The Revelation Chronicles

  A little shaky, I got up, walked to the French doors, and opened them. Robert was just outside talking with Arthur as I emerged from the room. Arthur eyed me coldly, and I recalled what Kara had told me earlier.

  “My men are combing the grounds for Standeval, but so far they’ve turned up nothing,” he said.

  “You won’t find him. He’s long gone by now. I don’t think we have to worry about him anymore though. He’s a selfish and conniving snake, but he is ultimately more concerned about saving his own bacon than to ever show his face to the Chirac again.”

  “And you know this how?” Arthur asked, ever the cynic.

  “Call it a hunch,” I said with equal disdain. “Besides, I know where Vicktor is now. I’m meeting him tonight.”

  Arthur’s eyes brightened.

  “That’s excellent news! Where is he? I will put together a team immediately to respond.”

  “No, you won’t,” I snapped. “I already have a team. I don’t want to be responsible for anyone else, and I’d prefer to have people around me that I can trust.”

  My response caught Arthur off guard and must have struck a nerve because he immediately went on the defensive.

  “What do you mean?” he asked. “This is preposterous! We can’t have the success of this mission and the future of this planet resting solely in the hands of a bunch of kids!” he said as he laughed boisterously, looking to Robert for validation and support.

  Robert simply smiled and placed his hands in his pockets.

  “I think he finally gets it, Arthur. This fight is theirs to win or lose; nothing we say or do matters to the outcome. We can either stand in the way and hinder them, or get out of the way and support them.”

  Chapter 59

  “Are you insane?” Arthur asked, his voice squeaking slightly as his pitch elevated from the rapidly mounting frustration. I’d never seen him so agitated. It was actually rather satisfying to witness.

  “We cannot do this, Robert,” he pressed. “We have worked too long and hard to get to this point.”

  “And where would we be now without him?” he reasoned. “If you don’t want them to go, you can try and stop them—without me.”

  Arthur stewed and fumed a while longer, but didn’t say another word. It appeared Robert’s suggestion wasn’t one he was willing to follow.

  Smart man.

  “Robert, can you give us a minute?” I asked.

  “Certainly,” he said and winked as he hobbled off towards the kitchen. When he was no longer within earshot, I spoke up.

  “I know why you don’t want me to go on this mission, and I get it, I really do. I talked with Kara earlier; she told me everything.”

  I could see he was visibly startled, but he tried to maintain his usual calm.

  “I get the fact that we are connected somehow and what could happen to her if I was to die. I wish there were some other way, but there isn’t. You know as well as I do there is no one else capable of stopping Vicktor. Am I scared? Absolutely. Is there a good chance I could fail and be killed by my own father? Probably. But those are risks I have finally come to terms with. This world is depending on me. Your daughter; my friends are all depending on me. And that’s what will see me through. I do believe that. And it would be great if you could show me the same support you did before you learned about me and Kara.”

  Arthur just stood there silent a long moment. He began to pat his pockets until he found what he was looking for: a box of matches. He pulled one out and struck it along the side, igniting the match, and letting the sulfur burn off a few seconds before placing the flame inside his trusted pipe. He puffed slowly and rhythmically a few times, releasing the smoke from the corner of his mouth and finally extinguishing the match. The aroma of sweet tobacco mixed with sulfur, and burnt wood filled the air. It wasn’t entirely unpleasing to my surprise and vexation.

  “You make a good argument, lad,” he said calmly. His voice was muffled a bit because of the pipe resting between his teeth. “I have strayed from the path, and for that, I apologize. I let my personal feelings get in the way and cloud my judgment. Just now, you have proven to me that you are a remarkable individual, Charlie. One that can and will make a difference. Thanks for showing an old man the error of his ways. My daughter is all I have left, and I love her dearly. But, I lost sight of all the sacrifices that you yourself have made along this journey, and the ones you have yet to make. You are very resilient, and it may just be your best asset. Just know that I am one hundred percent behind you. We will discuss the matter of you and Kara at a later time.”

  He threw his arm around my shoulders and gave a hearty laugh. “Sound good to you?”

  I exhaled.

  “Sounds great.”

  Chapter 60

  “That is a really big building,” Freddy marveled.

  We were all gathered in the situation room again as I had now unceremoniously christened it. Freddy couldn’t stop ogling at all the cutting edge technology and gadgets once I’d finally convinced Robert to let him enter. He was like a kid on his first trip to the zoo. Everything was amazing to him.

  We were currently looking at a scaled replica of the Gateway Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids on the holographic monitor. Even as a replica, the building was breathtaking. It was currently a mixture of several entities as the bottom ten floors were used exclusively for the hotel while the next fifteen were individually-owned condominiums. The final ten floors were privately owned by a foreign investment firm.

  “Do we know anything about this investment firm?” asked Robert.

  “Not really, sir,” answered the serious looking schoolteacher from earlier. I had learned her name was actually Brooke, and Freddy seemed to take quite a liking to her right away. As soon as she spoke, I could sense the piqued interest as the corners of his mouth slowly stretched upwards, and he pushed his glasses back up his nose with an index finger. I’d seen the look before. It was the unmistakable look of a lion, just before it pounced on a helpless gazelle.

  I glanced under the table to make sure my aim was true and delivered a swift, sharp kick in the shin. He reeled back, startled, then threw up his hands and mouthed ‘what’ in my direction. I glared at him with my jaw tight and eyes as rings of fire. He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Brooke, hanging on her every word.

  “We know they are a private firm based out of London. A lot of the information we were able to dig up was pretty generic. You could find the same info with your standard internet search engine. No pictures or names that we could find. None that mattered anyway. It’s almost like they don’t want anyone to know who they are.”

  “I think we can safely assume then that this firm is probably a front for the Chirac, and they control the top ten floors,” said Robert. “Entry from the ground level will likely be out of the question. What we need to figure out is how to get you guys in without being noticed.”

  “Well, a distraction didn’t work too well for us last time,” I said. “Vicktor knows I’m coming and won’t try and stop me from getting to the roof. Freddy and I will simply walk in through the front door.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? The Chirac will be crawling all over the place,” said Robert. His voice was etched with concern.

  “It’s a great idea,” I reassured him. “When we walk through that front door, all eyes will be on us. It will give Nick and Kara the opportunity they need to slip in unnoticed.”

  “I like it,” said Nick. Then he frowned. “But, where exactly are we going to slip in?”

  “What about the service entrance?” Arthur suggested.

  “Too obvious. They’ll be expecting that. We have to find a way in they haven’t thought of,” said Robert.

  Brooke leaned forward and moved her thumb and index finger back and forth simultaneously, zooming in on the holographic image of the hotel and expanding the vantage point.

  “This is an option,” she said, keying in on a small door at the rear of the hot
el.

  “Where does it lead?” Robert asked.

  “It leads to the hotel kitchen area.”

  “That place will be crawling with people. It’s too risky. That can be their last resort, but we need to find something better if we can.”

  “Do we have schematics of the sewer system?” asked Kara. She hadn’t spoken at all since we entered the room and hadn’t spoken to me since storming out earlier, raging mad.

  I needed to apologize to her and make things right, whatever that meant. I wasn’t clear on how I was supposed to approach the subject of Allison with my soul mate. It was kind of like sticking your hand in a crocodile’s mouth. There is an off chance that he won’t chomp down. Then again, it is a crocodile, and you could be regretting that decision for the rest of your life.

  A crocodile? Really?

  I jumped in my chair, stunned from my daydream of carnivorous reptiles by the cold harsh sound of Kara’s voice in my head. When was I going to learn?

  Chapter 61

  I sat up straight and nervously glanced around to see if anyone had noticed. Freddy’s wandering eyes met mine, and he looked puzzled for a second. Then, noticing the icy gaze on Kara’s face, he gave me an amused smile followed by a barely muffled chuckle. Guess he felt it was payback for the kick I gave him.

  Brooke removed the image of the hotel and pulled up a holographic maze of intersecting tunnels.

  “This is a model of the sewer grid near the hotel,” she said. She pulled and stretched the hologram in front of us as if she were a chef working pizza dough. “I like what you’re thinking Kara, and this may just work.”

  “A sewer? Come on!” Nick groaned.

  Thank goodness Freddy and I were going through the front. I didn’t want to relive my sewer experience.

  “Don’t be such a baby,” Kara chided.

  “Just because I don’t want to smell like dirty diapers and spoiled food doesn’t make me a baby, princess,” Nick contested.

  “You wish. And don’t call me princess,” said Kara, rolling her eyes as she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms defiantly.

  “Are you two done?” asked Arthur. He glowered at both Nick and Kara who each remained mum. “Good. Continue, Brooke.”

  She highlighted a portion of the hologram, then rotated and panned out, so the view was now of a manhole cover just above street level. It was almost as if the real thing were right in front of us. The detail was so amazingly sharp and crisp.

  “This manhole is approximately two hundred yards away from the hotel. If you enter here, it will lead you directly to this access point, underneath the hotel.”

  She zoomed in once again, this time on a small door about three feet high.

  “What is that? asked Robert.

  “That is a little known entrance that will grant access directly to the hotel’s ventilation system. It wasn’t in the architect’s original design, but it was added later and never made it into the final schematic that was filed with the city. We only discovered it after comparing the two. You really have to adore human incompetence,” she joked.

  “Looks like it,” said Robert. He stroked his chin. “This just may work.”

  “So wait, we are supposed to crawl through the ventilation system and make it up thirty floors undetected?” asked Nick. “Am I the only one who thinks this is absurd?”

  Freddy snickered.

  “No, he’s right,” I said. “We need to find a faster way for them to make it to the top floors once inside and search for Michael and Allison. And, I think I have a plan that just might work.”

  Chapter 62

  Back at my room, I grabbed my backpack and placed it next to the door. I wasn’t ready to leave just yet. There was one final thing I needed to do, and I couldn’t go out risking my life in an attempt to save the world without getting it off my conscience.

  I checked the wall clock. The antique read 5:02 P.M. More than enough time to get where I needed to go and be back. I slipped out of my room and headed downstairs. I needed to make it to the garage without being seen.

  Hugging the wall and walking lightly, I paused next to the kitchen. I could hear several voices and inched forward so I could peek around the doorframe. Luckily, no one inside was paying attention or looking in my direction, so I slipped past, continuing on toward the garage.

  As I reached the door, I heard a voice from behind that startled me.

  I was busted.

  “Where are you headed?”

  It was Robert, I noticed with vexation upon turning around. He was leaning against the wall as though he’d been there the entire time.

  “I need to go out for a second. There’s something I need to do.”

  “Well, I don’t think it’s safe for you to be going out by yourself, so I think I’ll tag along.”

  “I need to do this by myself,” I argued.

  “Not if you want to take any of the vehicles from this house, you don’t. Come this way. I’ve got something that will get you to where you need to go in no time at all.”

  I couldn’t argue with him, so I followed behind as he led me to the west side of the mansion. Honestly, I hadn’t put much thought into where the keys might be for any of the vehicles, so it was just as well that he’d found me. We continued on through the halls until we came to a solid paneled wall with only a decorative lamp in its center.

  Robert hobbled up to the lamp and pulled it down. The wall gave way, sliding inward and to the right, revealing a passageway.

  “Follow me.”

  I didn’t respond, instead marveling at how the mansion seemed to hold as many secrets as those who resided in it. The passageway led us to a brightly lit warehouse filled with exotic cars and sport utility vehicles, each souped-up and modified in some way to enhance performance.

  Robert walked over to a bright red Bugatti concept and placed his hand underneath the door handle. The door lifted straight into the air, and Robert climbed into the driver seat.

  “Get in,” he said as he pushed the ignition button. The car’s engine roared to life. I was startled as I slid into the passenger’s seat, and a pleasant woman’s voice spoke.

  “Welcome, Robert. Would you like for me to set your destination for you?”

  “No, I know where we’re going,” Robert responded, clearly used to communicating with the car. I stared at him, flabbergasted by the surreal ingenuity. Both doors mechanically descended on their own and closed shut. I felt as though I were in the cockpit of a jet fighter with all the gadgets.

  “Did this car just speak to you?”

  “Yes,” Robert responded and placed the car in drive. “Gives a whole new meaning to the term smart car, huh?”

  “I’ll say.”

  He floored the gas pedal and the tires screeched, propelling us toward the adjacent wall. Robert pressed a button on the middle console and the wall separated, opening onto a loosely graveled road. He continued to accelerate, negotiating the sharp turns as we departed the mansion. Trees and foliage along the side of the road zoomed by in a blur while the car steadily picked up speed. We eventually merged with a paved two-lane public road, and I suddenly realized we were on the backside of the large hill that overlooked the mansion.

  “How did you know where I wanted to go?” I asked finally. He’d already made it clear to the concept car that he knew what our destination was, so now I wanted to hear it from him.

  “I know you better than you think,” he replied. “Where else would you be going? I think it’s pretty obvious.”

  I gritted my teeth and stared out the window. I hated answers like that.

  “Also, now that we have a moment alone, I would like to apologize,” he continued. “I’m terribly sorry all this had to happen. I blame myself for so much.”

  I couldn’t see Robert’s eyes, but I could tell by his tone of voice that the words were sincere; he was in emotional pain. I could only imagine seeing my best friend become a monster. It would tear me up inside too.

 
“I could have stopped it. I could have put an end to it before it all began. But, I was too blind and naïve to see what was right in front of me. And for that, your mother suffered. She paid the ultimate price. I have never forgiven myself and vowed to be there for you. But once again, I have failed. I should have never put you in the position I did last night with Vicktor.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I offered. “It was me who didn’t take your advice and run. I should have, but I didn’t. That’s all on me.”

  “Yes, but you shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I let my own anger and frustration skew my better judgment. I so desperately wanted you to do what I could not: defeat Vicktor so I can sleep better at night. To exorcise some of my own demons. And that’s not right.”

  Robert sighed and slowed the car down. We were finally entering the city, and traffic was becoming dense. He took a left, and I came to realize he really did know exactly where I wanted to go.

  “When you face Vicktor again, make sure you don’t do it for your own selfish reasons. I know he has made it personal, but do it for the things that really matter. Always keep your eye on the prize. I have no doubt you will succeed.”

  He eased the car to a stop just outside the entrance to the facility. I looked up and read the sign: Plainview Psychiatric Hospital.

  “I’ll wait here in the car.”

  “Thanks,” I said, as the door unlocked and ascended on its own. I hadn’t even reached for the handle. It really was a smart car. “Thanks for everything.”

  Chapter 63

  I took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to the entrance. The glass doors slid open as I approached, and I continued on into the lobby. I didn’t bother to look at the directory; I knew exactly where I was going. I’d been there enough times to know.

  I walked to the reception desk and waited while the clerk finished with the couple in front of me. She seemed in no particular hurry. I glanced at the clock on the wall behind her.

  6:08 P.M.

  The couple in front of me moved to the door and was buzzed in.

  “Can I help you, sir?” the clerk asked.

  “I’m here to see a patient,” I said awkwardly, moving forward.

  “Name?”