Chapter 5

The police came and went.  They took the green bag and talked to Miri about what happened.  She told them the story of how she got the box and that she had her older cousin call her father on the way home from school.  She was nervous as she spoke but she told the story exactly as it happened.

After the police were gone, Jake sent all of the children off to do their homework or play while he had a meeting with the adults.  “Ok everyone, now that that’s over, I wanted to let everyone know that we’re pulling the kids from school.”

“WHAT?!”Mandy exclaimed.

“Yes, Amanda, we’re pulling all of the kids from school.  The kids are all in danger.  I’m sure that you don’t want your oldest children kidnapped from their school and tortured, right?”

“What makes you think that’s going to happen?”

He held up the copy of the note he’d gotten with the box and read it aloud.  There was horror in the eyes of everyone in the room.  Jordan spoke.  “You know what you have to do, Jake”, Jordan said.

“Yes, Jordan, that’s my plan.  But, I’m making a few executive decisions before doing so.  One, the children are being home schooled until further notice.  James, Marc, Justin; please put in calls to the people that home school and tutor your kids.  We need them here.  Jordan; you are to go NO WHERE alone and you need to learn how to shoot.   I know that you were one of the girls that didn’t want to learn.  Well, guess what.  You need to learn.  Everyone’s safety may very well depend on it.”

“What has my Dad said about it?” Logan asked.

“Not a damn thing yet, but this all just started happening yesterday.  I’m trying to give him enough time to find something for me, but I can’t keep waiting.  My mother says that something is coming, but she doesn’t know what.  I’m going to swallow my pride as soon as we’re all done in here, go up to my office and call my parents in Israel and apologize all over myself for waking them up, and ask my father for advice.  I’m out of my depth at the moment.  I know when I’m in over my head and at the moment I’m in over my head and drowning fast.  The last two days have spiraled out of control.  I need advice.”

Jordan grinned.  “You’ve finally decided to pull a Cornwallis and raise the white flag?”

Jake nodded.  No matter how much he wanted to laugh he couldn’t.  His family was in danger and he wanted to squash it as quickly as he could.  “If that’s was you want to call it.”

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As he prepared to eat crow and call his parent’s, Jacob called his uncle in Texas.  “Hey, Uncle John, have you found anything yet?” he asked when the uncle in question answered his phone.

“Actually Jake, I just got off the phone with a few of my old contacts and was about to call you.  You’re not going to like what I found out.”

“Like it or not, I need to know so that I know how to protect everyone best.”

“The PSUS is actually behind the assassination attempt on Jordan.  It’s being funded by a man named…”

“Porter Grissom, right?”

“How did you know?”

“There was something on the news a few months ago about how he was suspected to be behind the disappearances of several dozen young men and women over the last five years.  He’s also the CEO of York Industries.  Got his start in New York, then moved out to LA because he needed more space.”

“You’ve done a little homework on your own apparently.”

“No actually.  I’m like my Dad.  I’m a news junky.  I do my damnedest to stay up to date on current events.”

“Good for you, Jake.  I’m glad that I’m talking to yet another person that keeps in touch with reality.”

“I try to.  I’m not perfect.”

“Neither is your father.”

“Jordan seems to worship him.”

“Every little girl worships their Dad no matter how old they or their Dad is.  I’ll bet you that Miri and Sammi both worship you.”

“Maybe.  I don’t know.  All I know is that things are too crazy around here.”

“Ask your Dad for a little advice.  Maybe he can guide you.”

Jake sighed.  “I know.  That’s what I’m about to do.  I don’t particularly want to call Mom and Dad but I 

think I have no choice now.”

“Well, good luck and God speed Jake.  Call me if you need anything else that my vast connections can dig up for you.”

“Will do, Uncle John.  Thanks again.”

“No problem, Jacob.  Take care.”

“Will do.  You too.”  Before he could get ‘goodbye’ out of his mouth, the connection went dead.  It was with a heavy heart that Jake made the next call.  He dialed his father’s number and prayed that he didn’t have to eat too much crow.  His pride already tasted bad enough and kept sticking in the way down.

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Sleep wasn’t coming easily for either of them.  They’d been up for two hours just laying on a lounger on the back patio.  They’d doze off and jolt awake again.  Or they would awaken from her having one of her dreams.  It was the same confusing, disconnected images as the first time she had the dream.

‘Riot’ sounded loud and clear into the early morning silence of Jerusalem, startling him awake.  He reached behind him and picked up the phone.  “Hello?” he asked with sleep in his voice.

“Hey, Dad”, his son said.

He adjusted the way he was lying so that he could have a little bit of comfort while he was on the phone.  “Hello Jacob.  What can I do for you at”, he checked the clock on his phone, “2:15 am?”

“Did you fall asleep with your glasses on again, Dad?”

“No.  My eyes aren’t as bad as you think they are.  Now, are you going to answer my question?”

Jake sighed.  “I’m in over my head, Dad, and I need advice.”

“What’s going on?” 

Jake told him about everything that had happened during the day.  “So, what would you do in this situation?”

“Honestly Jake, if it were me I’d follow the suggestions of this ‘friend’ that sent you that stuff.  Pull the kids out of school and have them homeschooled until the threat is neutralized.  Tell Jordan that she needs to have an escort every time she leaves the house and that she needs to learn how to shoot.  Were we there, I’d see if your mother would be willing to teach her and whoever else is interested.  Get Logan over there too.  And I’d turn that bag over to the police.”

“So I did it right?”

“That’s what I would do, Jake.  I can’t tell you what you should do.”

“No, Dad.  I know that.  What I’m saying is that I did what you would do.”

“Then why the fuck did you call me, Jacob?  It’s 2am here and I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep.”

“Why is that?”

“Mom’s having sketchy dreams.”

“Like what?”

“She keeps seeing a rifle muzzle, you kid and the grandkids, and she keeps hearing Psalms 23.”

“’The Lord is my Sheppard, I shall not want, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures’?”

“Yeah.  The it audio jumps to verse 4.  ‘Yea, and though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou aren’t with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me’.  We’re still trying to figure out what it means.  It’s too broken to tell right now.”

“That’s pretty creepy.”

“No kidding, Jacob.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go back to sleep until your mother wakes again from her dreams.  You have a good rest of your day, Jacob.  Give your brothers and sisters, you kids, and your nieces and nephews our love.  Goodbye.”  He hung up and didn’t even wait for his son to respond with a good night or a sleep well.  He knew that sleep was going to be hard to come by that night.  He wanted to get as much as he could.