The Code - Genesis - Book I (7 page)

“I’ll arrange it…though I must say again that Amanda has no involvement in this. I told you that she doesn’t even know what I’ve been working on the past few months,” he complies.

Natan takes the pages from Josh.  “I’ll call you.  Please don’t contact me again until then.”  Natan shuts the door in Josh’s face just as he’s about to say something.

             
“Please just read it,” he struggles to get his final thought through the door.

“Yeah…yeah…
” Natan says to herself as she looks at the papers in her hand.  “It’s time.  No use putting it off any longer.”  Natan tosses the papers on the coffee table next to Josh’s book and grabs her pants from a chair next to the couch.  She fumbles through the pockets, pulling out the card that
Alice
gave her for the therapist.  The card reads
,
“
Christine
Jacobs, Psychologist, Ph.D.
”

Natan grabs her cell phone and dials a number.  She hears a woman’s voice answer. “Hello.  This is
Christine
Jacobs.”

Chapter Ten

Josh sits at his desk inside his office at the university with the infamous bag open near him.  Pages of the chalk shadings from the ruin litter his desk.  He picks up the first symbol page and looks at it as his memory drifts to a class lecture he gave six months ago.

Josh stands with his back to more than a hundred students, scribbling notes on a chalk board.  “It’s time, Professor,” a student shouts from the back of the room. 

Josh looks down at his watch, then places the chalk neatly in its place on the board. 

He dusts his hands off, then offers the class his final thought for the day. “Okay everyone.  That’ll do it for today.  And, remember, creating symbols with a mathematic congruency is the
central theme here.  I promise
if the Mayans can do it, then you, twenty-first-century graduate students, certainly can.  Have a great weekend.”

Several students snicker in the back of the classroom as they shuffle out of their chairs to the exits. Henry, the second-best student in the program, approaches Josh as he erases Mayan references from the chalk board at the front of the lecture hall. 

“Professor Sails, do you have a moment?” he asks.

Josh acknowledges him. “For you
,
Henry, of course.”

Henry hands Josh a few research pages, “I thought you would find this interesting.”  The article title reads “Mathematics of the Bible Code.”

Josh flips through the pages, looking at Henry quizzically. “The Bible Code?”

Henry looks hopeful. “Supposedly there’s a sound mathematical foundation for it.”  

“You can’t believe everything you read, Henry,” Josh retorts.

“I know, I just thought you might want to review it.”

             
“Well, thanks for thinking of me.”

“No problem, Professor Sails.  See ya Monday.”  Henry leaves Josh to finish his erasing. 

“Take care.” Josh shakes his head, tossing the papers aside, and returns to the board. 

Josh blinks to another memory, finding himself completely enthralled by the article findings.  What began as a brief review to casually cast aside, quickly became a significant scientific discovery to the professor.   Sitting in his university office, Josh surrounds himself with a collage of Hebrew writings
as he
peruses duplicate pages on his computer
. 
The screen shows a Bible matrix with circled Mayan references, including Josh’s name. 
This can’t be right.  It’s not possible…is it?
  He frantically continues reviewing the notes, closing his eyes for a brief second to get his bearings.

Josh flashes to another memory: he holds a drink and stands in the foyer of Congressman Kent Bradshaw’s immaculate Victorian home.  Congressman Bradshaw comes from old money, a history of Democratic politicians in his family.  The cold, museum-like quality of
Kent
’s home didn’t fit Josh’s understanding of Kent himself. 
Kent
was like an older brother—he could be stern, but he was usually
as warm and likeable a guy as anybody, not a politician at all. 
Kent
had been in Congress a fair time now and Josh could see it wearing on his Democratic friend as he rode the minority tide, not only surviving the Republican storm of recent years, but seating a committee to become the man he had promised to his constituents.  In Josh’s mind,
Kent
was two men, the politician and the friend, and Josh felt the ever-growing gap between the two
.

Not enjoying the taste of alcohol, Josh takes an infinitesimal sip of his drink out of politeness. “I’m heading to
Mexico
tomorrow to review some Mayan artifacts.”

“Looking for anything in particular?”
Kent
questions.

“You know me, just looking to find whatever needs finding,” Josh smiles.

“This is the huge revelation you wanted to tell me about?  Mayan artifacts?  You’re not dabbling where you shouldn’t be, are ya, Josh?” 
Kent
’s older brother side comes on.

“No…no,” Josh replies. “I think I’m on to something
, but I can’t really discuss it

until I investigate it further.  I will say that I may have found a unicorn,
Kent
.”

“I’ve heard those mathematical unicorns are quite hard to find,”
Kent
jokes as he downs his own drink in one fell swoop.

“Go ahead…jest at my expense,” Josh retorts. “But when I show up on your doorstep with the discovery of a lifetime, you’ll be begging me for a meeting with your committee.”

Kent
salutes Josh with his own drink.  “I guess time will tell.”

Josh smiles, looking down into his nearly full drink. 
Let’s hope so.

Josh’s thoughts drift back to present day reality as he sits at his desk pondering the beginning of this journey.  Natan emerges in the open doorway, interrupting his thoughts. “You always leave your door open, Professor?”

Josh is startled. “You always sneak up on others, Agent Natan?”

“It’s not really sneaking if you have an appointment.”  Natan looks at her watch.  “You said nine, yes?”

             
“Yeah, sorry.  You can wait in the professors’ lounge down the hall and around the corner.  You can’t miss it.  I’ll go get Amanda.”  Josh gathers several of the shadings and papers and puts them back into his bag.  He leaves out the page for the first symbol, sliding it into his top drawer.  Josh puts his bag on top of a file cabinet in the corner of his office. 

Natan lingers in the doorway.  “Great, Professor.  I’d really like to wrap this all up.”  She gives Josh a look of disapproval.  “Still haven’t figured those out yet, huh?”

Josh follows Natan out of the office as he defends himself. “It has a complex encryption, Agent Natan.  Deciphering takes time.”

Natan toys with him. “I thought you said we didn’t have time.”

“Are you always this huffy in the morning?” he asks.

“It’s what happens when people interrupt my sleep,” she answers.  Josh remains silent.

             
He leads Natan to a professors’ lounge where he instructs her to wait.  Natan sits alone at the head of a large table with several chairs.  She taps her fingers as she waits.  A few moments later the door opens and Josh appears again with Amanda Clark, his twenty-eight-year-old spunky research assistant.  Amanda’s youthful appearance conceals her true age, but it’s her vibrant energy, a sort of magnetism, that gathers the most attention upon introduction.  Natan notices this immediately. 
I can see why he’d be protecting her.

Josh motions to Natan.  “That’s her.  She just has a few questions for you.  I’ll be

in the lecture hall if you need me.”

“Will you set up the projector for me for my next class?” Amanda asks.

“Sure,” Josh replies.

Josh leaves as Amanda comes into the lounge, walking over to the table.  She stands with her hands in her pockets as Natan finishes sizing her up.  Amanda wears a t-shirt with a photo of Riana Ball, a famous soul singer from the fifties and sixties
,
on it.  It reads “Riana ‘08.”

“Riana Ball?” Natan questions.

“She
is
the best,” Amanda coolly replies.

“Great enough to be the next president, huh?  Natan points to a chair near her.  “Would you like to sit down?”

“No thanks.  I sit most of the day, unless I’m teaching, so it’s nice to stand.  I’d love to chat about Riana all day long, but Josh said you have some questions for me,” Amanda gets to the point.

“Yes, I do.”  Natan’s gun is revealed as she gets up from her chair. 

Amanda’s cool melts quickly away. “Wait a minute.  Is that a gun?  Are you a cop?  Is this…about me driving by my ex-girlfriend’s house a few months ago?”  Natan’s intrigue keeps her silent. 
She’s a lesbian.  Guess that rules out intimacy with the professor.
Natan lets Amanda continue as she confides, “I mean it was only twice.  I was in the neighborhood…and…I didn’t even stop.”

“I’m sorry?” Natan says.

“Did she see me and make a complaint or something?” Amanda asks with grave concern.

Natan’s had her fun. “What?  Ms. Clark, I don’t know what impression you’ve gotten, but I am Special Agent Natan with the National Security Agency.”  Natan pulls out her badge.

“Is drama with your ex a National Security issue now?” Amanda’s breathing becomes exceptionally shallow.

“Ms. Clark…”

Amanda interrupts Natan, her voice edging higher, “This has got to be just a big misunderstanding.”

“Ms. Clark, I’m investigating a package that was left in Professor Sails’ office.” 

“You’re not here about Rebecca?”

“No.  Not unless Rebecca left a package in Professor Sails’ locked office a few weeks ago.”

Amanda feels hopeful. “Well, I don’t know about any package.”

“Only Professor Sails, the maintenance department, and you have a key.  Now, I’ve spoken with the maintenance department and they are not involved.”  Natan waits, gauging Amanda’s response.  There isn’t one so she continues, “I’d just like to ask you a few questions about this.  I’d hoped that the professor would have explained some of this to you.”

Realizing what’s just occurred Amanda replies, “Uh.  Oh.  Well, Josh just said that you were a friend of his and had some questions for me.  Let’s just forget about what I said about Rebecca and the fact that I just outed myself to the National Security Agency, shall we?” 

“Being gay isn’t a National Security issue.”

“You sure about that…in these times?”

“Last time I checked people are people.  Sounds like you’re the one having the issue here.”

“It’s my parents who have the issue, not me.  Hey, I thought this was about a package.” The disconnect between Amanda’s mouth and her brain continue to reveal more than she wants.

“It is.  So you didn’t leave a package with a photo and letter in it on Professor Sails’ desk in the last few weeks?”

“I already told you no,” Amanda replies, becoming annoyed at this entire conversation.

“I’m just clarifying some things.  As I said, you are the only other person who has a key to his office.”

“I have a key, but haven’t used it in eons.”

“Okay, well, has anyone else had access to your key? Like say a significant other…it sounds like we can rule this Rebecca person out, right, Ms. Clark?”

“Look, N.S.A. lady, I’m getting my Ph.D.  My life is school.  I consider Josh my stand-in girlfriend right now and he’s also my closest friend.  My life is a cornucopia of excitement, can’t you tell?  Are you sure that it wasn’t just delivered when the office was open?  Have you asked him about this?” Amanda retorts.

“I have.  That’s why I’m talking to you now.  One last question.  Have you seen anything suspicious or strange around his office in the last week or so?”

“Besides Josh’s clutter?  Nothing more than usual.”

Natan sizes Amanda up one last time. “Okay then, looks like we’re through.  Thanks for your help.”

Amanda tries to smooth things over with the government. “Again, I’m sorry about…the confusion.”

“Don’t worry about it, Ms. Clark.”  Natan sees Amanda’s discomfort.  “And…give your parents time.  They’ll come around.”

“There’s a better chance that Riana Ball will actually become president.”  Amanda heads toward the door.

             
Natan smiles, “And…Ms. Clark.” 

Amanda turns. “Yeah?”

Natan winks at Amanda. “You may want to rethink the whole stalking thing.”

Amanda attempts to hide her embarrassment as she calls over her shoulder while leaving, “I was just passing by.”  Amanda can’t leave the lounge quickly enough.  Natan smiles and shakes her head.