own life?’
‘I have a life!’
‘Yeah, sure you do. I have a life. You work for Jacob.’ He shakes his head. ‘Just tell me how long.’
‘A few days. He says he needs to discuss things that only you would understand.’
‘God dammit, Mother, for the last time, I am NOT Hunahpu!’ He closes his eyes, fighting back tears of frustration. ‘The two of you are not part of my life anymore. You don’t know a thing about me. I’ve worked my ass off… I trained for years. I take a beating every time I step out onto that field. I am not like… him.’
‘You’re right. As cold and emotionless as Jake can be, he’s selfless. You’re driven by ego.’
‘Good-bye.’ He slides toward the door.
‘Wait!’ Dominique grabs his arm. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.’
‘Yes you did.’
‘Manny, I am really proud of you. Proud of what you’ve accomplished in school. Proud of the life you’ve been able to lead. And I like everything I’ve heard about Lauren. I think she’s good for you. Will you at least introduce us before you get married.’
‘Not a chance.’
She smiles. ‘You’re so much like me. Stubborn as a mule.’
He cracks a half smile at the mention of his nickname. Checks the digital timer sewn into his shirtsleeve. ‘I have to go. I’m having dinner at my father’s house.’
‘Surrogate father.’
‘Whatever.’
‘I’ll pick you up here tomorrow morning at nine. Pack an overnight bag.’
‘I’m supposed to spend the holidays with Lauren’s family.’
‘Get out of it. She’ll understand.’
‘No she won’t. I don’t even understand. What am I supposed to tell her?’
‘You’ll think of something.’
‘Can’t we do this another time?’
‘No, it has to be now.’
‘Why?’
‘Tomorrow morning, Immanuel. After that, I’ll be out of your hair forever.’
He exits the car without saying another word.
Jacob Gabriel had always ‘sensed’ there were enemies about, ever since the day he had learned to read the Bible Code, ever since his first remote-viewing session. But it was not until his last communication with his father that he realized how close he had allowed his true enemy to come.
He had always known Lilith was Hunahpu, his genetic cousin and equal. He had never suspected her to be the Abomination.
Jacob knew there were only two ways to stop the Hunahpu’s pursuit; either kill his one true love or convince her that he and Manny were dead.
Faking his brother’s drowning had been a simple matter. The collision on the bridge was easily choreographed, the black hair dye and contact lenses easily fooling the media into believing it was Manny who was the victim. Jacob’s immersion into the nexus stifled his life signs long enough to convince CNN and the randomly chosen witnesses.
His own death had been a bit trickier to choreograph.
Jacob knew that Pierre Borgia was out for revenge and that his own public appearance would flush his quarry into the open. What he didn’t know was that Ennis Chaney was the former secretary of state’s real target, or that Lilith would show up at Manny’s funeral. Fortunately, the nexus had given him a chance to intercept the bullet, his Kevlar nanofiber body armor absorbing the projectile’s impact, the explosive blood bags hidden beneath his jacket fooling everyone, even Rabbi Steinberg and the physician, who were in on the plot.
Even Lilith.
With both twins safely ‘dead,’ Jacob could pursue more advanced training with GOLDEN FLEECE while Manny disappeared into the anonymity he had always yearned for.
Rabbi Steinberg was close to a young couple from his old congregation in Philadelphia. Gene and Sylvia Agler were good people who had never been blessed with children. After several meetings, they agreed to ‘adopt’ Immanuel and adhere to the strict guidelines of the covert arrangement.
GOLDEN FLEECE arranged the falsified birth certificate and school records, their operatives creating a completely fabricated childhood, down to sports awards and home movies. Gene Agler was given a principal’s job in another state, the couple a new home.
The burden was then on Dominique. Having already lost her soul mate, Mick, she was now being asked to break apart the rest of her family.
And so she made the ultimate sacrifice so that Manny could be free.
Hollywood Beach, Florida 9:17 p.m.
Small waves lap relentlessly upon the deserted beach, tickling Samuel Agler’s bare feet. He stares out at the dark ocean, its wave tops illuminated by the reflection of the three-quarter moon.
The sound of the surf soothes his restless soul.
‘Thought I’d find you out here.’
Sam turns to face his surrogate father. Gene Agler is in his late fifties, his curly black hair graying around his ears, his six-foot frame stooping at the shoulders.
‘Mind if I join you?’
Sam pats the sand next to him.
‘You feeling okay?’
‘Guess so.’
‘Everything all right between you and Lauren?’
‘Fine.’ Sam watches a hermit crab scamper up the beach. ‘My real mother… she’s in town. She wants me to travel with her tomorrow.’
‘I know. She called me last week.’
‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘Didn’t think it was my place.’
‘It’s not right what she does, waltzing in unannounced, turning my life inside out.’
Gene picks up a fragment of shell and tosses it at an incoming wave. ‘Try to understand, it’s been very hard for her. She’s led a lonely life.’
Sam lies back on his elbows, the sound of surf deadening in his ears. ‘Dad… I’m thinking about quitting football.’
‘Well, now that is a pretty big decision. What brought this on?’
‘My teammates. They think I’m sandbagging it.’
‘Maybe you’ve spoiled them.’
‘Selfish bastards… all they care about is themselves. These guys’re supposed to be my friends.’
‘There are all sorts of friends. Some inoculate us against pain, others walk out the minute there’s trouble. It doesn’t necessarily make them bad people, it just means they were probably never really good friends to begin with.’