The Code - Genesis - Book I (4 page)

             
Natan approaches his grand dark-cherry desk.  “Hello, Sir.  I apologize for my tardiness.  It’s been a hectic morning.”

Not looking up, Marsh replies, “You think you’ve had a hectic morning, Agent Natan?  I’ve got an American professor…”  He flips through the pages in his hand, “…a Professor Josh Sails of
Maryland
University
…stuck in
Mexico
because he thought it wise to trespass on Mexican government property for some damn Indian artifacts.  A member of the Tactical Subcommittee, Congressman Bradshaw, called me at o’dark thirty this morning asking for help on this.  And, I’ve got the head of the N.S.A. breathing down my neck on policy.  Meantime, I just want to make sure the media doesn’t get wind of this whole fiasco.  Now, you were saying?”

“I think they’re actually Mayan, Sir.”

Marsh waves his hand in the air in half annoyance, half haste. “Does it matter, Agent Natan?  Let’s get down to business.”

“Sir, why was I requested for this case?”

Marsh thumbs through pages as he peers over his glasses. “To retrieve the professor, of course. 
And, we need a body down there pronto.  They won’t release him until we show up personally.  They want the h
andoff to be to an N.S.A. agent directly…and they requested
you
specifically.”

             
Natan shifts uncomfortably. “Sir?  Who requested me?  We both know that my expertise is counter-terrorism and it’s evident that’s not what’s going on here.”

             
Marsh finally looks up at Natan.
 
“The professor requested you, Agent Natan…he wouldn’t accept anyone else.  Is there some history I should know about here?”

Natan cannot hide that she is utterly offended. “Sir, are you implying I know this man?
”

Marsh looks down at his paperwork. “Well, do you?”

             
Natan stands at a firm attention, not retreating from this mild provocation.  “The first I’ve heard of him was this morning, Sir.  And I don’t understand why the N.S.A. is involved in this at all.”

Marsh engages her again. “We are the National Security Agency, are we not, Agent Natan?”

“Of course, Sir.  I’m just attempting to clarify some inconsistencies here.  This isn’t our jurisdiction…and…”

             
Marsh interrupts her. “We’ve been requested to assist on this case and that’s what we’re doing.
”

“But, Sir…”

             
Natan is interrupted again. “Natan, how long have you worked for the N.S.A.?”

“Just over three years, Sir.”

“Yes, and lately you’ve seemed a little preoccupied.”

Natan starts to defend herself but Marsh sees her attem
pt to interject and continues
. “Now, I know your work speaks for itself.  If you don’t know why he asked for you, well, that makes two of us.”

“I’m at a loss at my involvement in this, Sir.”

“I don’t know how this professor got the connections he has, but he has them…lucky for him or his ass would be in a Mexican jail for as long as those artifacts have been down there.  I was asked that we retrieve this guy and we need to keep this entire project classified.”  Marsh looks up at Natan. “I’m asking you as a favor to handle it.  I know this isn’t a glamorous assignment compared to
Boston
, but I would appreciate it.”

Natan’s instincts tell her that there is more to the story than Marsh is letting on.  “Sir, what aren’t you telling me here?”

Marsh pushes the pages aside, focusing his complete attention on Natan.  “I don’t even have all the specifics, and, at this point, I’m not sure I care to.  We are to retrieve him and have him in
Washington
in time for dinner tonight.  And, I was hoping to do it with as few questions as possible…in fact, I think you’ve used yours up already.”
             
             

Natan shifts silently from foot to foot.

             
Marsh inquires, “You’ve got other questions, Agent Natan?”

“Would you answer them if I asked?”

“Not likely.”

“I guess not, then, Sir.” 

Marsh grabs some paperwork off of his desk. “Your itinerary is inside.”  He hands the paperwork to Natan, who takes it from him.  Natan starts to leave. “One other thing…” he says.

             
Natan stops. “Sir?”

“No use sending both of you.  I’ll let Agent Knight know that you’ll be on your own with this one entirely.  Now get outta here and have a safe trip.”

Natan leaves the office, replaying the conversation in her mind as she walks to her office to gather her things for the trip. 
So strange that the agency is involved in this… 

Chapter Four
             
             
             
             
             
             

Natan stands in the hot Mexican sun outside what she imagines to be
the
filthiest prison building she has ever seen.  She unbuttons her suit jacket, removing it as she folds it over one arm.
I wonder how many prisoners in
America
would actually cry if they had to stay in a place like this.
  She takes a deep breath, mustering up her courage to enter.

After speaking with several peons and a few officials, all of whom ogle her relentlessly, Natan finds herself and a Mexican guard maneuvering through streams of holding cells, heading toward the end of several crowded rows.  She comes to the last cell in the row and sees a disheveled, haggard Professor Sails sitting on the floor, scribbling notes in the dust with his index finger.  The cell is furniture-less and has a hole in the floor near the corner for use as a bathroom.  
             

“Lovely accommodations,” Natan quips under her breath.  She stands in front of Josh, eyeing the symbols etched in the dirt.  Natan speaks through the bars, “Professor Sails?”

Josh jumps up and dusts his hands off.  “Agent Natan?”

Natan nods yes. 
How does this guy know me?

Josh gushes his thanks. “Thank God.  Thank you for coming.”

Natan can’t help but notice Josh’s flamboyant Hawaiian attire.  “Nice shirt.  I can come back if you’d like to finish your game of tic-tac-toe.”
             
Natan sniffs the air.

             
Josh smirks.  “Yeah, that’s me.  Sorry about that.  They’re not as hospitable here as they are at the resort down the way.”

“I’ll bet not.”  Natan directs her attention to the guard and says in Spanish, “Open it.”  The guard opens the door with a large metal key.
             
             
             
             

“Thank you again,” Josh says.  “I’m grateful that you got here so quickly.  I was actually just trying to rewrite some notes that were lost when I was arrested…trying to keep my memory fresh.  And, I need to get my backpack.  It has the rest of my equipment and research.”  Josh directs his attention to the guard, speaking in Spanish.  “Where’s my bag?”

             
The guard responds tersely in Spanish, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” offended that the low-life American prisoner would speak to him. 

Natan interrupts, “We’ll speak with the official here who facilitated your release.”

             
Josh whispers in Natan’s ear.  “I need that bag, Agent Natan.  It has irreplaceable data in it…information that could affect national security.”

Natan stops him with her hand.  “Now is not the time, but I promise you I will understand why it is I flew several thousand miles at your request.”

“You will,” he reassures her. 

The two walk down the corridor that Natan came in.  Natan maneuvers away from Josh as they walk because of the smell.
             
             

Chapter Five

Agent Natan and a still untidy, freshly released Professor Sails sit together in a nearly vacant first class section of a cabin on a civilian plane returning to D.C.  Josh glances around to ensure that no one is listening.  He leans into Natan, speaking in a lowered voice. “As I said, it’s a long and unbelievable story.  So, please bear with me and I think you’ll understand more once I’m finished.” 

Natan waves her glass of sparkling water in front of Josh as an instruction for him to proceed as she listens, chewing ice.

He continues, “I’ve been doing mathematical iconography work for the university for the last five years, focusing on ancient Mayan symbols.  Several months ago I began investigating the codes in the Old Testament of the Bible, what some people call the “Bible Code.”  Both skeptics and believers have been researching the Code since before Isaac Newton.  At various points in history interest has either waned or gained momentum, depending on historical circumstance.  The Code has gotten more attention the last few years, particularly after September 11th.

“The Bible Code?  Is that the idea that there is a secret code in the Bible that can supposedly predict the future?” Natan asks.

An elated Josh replies, “Yes.  Exactly.  However, links to the Mayans in the Bible Code are not well known.  I found some interesting clues in the Mayan matrices of the Code that no one else has uncovered.” 
             
             

Natan interjects, “Matrices?”

“To find the Code, the letters on a page of text in the Bible are arranged in a matrix.  For a sequence of letters a number is selected, and using that number, we move forward by that number repeatedly throughout the text, which reveals certain words or phrases.  This is called equidistant letter sequencing, or E.L.S.  The closer the words or phrases are within the matrix or matrices, the more likely there is a correlation.”

Natan looks confused.  “I still don’t understand what all of this has to do with the N.S.A. and with me.”

“Please bear with me and I’ll get to that.  I wanted to dismiss the Code and Mayan connections so that I could continue my iconography work, but as I said, I found an undiscovered connection to the Mayan calendar end date.”

“A connection to what?”

“The Mayan calendar ends in December of 2012…many researchers have speculated about whether this is
the
date of the end of the world. After what I saw in
Mexico
, I believe it to be.”

Natan contain
s her laughter as she quaffs her beverage
. “You’re kidding, right?” 

            Josh maintains his seriousness. “No.  I came to
Mexico
because I found clues in the Code revealing a hidden riddle of symbols in the ruins.  I had to find out if this riddle really exists.  These thirteen hidden symbols were supposedly only revealed every six and a half years, only visible at a specific time of day.  The Mayans' calendar is measured in baktuns, which are specific segments of time.  Six and a half years represents the period of half of the thirteen baktuns.  2006 and 2012 are the last dates listed for opportunities to access these hidden symbols before the calendar runs out.”  

             “And, why can this event happen only every six or so years?” Natan asks.

“It has to do with the solar cycle.”

“You’re telling me the Mayans knew what the sun would be doing centuries after their demise?”

“Astronomy was integral to every aspect of Mayan life.  Many historians say that the Mayans were actually the founders of quantum physics,” Josh explains.

Natan's skepticism gets the best of her. “Wow.  Do you think they invented the iPod too, and Steve Jobs just took the credit?”

“There is substantial data to support the Mayans' mathematical and astronomical advancements.”

Natan isn’t convinced.  “Did you find the symbols?”

“I found seven of the thirteen but the Mexican military arrived before I could get the last six.  But…I
did
find them, exactly as described in the Code matrices with the exact coordinates.

“How did you get caught, by the way?”

Josh lowers his head in shame.  “My G.P.S. gave me away.”

             
Natan shakes her head.  “All this trouble and racking up of airline miles…because you forgot to hit the
off
button?”

“What can I say?  I’m no special agent.”

“I guess not.”  Natan observes Josh’s face as it reflects a complete belief in what he’s telling her.  “So, you risk ending up as someone’s stand-in girlfriend…an international one at that…in a Mexican jail because you think this Bible Code is really true and is predicting the end of the world…for a date in December of 2012?”
Josh nods his head yes.  Natan continues, “So, let’s say for a moment that this crazy theory is true.  What do the symbols say and what good are they if you don’t have all of them?  Not to mention, again, what this has to do with me and the N.S.A.?”